4 straight winners in a return game

[krosero]

We've already posted a list of these instances, where someone breaks serve with 4 straight winners. We posted these, in the Krajicek-Sampras thread:

Yes at 5-6, he had 4 straight passing shots, two from each wing. The last was a FH return of a first serve, but Sampras missed all three of his other first serves in that game.

On an old thread we were talking about other times that players have broken with 4 straight winners. Hoad did it to Cooper at '57 Wimbledon; Laver to Osuna at '62 US; Connors to Newcombe in their Challenge Match in '75; and Cash to Pernfors in 1986 Davis Cup.

Evert did that in the 6th game of the 2nd set vs Sukova in the '84 AO Final

^another one for Cash, vs Wilander at '87 Wimbledon. Broke with 4 passing shot winners(2 fh, 2 bh) for a 6-5 lead in 2nd set

Good find, I also found one recently from 1939. 4 straight passing shots by Vines, to break Budge in a match in Buffalo. Per a local report: “His passing shots were things of beauty in the first game [of the second set] as Budge rashly stormed the net and Vines scored four straight placements.”

You can add Fognini to the 'break with 4 straight winners' list. Game 9, 5th set vs Nadal. 3 fh, 1 bh.

One hell of a return game by Fabio, yes. Rafa played as well as I've seen him all year but Fognini still wouldn't be denied. The stats really can't do this match justice, that was fantastic hitting by both guys. Makes you wonder just how much more Fog could do with a better serve and cranium.

Now let me go back just a few years. 1914 Davis Cup Challenge Round, fifth rubber, on grass at Forest Hills.

From American Lawn Tennis:

Most Remarkable Game on Record

(From ALT of September 1, 1914)

One game in the memorable McLoughlin-Wilding Davis Cup match will go thundering down the ages as the most remarkable ever played. It was the fifth game, each of them being a good service….McLoughlin led at 2 sets to 1 and 3-1, when Wilding began to serve. He sent over just four balls, the smallest possible number that could be served in a game, each of them being a good service. Each of these four balls was met by the American with a terrific clout on his forehand; and each landed in Wilding’s court with that worthy vainly striving to get his racket on it. Thus there was the minimum number of returns—four; and the ball was hit just eight times.

There is scarcely a doubt that this constitutes a record in the annals of lawn tennis, and also that it was the most remarkable exhibition of clean, tremendously hard and accurate hitting ever seen. McLoughlin aced the service four times in succession—not chance shots or near-flukes, but clean drives that were directed to a certain point in Wilding’s court and went there with unerring certainty. All four drives were unreturnable. Their pace and direction completely baffled Wilding’s efforts to return them.

The unique nature of the performance was contributed to by Wilding. He got his first delivery in on all four occasions. Had he erred only once the ball could not have been hit less than nine times. But everything conspired to bring about the result noted.​

Post more if you have 'em.

 

[NonP]

Now let me go back just a few years. 1914 Davis Cup Challenge Round....

Understatement of the year. Do you happen to have British blood, krosero?

It's interesting that McLoughlin, he of the cannonball fame, was the returner rather than the server in that game. I'm guessing it was a one-off like Goran's own eye-popper in the '98 Wimby final, but perhaps his return was better than we remember now?

Also do we have a thread for instances of 4 or more straight aces? I see one for aces in a set but not for streaks.

 

[krosero]

Understatement of the year. Do you happen to have British blood, krosero?

It's interesting that McLoughlin, he of the cannonball fame, was the returner rather than the server in that game. I'm guessing it was a one-off like Goran's own eye-popper in the '98 Wimby final, but perhaps his return was better than we remember now?

Also do we have a thread for instances of 4 or more straight aces? I see one for aces in a set but not for streaks.

I don't know much about McLoughlin so I'll let others who know more take that one. I did just post a quote from Tilden, in '44, naming McLoughlin as the one player who had done the most to popularize the game, though Tilden did not specify how he did that.

No such thread that I know of. If someone starts it I'll look for a clip of Becker's 4 aces starting the '96 YEC final.

