Again...the winner is Miss Justine Henin Hardenne!!!
- Thread starter marpiw
- Start date
marpiw
Semi-Pro
I was only analyzing the number one syndrome...in which the number one is lonely at the top with no oponents as if they were of a different category of players...and I feel that thats ruining the credibility of tennis associations and taking viewers away from the tennis programs...because they get tired of the fact that the number one wins all...and they would like a variety of winners just to see somebody else lifting a trophy and earning the money...
Besides I am not sure that men play better than women because up to date I didnt see a single mixed tournament...men against women...to certify the fact...
marpiw
Semi-Pro
Fotunately she doesnt play basketball...imagine her trying to put the ball in the basket...
Nadal_Freak
Banned
Exactly. Someone gets it that isn't blinded by *******edness.
Would you consider it equally boring if Nadal were winning everything?
Federer is the world's best player. Deal with it, because nothing you can do or say will change that basic fact.
And don't forget, there are many tournaments where neither Fed nor Justine are participating and other players get the trophies.
And what about for example Graf or Navratilova. Were they not even more dominating in their times? Did tennis go down because of them? Or golf because of Tiger? Boxing because of Ali? ....
And what about for example Graf or Navratilova. Were they not even more dominating in their times? Did tennis go down because of them? Or golf because of Tiger? Boxing because of Ali? ....
Nadal_Freak
Banned
Not really since Nadal has a personality. I don't think Nadal has that ability though. He works hard for what he gets.
blinkinrogue
Rookie
No, i wasnt referring to you as you obviously dont hate henin...
Shabazza
Legend
And Federer does not?! If you really believe that, you know even less about the game than I thought.
I won't even go to the "personality-issue". I know your definition of "personality", it's as subjective as it gets.
crazylevity
Hall of Fame
Please, I implore you, stop banging your head against the wall. Or feeding the troll. Whichever analogy you prefer.
Shabazza
Legend
Please, I implore you, stop banging your head against the wall. Or feeding the troll. Whichever analogy you prefer.
Normally, I don't feed them, but once in a while I can't keep myself clam. I'm certainly not banging my head against anything hard, no worries.
Nadal_Freak
Banned
He works hard just like any pro but Nadal works much harder. Nadal just isn't as gifted of a player. Tennis comes really easy for Federer while Nadal has to grind his way through to be where he is at now. Grinders though benefit the most on clay where reflexes and serves are less a factor.
marpiw
Semi-Pro
I would consider equally boring everyone who monopolizes the victories over others who are technically inferior....I dont like the fact that the number one wins all...
tangerine
Professional
It's a great compliment to Henin that the men watch her play. Henin herself once said that she doesn't watch women's tennis because she learns more from watching the men.
This sort of reminds me of Justin Gimelstob's interview with Justine during that Jay Leno segment when he said "Women don't deserve equal play...except you." Even though Justin's got a joker personality I believed him when he said that. And I suspect that many of the guys feel the same way.
Shabazza
Legend
True. She is the most pleasing woman tennis player to watch (tennis wise). She has a great techinique and certainly more options to change her gameplan in comparison with other pro woman players. Although, she's still prone to some mental lapses in finals and should've won more than she already did. But then again who isn't?!
marpiw
Semi-Pro
I think that there is a sport illness called THE NUMBER ONE SYNDROME no matter what sport is played...if the number one wins all is very boring to see him lifting all trophies and earning all the money...people get tired of this fact and if they are intelligent they spend their times doing something else as watching the matches in which they know beforehand who will win...and when this occurs the credibility of the sport is damaged and the viewer is lost...
I was a fan of the Formula 1 racing...but when Schumi began winning them all,they lost me and many other people I know as fans of the sport because the result was always the same for long years .., I personally thanked God for his retirement...this year I would be happy if the newbie Hamilton wins the championship...and the same happened to me with Ali and Mike Tyson...
Sport in general los many viewers and credibility because of the abovementioned syndrome...
Shabazza
Legend
Well I don't think so, you can't be a top player without great reflexes. Nadal has very quick reflexes which helps him a lot on natural surfaces like clay and grass with their bad bounces. Add to that his great movement and it's no surprise why he is so strong on those surfaces.
Nadal is a natural gifted player (quick reflexes, great movement and balance) and has more talent then most other pro's. You can't be a the top in tennis without a fair amount of talent. You can't train quick reflexes you either have them or you don't. Nadal is not the best volleyer, but that's not because he can't volley or has slow reflexes at the net, but because he makes poor decisions on his aproach shots and his transition game lacks big time.
It's not lack of talent that keeps him from getting #1 it's poor scheduling and a game that's taking its toll on his body already, at such a young age. Don't say he has to work much harder than other players (including Federer) because he's less talented. That's just not true.
marpiw
Semi-Pro
second reply....
About the first paragraph of your posting I would say that Justine and Roger leave the bread crumbs to the other players (the less important tournaments) but the main part of the bread is in their stomachs already...they have no need of those tournaments and they go on holidays...and return fresh for the next important one...pivileges of number ones...
About the first paragraph of your posting I would say that Justine and Roger leave the bread crumbs to the other players (the less important tournaments) but the main part of the bread is in their stomachs already...they have no need of those tournaments and they go on holidays...and return fresh for the next important one...pivileges of number ones...
