Dan, as usual you "forget" that these player rank Hoad only as the "Half-GOAT". They are intelligent enough to know that Lew is not even a top ten player regarding achievements.
No, Bobby, for YOU Hoad's achievements were not top ten.
For these guys, Hoad's achievements were sufficient to be number one all-time, or as Bedard said simply, "Hoad was the greatest player."
Simple enough.
Bedard's list
pre-WWII Tilden
post-WWII Hoad
recent Sampras
Three different eras, three different players.
Bedard played Hoad many times, especially in majors, and took a set off Hoad in the 1954 Wimbledon.
It was at that Wimbledon that Fred Perry declared Bedard to be "the greatest natural athlete in the Wimbledon field".
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