Ah no British blood here. I don't even speak British though I can read it a little

 

[krosero]

Just edited my opening post to clarify that all the instances I listed were 4 straight winners. There are some famous games like Goran-Sampras (which NonP posted before I clarified my post) where the returner makes 4 winners, but not consecutively.

All the same we'd still like to hear about those. One of the most famous is from the 1981 USO final, where Mac broke Borg with 4 clean winners (only 3 straight) out of 5 points played.

Here's a couple of others for the original list (each of them 4 straight winners):

- 2002 Basel quarterfinal, Federer broke Roddick at 1-3 in the second set, all clean winners, all passes/lobs

- 1939 pro tour match in Brussels, Vines broke Budge at 4-3 in the second set with 4 passing shots and went on to win 6-3, 7-9, 9-7 (this was indoors and I believe on some type of fast court, ie, not clay)

 

[BTURNER]

to clarify the return itself has to be the winner. In other words the server does not hit a ball in the game other than to serve.

 

[krosero]

to clarify the return itself has to be the winner rather than set up a passing shot winner. In other words the server does not hit a ball in the game other than to serve.

Not necessary, the only thing required is for the returner to hit 4 straight winners, with any strokes.

 

[BTURNER]

I have a feeling Evert has done that more than the once vs Sukova, its the sort of stat built for her game vs second tier S/'ver's but I'd have to think on it and watch some old videos.

 

[krosero]

I have a feeling Evert has done that more than the once vs Sukova, its the sort of stat built for her game vs second tier S/'ver's but I'd have to think on it and watch some old videos.

Sure, but what I really want to see is Evert hitting 4 winners past Tracy Austin.

Seriously, if you can find that you should get some sort of prize.

 

[Moose Malloy]

2014 Brisbane QF - Serena broke Cibulkova in the 1st game of the 2nd set with 4 straight winners

1988 USO SF - Wilander broke Cahill with winners on 4 of 5 pts, game 3 of the 3rd set

Some trivia not on topic - Mecir had 5 straight return winners(over 2 games) vs Edberg in the semis of 88 Wimbledon

 

[Moose Malloy]

2008 Miami QF - Roddick broke Federer with winners on 4 of 5 pts, game 3, 3rd set

 

[BrooklynNY]

Hitting winners and hitting return winners are not the same. The thread topic is return winners, not just consecutive winners

 

[krosero]

Doesn't have to be service returns. My thread title is a little unclear (no way to edit titles though).

All we're looking for is for the returner to end 4 straight points with winners, with any kinds of strokes.

Does not have to be service returns, does not have to be a break at love (the 4 straight can begin with the server up 15-love for example).

 

[krosero]

1988 USO SF - Wilander broke Cahill with winners on 4 of 5 pts, game 3 of the 3rd set

2008 Miami QF - Roddick broke Federer with winners on 4 of 5 pts, game 3, 3rd set

thanks Moose. So these were both 4 straight points?

 

[NatF]

What about that return game from Rafa in Shanghai where he broke to stay in the set (or was it match)? Must have been at least 3 straight return winners.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Sorry krosero neither of those examples were 4 straight points. The mention of goran's game threw me, which wasn't 4 straight, just 4 winners to break). The other examples I listed were all breaks at love with 4 winners(Evert, Serena, Cash, Fognini)

 

[Moose Malloy]

Per match reports Verdasco hit 4 straight winners to break Nadal for the match yesterday, after being down love 30. Also Djokovic broke Nadal with 4 winners in the first game of their masters cup semifinal last year.

 

[Moose Malloy]

^I just watched the last game of the Verdasco match and can confirm it was 3, not 4 winners. Guess they gave him another winner as a judgement call.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Venus broke Pliskova with 4 straight winners when she was down 6-5, 40-15 in the 3rd set of their 4th round match at the USO.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Nastase broke Connors with 4 straight winners after being down love 15 in the first game of the 2nd set, 1972 Wimbledon. 3 passing shots, 1 volley. On the changeover jack Kramer said "now that's one of the greatest games you'll ever see anyone play"

 

[BTURNER]

1978 Eastbourne F Navratilova vs Evert. At 3-5 down in the first set, Evert wins return game at love with 4 consecutive winners. three return of serve winners (one backhand, two forehand returns and a forehand dropper.

 

[pc1]

Did anyone mention von Cramm-Budge 1937 Davis Cup when von Cramm did it twice to Budge?

 

[pc1]

Has anyone documented cases of Lew Hoad doing this? I have read accounts of Hoad moving in and taking returns on the rise and putting them away.
Maybe @Dan Lobb can help us.

 

[pc1]

A New York Times report on 1957 Wimbledon final, Hoad d. Cooper, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2

by Fred Tupper

Lew Hoad is still the best amateur in tennis. The 22-year-old Australian powerhouse today annihilated Ashley Cooper, rated the only man in the world with a chance to beat him....

Hoad's performance must rank as one of the fiercest hitting rampages in tennis history. Yet the Australian, playing without his favorite racket and bothered intermittently by a loose eyelash, said later: "I played as well here in the final with Rosewall last year, and I've played better at home."

....Hoad has been lethargic and lack-luster most of the Wimbledon fortnight. He fell behind Mervyn Rose in the quarter-finals and he threw a minor tantrum against Sweden's Sven Davidson in the semi-finals. Today he was a superb self, the self he apparently reserves for the big occasion like a national final or a Davis Cup tie.

From the time Cooper served his first ace until he weakly tapped into the net less than an hour later he was throttled by sheer speed. Cooper has come a long way since he was knocked off here last year by Allen Morris, an American who ranks far down in the first twenty. He has gained weight and strength, he hasn't a discernible weakness in his repertoire and he has been nerveless under match pressure.

Time and again Cooper threaded the needle into a hole that should have been open and wasn't. Yet he had every right to expect that the return would be defensive. It never was. Hoad flicked his writ and the ball was gone.

Hoad broke Cooper in the first game on a pair of backhands pasted against the line and broke him again to lead 4-1 by switching the backhand across to Cooper's feet. He had the set in eighteen minutes as his last lightning serve knocked Ashley's racket on the court.

In a staggering burst, he hit four direct winners to break Cooper at love in the second set and then held up play momentarily to have a linesman pry loose a hair in his eye. Four services for another love game and he changed his racket. He had broken his favorite bat in the morning and had sent his wife Jennifer to have it restrung. He was at 4-0 when he signaled the umpire again. Another linesman fiddled with his eye. Finally the set was his again in eighteen minutes.

Hoad's concentration wavered slightly in the third set. He double-faulted twice to trail 1-2. Cooper had a last chance to get in the match. Then Hoad belted a forehand drive so hard that it sent Cooper careening onto the turf. He lay there a second in misery, like a boxer on the verge of being counted out.

Then, exactly as he had done last year to end the final against Rosewall, Hoad hammered out five games running. The champion had repeated....

 

[Dan Lobb]

Has anyone documented cases of Lew Hoad doing this? I have read accounts of Hoad moving in and taking returns on the rise and putting them away.
Maybe @Dan Lobb can help us.

Yes, Hoad could move in to a serve and do that, take it "on the rise", so probably there were occasions when he won 4 straight points, possibly during the two Wimbledon finals he won, he had hot streaks in both finals, or in some of his huge number of matches against Gonzales.

 

[krosero]

Did anyone mention von Cramm-Budge 1937 Davis Cup when von Cramm did it twice to Budge?

This was mentioned in Budge's memoir but I have strong doubts about it. I posted somewhere, that I did an analysis with the boxscore of the match, and newspaper accounts, all of which contradict Budge's memory on this.

Perry in his own memoir (1984) recalls Budge breaking him with four straight winners when he tried to serve out the 1936 Forest Hills final at 6-5 in the fifth: yet ALT and the Miami News report Perry making four straight errors. That one looks just as doubtful.

 

[pc1]

A New York Times report on 1957 Wimbledon final, Hoad d. Cooper, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2

by Fred Tupper

Lew Hoad is still the best amateur in tennis. The 22-year-old Australian powerhouse today annihilated Ashley Cooper, rated the only man in the world with a chance to beat him....

Hoad's performance must rank as one of the fiercest hitting rampages in tennis history. Yet the Australian, playing without his favorite racket and bothered intermittently by a loose eyelash, said later: "I played as well here in the final with Rosewall last year, and I've played better at home."

....Hoad has been lethargic and lack-luster most of the Wimbledon fortnight. He fell behind Mervyn Rose in the quarter-finals and he threw a minor tantrum against Sweden's Sven Davidson in the semi-finals. Today he was a superb self, the self he apparently reserves for the big occasion like a national final or a Davis Cup tie.

From the time Cooper served his first ace until he weakly tapped into the net less than an hour later he was throttled by sheer speed. Cooper has come a long way since he was knocked off here last year by Allen Morris, an American who ranks far down in the first twenty. He has gained weight and strength, he hasn't a discernible weakness in his repertoire and he has been nerveless under match pressure.

Time and again Cooper threaded the needle into a hole that should have been open and wasn't. Yet he had every right to expect that the return would be defensive. It never was. Hoad flicked his writ and the ball was gone.

Hoad broke Cooper in the first game on a pair of backhands pasted against the line and broke him again to lead 4-1 by switching the backhand across to Cooper's feet. He had the set in eighteen minutes as his last lightning serve knocked Ashley's racket on the court.

In a staggering burst, he hit four direct winners to break Cooper at love in the second set and then held up play momentarily to have a linesman pry loose a hair in his eye. Four services for another love game and he changed his racket. He had broken his favorite bat in the morning and had sent his wife Jennifer to have it restrung. He was at 4-0 when he signaled the umpire again. Another linesman fiddled with his eye. Finally the set was his again in eighteen minutes.

Hoad's concentration wavered slightly in the third set. He double-faulted twice to trail 1-2. Cooper had a last chance to get in the match. Then Hoad belted a forehand drive so hard that it sent Cooper careening onto the turf. He lay there a second in misery, like a boxer on the verge of being counted out.

Then, exactly as he had done last year to end the final against Rosewall, Hoad hammered out five games running. The champion had repeated....

See above

 

[pc1]

I think Rosewall mentioned Laver did that to him a few times. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[pc1]

I think it's possible Rosewall hit five straight backhand winners against Laver but I'm not sure.

Had to delete the link

 

[krosero]

I think it's possible Rosewall hit five straight backhand winners against Laver but I'm not sure.

PC1, that's a good one, and it's easily confirmed in press reports. Rosewall hit 5 straight winners from love-40 (triple match point), though they were not 5 straight backhands.

Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA):

In the finals, Laver held a seemingly insurmountable lead on his service. But Rosewall unleashed a top-spin lob, two backhand passing shots, a forehand passing shot and a forehand return of serve to break Laver’s serve. He then held his own to pull even at 4-all [5-all]. The momentum swung to Rosewall and although he allowed one more game to Laver it was apparent he would be the eventual winner.​

The Argus (Fremont, CA):

Ken Rosewall, playing a nerve game of brinksmanship, overcame three match points to defeat fellow Australian Rod Laver, 4-6, 7-5, 8-6, in the finals of the Pacific Coast International Professional Tennis Championships at the Berkeley Tennis Club yesterday.

Behind 5-3 in the third set and love-40 in the ninth game with Laver serving, Rosewall caught his opponent going the wrong way three times with some remarkable shots down the line to tie the game at deuce, then went on break serve…..

Rosewall was given a standing ovation by the slightly less than capacity crowd, which was probably kept down somewhat by the cold and threatening weather.

After breaking Laver’s serve in the ninth game of the third set, Rosewall waited until the 13th game when once again he broke serve, the game point coming on a powerful forehand while charging the net. Laver had double-faulted on the point before that to give Rosewall the advantage.

Rosewall then held serve for the match in the next game, his points coming on two strong serves and two powerful net shots—the same strokes which had given Laver a commanding lead earlier in the match.

Rosewall not only had to fight Laver in that unbelievable ninth game of the third set, but also had to overcome a spectator who, probably cold like the rest of the gallery, kept yelling, “Come on, Rod. Let’s finish him off and go home.”​

LA Times:

Australian Ken Rosewall, one stroke from defeat, rallied from a 3-5 deficit to beat top-seeded countryman Rod Laver, 6-8, 7-5, 8-6, for the singles title of the Pacific Coast professional tennis tournament.

Laver led, 40-0, and was serving in the final set. Rosewall then strung together five brilliant passing shots to break Laver’s serve. With the momentum swinging his way, Rosewall went on to take the final set.​

Laver remembers it as 5 straight backhand returns, but he was writing 46 years later.

 

[Shaolin]

Becker might've done it against Sampras in the 96 world championships…I remember an amazing return game which seemed like a blur of passing shot winners.

Its been a long time since Ive seen it though.

Goran had a similar amazing game against Pete in the 1998 Wimb final.

 

[BTURNER]

I have not seen any references to Connors, and I would expect this category to suit his game in his era very well too. He played tons of s/vers on lots of fast to moderate speed courts and a lot of those were not of the caliber of a Laver, a McEnroe, etc. Two great returns, and a good pass and a lob and the game is his. If they decide to stay back on second serves, he knows how ot take control of a rally and get into net for a put away volley. What you need is someone who loves a target, playing some lower ranked players who tend to give a target and it won't be all that rare.

 

[BobbyOne]

PC1, that's a good one, and it's easily confirmed in press reports. Rosewall hit 5 straight winners from love-40 (triple match point), though they were not 5 straight backhands.

Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, CA):

In the finals, Laver held a seemingly insurmountable lead on his service. But Rosewall unleashed a top-spin lob, two backhand passing shots, a forehand passing shot and a forehand return of serve to break Laver’s serve. He then held his own to pull even at 4-all [5-all]. The momentum swung to Rosewall and although he allowed one more game to Laver it was apparent he would be the eventual winner.​

The Argus (Fremont, CA):

Ken Rosewall, playing a nerve game of brinksmanship, overcame three match points to defeat fellow Australian Rod Laver, 4-6, 7-5, 8-6, in the finals of the Pacific Coast International Professional Tennis Championships at the Berkeley Tennis Club yesterday.

Behind 5-3 in the third set and love-40 in the ninth game with Laver serving, Rosewall caught his opponent going the wrong way three times with some remarkable shots down the line to tie the game at deuce, then went on break serve…..

Rosewall was given a standing ovation by the slightly less than capacity crowd, which was probably kept down somewhat by the cold and threatening weather.

After breaking Laver’s serve in the ninth game of the third set, Rosewall waited until the 13th game when once again he broke serve, the game point coming on a powerful forehand while charging the net. Laver had double-faulted on the point before that to give Rosewall the advantage.

Rosewall then held serve for the match in the next game, his points coming on two strong serves and two powerful net shots—the same strokes which had given Laver a commanding lead earlier in the match.

Rosewall not only had to fight Laver in that unbelievable ninth game of the third set, but also had to overcome a spectator who, probably cold like the rest of the gallery, kept yelling, “Come on, Rod. Let’s finish him off and go home.”​

LA Times:

Australian Ken Rosewall, one stroke from defeat, rallied from a 3-5 deficit to beat top-seeded countryman Rod Laver, 6-8, 7-5, 8-6, for the singles title of the Pacific Coast professional tennis tournament.

Laver led, 40-0, and was serving in the final set. Rosewall then strung together five brilliant passing shots to break Laver’s serve. With the momentum swinging his way, Rosewall went on to take the final set.​

Laver remembers it as 5 straight backhand returns, but he was writing 46 years later.

krosero, Thanks for these reports. Bud Collins had described that miraculous Rosewall recovery also in Boston Globe quoted in Rowley's book.

I did not know that Rosewall played top-spin lobs or top-spin of any kind at all.

 

[Moose Malloy]

@BTURNER Were all of the winners in the evert game you described clean winners(meaning balls untouched by Martina)? Do you have a link? Those are the only examples krosero and I are interested in(otherwise the list would grow considerably) I have found several examples with Agassi or Connors breaking serve with 4 passing shots, but they weren't clean winners so I didn't bother mentioning them.

And as far as all the examples from way back listed here from news reports - I would take them with a grain of salt. The definition of winner has changed greatly over the years, I've watched matches from the 70s where news reports described games with "winners" that were hit that clearly weren't clean winners. Who knows what that word meant in the 40s or 50s to a writer. It seems like it often just meant winning shots in many cases(like forcing an error from your opponent)
Heck even news reports today aren't always talking clean winners(see the Verdasco example I listed)
I haven't been tracking it that long, but breaking with 4 clean winners seems like a pretty rare thing to me, especially with older matches from 70s(where winner rates were much less than today)
Take the nastase match I cited. In the entire first set(which was a pretty high quality set imo), Nastase only had 5 clean winners total. So to see him break with 4 winners in the next set was sort of unusual I would say. The commentators seemed to think so.

That laver rosewall reports makes no mention of 5 winners btw, just 5 passing shots. I just watched a Connors match from 1981 where the ny times said he broke with 4 passing shots. But they weren't clean winners. I guess you all can choose what you want to believe, but if I had to bet a lot of money on rosewall having broken serve with 5 winners in that game without having actually seen the game,only having read about it, I wouldn't feel that good about winning the bet.

 

[BTURNER]

@BTURNER Were all of the winners in the evert game you described clean winners(meaning balls untouched by Martina)? Do you have a link? Those are the only examples krosero and I are interested in(otherwise the list would grow considerably) I have found several examples with Agassi or Connors breaking serve with 4 passing shots, but they weren't clean winners so I didn't bother mentioning them.

And as far as all the examples from way back listed here from news reports - I would take them with a grain of salt. The definition of winner has changed greatly over the years, I've watched matches from the 70s where news reports described games with "winners" that were hit that clearly weren't clean winners. Who knows what that word meant in the 40s or 50s to a writer. It seems like it often just meant winning shots in many cases(like forcing an error from your opponent)
Heck even news reports today aren't always talking clean winners(see the Verdasco example I listed)
I haven't been tracking it that long, but breaking with 4 clean winners seems like a pretty rare thing to me, especially with older matches from 70s(where winner rates were much less than today)
Take the nastase match I cited. In the entire first set(which was a pretty high quality set imo), Nastase only had 5 clean winners total. So to see him break with 4 winners in the next set was sort of unusual I would say. The commentators seemed to think so.

That laver rosewall reports makes no mention of 5 winners btw, just 5 passing shots. I just watched a Connors match from 1981 where the ny times said he broke with 4 winners, which isn't correct.

Check out 11:05 -11:07 on the counter left. Dan Maskell does the commentary and describes it as we watch each point consecutively with no break in the tape. Martina does not touch a ball wit her racket after her service motion until she is already 0-40 down. You will here him say "three consecutive winners....and now a drop shot" Both your eyes and his voice would have to be lying to you.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Thanks. Great game, shame the full match isn't there, not a fan of highlights. Btw Dan Maskells voice has lied to me many times, he's from an era where "winners" didn't always mean clean winners.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Thanks. Great game, shame the full match isn't there, not a fan of highlights. Btw Dan Maskells voice has lied to me many times, he's from an era where "winners" didn't always mean clean winners.

I notice in the NY Times coverage of the 1957 Wimbledon final, the term used for Hoad's break is "four DIRECT winners"...I presume that means "clean", although "clean" itself is only your personal term.

 

[krosero]

In my own notes I've been keeping track of which of these are confirmed in our counts (ie, by video) and which are not. I might put together such a list for this thread. There is very little before the OE that is confirmed as clean winners only, though I've still been posting some that are possibilities (like the Vines/Budge match in Brussels) and would still like to hear about them.

The Rosewall/Laver example will never be confirmed as clean winners only, without video. It's confirmed only in the sense that the shots were called winners in their own time (unlike the Budge/Cramm and Perry/Budge examples).

What does give me some confidence that it could be a string of 5 clean winners is that on the first three, up to deuce, Rosewall is said to catch Laver "going the wrong way."

 

[krosero]

Thanks. Great game, shame the full match isn't there, not a fan of highlights. Btw Dan Maskells voice has lied to me many times, he's from an era where "winners" didn't always mean clean winners.

This is absolutely true, there is an enormous range of meaning in all tennis terms, especially across eras. Even today a shot barely tipped, counts as a winner.

I think either Maskell or one of his fellow commentators in a Wimbledon final (early 70s) referred to one serve as an "ace" even though the opponent got his racquet squarely on the ball (unlike a barely tipped ball) and made what we would call a forced error.

No uniformity at all in tennis terms throughout history.

 

[BTURNER]

Considering how rare this turns out to be, I wonder if we will find someone other than Evert who is confirmed as accomplishing this feat with both a wood racket and then again with a modern racket.

 

[krosero]

I notice in the NY Times coverage of the 1957 Wimbledon final, the term used for Hoad's break is "four DIRECT winners"...I presume that means "clean", although "clean" itself is only your personal term.

Yet another term. Perfect example of the lack of uniform terms.

Hard to say anything about that term, I don't recall seeing it that much.

Could mean a clean winner. But the British press of the 1930s, I know, was very liberal with its definition of winners. Could have been the same in the 50s.

 

[pc1]

Yet another term. Perfect example of the lack of uniform terms.

Hard to say anything about that term, I don't recall seeing it that much.

Could mean a clean winner. But the British press of the 1930s, I know, was very liberal with its definition of winners. Could have been the same in the 50s.

Seems like clean winners but you can't tell.

 

[pc1]

We should also investigate if Vines did it a few times. Vines, like Hoad was known for just hitting great hot streaks. Kramer wrote if Vines was on his game you'd be lucky to get your racquet of the ball.

 

[BTURNER]

Venus broke Pliskova with 4 straight winners when she was down 6-5, 40-15 in the 3rd set of their 4th round match at the USO.

Link please.

 

[Incognito]

It's really difficult to find 4 consecutive winners. I found 3 from Nadal off Karlovic' serve

 

[Moose Malloy]

Found a 4 winner game for Connors(non consecutive). Broke Amritraj at 15 in the last game of the 4th set, 1981 Wimbledon. All passing shots(3 fh, 1 bh)

 

[Waspsting]

1) Jimmy Connors broke Bjorn Borg to love with four clean winners 5th game of the third set at Boca Raton final 1977 on green clay.

i) Overhead
ii) Forehand down the line
iii) Overhead
iv) Forehand drop volley

Breaking Borg to love on clay with four winners... what would the odds have been on that?




2) Ken Rosewall breaking Vijay Amritraj, as told by Vijay (quote credit @pc1 ). Possible poetic exaggeration going on here, but this would be perfect efficiency

On the morning of the match, we practiced on an outside court and I felt great. As we walked back to the clubhouse, Pancho reiterated what he had been telling me all morning. “Don’t serve to his backhand.”
A little later in the book-“Remember, don’t serve to his backhand,” Pancho reminded me on last time as we parted company.
“Thanks,” I replied, listening but not listening. There was so much buzz around me. It was Labor Day and the vast bowl was packed. CBS was televising the match live. For a 19-year old kid from Madras it was all very heady stuff.

When we tossed, Kenny won and let me serve first. Strange, I thought. It was a blistering hot day, I had been serving brilliantly against Laver and Stone. Pretty cocky move.
I took one last look at Pancho who had settled into his seat and even as I prepared to throw the ball up to serve, I remembered his advice. But there was Rosewall, this small figure with limited reach, standing so far over to the forehand side that both his feet were in the alley. You could drive a tank down the backhand side.
“This is ridiculous,” I thought. “This is an extremely fast court, I’ve got a big first serve and if I get it in there’s no way he can even reach it from where he’s standing. No need to blast it. Just a decent pace first serve will do it.”

So I served to his backhand. Took three paces forwards the net and watched the ball fly past me for a winner. “Fluke, “ I thought. At nineteen, you think things like that. You think that when a great player hits a superlative service return winner off a first serve that it’s a fluke. At least that’s what you tell yourself. So I served three more times to the backhand, never missed my first serve and never touched a volley. They were all past me before I could blink. It was absolutely unbelievable.

3) I'll throw out one that doesn't quite fit, but is worth a mention. Ivan Lendl broke Boris Becker to finish their 1990 final at Queens Club.

The last game was 8 points... Lendl's 5 points came off a Becker double fault and 4 return of serve winners (including the last three points). The game score was -

i) Lendl (Becker double fault)
ii) Becker (Lendl forced error)
iii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
iv) Becker (Lendl Forced Return error)
v) Becker (Lendl Forced Return error)
vi) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
vii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
viii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)

 

[BTURNER]

1) Jimmy Connors broke Bjorn Borg to love with four clean winners 5th game of the third set at Boca Raton final 1977 on green clay.

i) Overhead
ii) Forehand down the line
iii) Overhead
iv) Forehand drop volley

Breaking Borg to love on clay with four winners... what would the odds have been on that?




2) Ken Rosewall breaking Vijay Amritraj, as told by Vijay (quote credit @pc1 ). Possible poetic exaggeration going on here, but this would be perfect efficiency



3) I'll throw out one that doesn't quite fit, but is worth a mention. Ivan Lendl broke Boris Becker to finish their 1990 final at Queens Club.

The last game was 8 points... Lendl's 5 points came off a Becker double fault and 4 return of serve winners (including the last three points). The game score was -

i) Lendl (Becker double fault)
ii) Becker (Lendl forced error)
iii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
iv) Becker (Lendl Forced Return error)
v) Becker (Lendl Forced Return error)
vi) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
vii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)
viii) Lendl (Return of Serve Winner)

the arrogance of youth is wonderful, isn't it

 

[Moose Malloy]

Can't believe I forgot this, NonP just posted a link.

Sampras broke Rafter at love to go up 5-2 in the first set of 1998 Cincinnati Masters final. All passing shots, 3fh, 1bh. And Rafter made first serves on all 4 points!

So the only players so far that broke at love with 4 winners(with video confirmation, news reports are too often unreliable. And the further back you go, the definition of winner gets hazy)

Evert(twice)
Connors
Cash
Pernfors
Krajicek
Sampras
Federer
Fognini
Serena

 

[NonP]

Can't believe I forgot this, NonP just posted a link.

Sampras broke Rafter at love to go up 5-2 in the first set of 1998 Cincinnati Masters final. All passing shots, 3fh, 1bh. And Rafter made first serves on all 4 points!

So the only players so far that broke at love with 4 winners(with video confirmation, news reports are too often unreliable. And the further back you go, the definition of winner gets hazy)

Evert(twice)
Connors
Cash
Pernfors
Krajicek
Sampras
Federer
Fognini

Thought this thread was about 4 straight return winners, as opposed to 4 straight winners in a return game? Anyhoo Cash is surprising but like Richard (and Goran) he seems to have been capable of flashes of brilliance.

Will try to pay closer attention to this from now on. Becker for one must've pulled this off at least a couple times.

 

[Moose Malloy]

Thought this thread was about 4 straight return winners, as opposed to 4 straight winners in a return game? Anyhoo Cash is surprising but like Richard (and Goran) he seems to have been capable of flashes of brilliance.

Will try to pay closer attention to this from now on. Becker for one must've pulled this off at least a couple times.

Krosero explains upthread he means 4 straight winners of any kind to break, not 4 straight return winners. I don't think any of the examples are 4 straight return winners.