Nadal_Freak
Banned
Wrong. Nadal stands far back behind the baseline because he can't react quick enough to pace. Once he has that extra time to react his shots are very deadly. Players with the best reaction time have no problem taking it early. Nadal's shots are built for consistency but he'll mishit a lot if he tries to take it early. Nadal has to be in better shape than Federer and all other players to play the style he does now.
federerfanatic
Banned
You are a fool. Justine has never won Wimbledon, went 3 and a half years without winning a non-French Open, has never won 3 majors in the same year, went 4 years between years winning 2 majors in the same year, and you are whining about her dominance being too much. Your whole argument and point is ridiculous.
zagor
Bionic Poster
I agree,she is nowhere near dominant as Federer although I think this year she played with more confidence,she seems more sure of herself and I think there is a pretty good chance she'll win 3 slams next year,French is a given,US Open she beat Williams sisters this year without dropping a set so I think she'll win there as well,I also see her winning AO I don't think Serena will defend it,the only slam I don't think she'll win is Wimbledon I think Venus will defend the title.I think Justine's best years are coming,
federerfanatic
Banned
Sure I could see that. She seems to be really coming into her own now, and growing in both confidence and weaponary in her game. I could definitely see 3-slam years in her future. However that has not happened yet, and at this point in time this persons statements are ridiculous since for womens tennis standards this is actually below-average dominance for a #1 in fact.
I do agree she has had a great year, arguably her best ever and she has had many excellent ones, and is a clear #1 right now, which is good since its about time womens tennis had a clear #1 again rather then the crapshoot it has been the last few years.
marpiw
Semi-Pro
I think she is the direct inheritor of such women as Billy Jean King,Chris Evert,Martina Navratilova,Steffi Graf and Monica Seles which in their respective years were inquestionable number ones...
Today no player can cast the minimal shadow over her...the difference in her technique and the technique of the other girls is monstrous...she enters the court and only in doing so she has won half of the match...her oponents have only small sparks of genius...she is pure genius...but she suffers a sports illness THE NUMBER ONE SYNDROME...loneliness at the top...its not a whine its a fact...
federerfanatic
Banned
Here are some real "facts".
-Justine has never won 3 slams in the same year
-Justine won 2 slams in the same year, this year of 2007, for the first time since 2003
-Justine has never won Wimbledon, and was embarassed by a virtual unknown in the semis there this year
-Justine had never beaten Venus on a surface except clay until this years U.S Open, and still 2-7 lifetime vs Venus
-Justine did not gaurantee the year-end #1 ranking until after this past weekend, only 5 weeks left in the season
-Justine took 3 and a half years to win a slam outside her beloved French Open, from the 2004 Australian Open until finally this recent 2007 U.S Open, not once did she hold up any of the other 3 slam trophies that was not for Roland Garros
So this is your player "lonely at the top", the difference between her and the rest being "monstrous".
zagor
Bionic Poster
What the hell are you talking about?! Justine hasn't even won a Wimbledon yet and you're comparing her to Navratilova?! Last three years she was more like Nadal winning only the French Open.I think Justine has a great chance to come out as a top player in her generation ahead of Williams sisters,and I think she is ready to start to dominate woman's tennis winning 2-3 slams a year,but she is not there yet.
federerfanatic
Banned
Exactly. I am not looking to diminish Justine, since she has done excellent the last 5 years, winning atleast 1 slam each year, 7 total in those 5 years. 3 of 4 slams from the 2003 French-2004 U.S Open, all 4 slam finals last year (although losing 3 of the 4), and winning the French then doing the Williams-double kill on her way to winning the U.S Open. I too think she is clearly the women player of the year this year, and has a great shot to do even better then next few years and cement herself the best player of her generation. However lets get real here, like you said comparing her to players like Navratilova, and that kind of "boring" dominance if you want to call it that is pretty proposterous at this point.
kimizz
Rookie
I wouldnt call Henin a "dominant-lonely at the top" kind of player. But she is clearly more talented than any other wta player, and the difference is HUGE to the rest of the pack. She doesnt have the height(venus,sharapova) or the mass(Serena LOL ) but she is still the most powerful player on the court. It was really sad to see Henin out of AO this year, I think she would have destroyed Serena.
Just look at this year stats, 12 tournaments,8titles,1 runner up and 3 semis. 3semis is her worst results!!! With the 12 tournaments she is still leading the race with ease. And she didnt even participate in AO.
I wouldnt be suprised if we saw Henin doing the Grand Slam/year before Roger.
Just look at this year stats, 12 tournaments,8titles,1 runner up and 3 semis. 3semis is her worst results!!! With the 12 tournaments she is still leading the race with ease. And she didnt even participate in AO.
I wouldnt be suprised if we saw Henin doing the Grand Slam/year before Roger.
marpiw
Semi-Pro
Nevertheless she is no doubt the best player ´´pound to pound´´(in Boxing jargon) in the circuit and I think that today no other player can cast a shadow on her...her technique,her ability of changing the scheme of a match on the spot .and so on makes her a superior category player...and there she is alone...pure genius...against a pack of wolves trying to snatch fom her some tournaments ...Here are some real "facts".
-Justine has never won 3 slams in the same year
-Justine won 2 slams in the same year, this year of 2007, for the first time since 2003
-Justine has never won Wimbledon, and was embarassed by a virtual unknown in the semis there this year
-Justine had never beaten Venus on a surface except clay until this years U.S Open, and still 2-7 lifetime vs Venus
-Justine did not gaurantee the year-end #1 ranking until after this past weekend, only 5 weeks left in the season
-Justine took 3 and a half years to win a slam outside her beloved French Open, from the 2004 Australian Open until finally this recent 2007 U.S Open, not once did she hold up any of the other 3 slam trophies that was not for Roland Garros
this is your player "lonely at the top", the difference between her and the rest being "monstrous".
MEAC_ALLAMERICAN
Legend
Was there even a question?
Another fact for 2007:
Henin Clinches Year-End No.1 Ranking For Third Time
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – Justine Henin will conclude the 2007 season as the No.1 player in the world, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced Wednesday, October 10. Currently holding 5,500 points in the Tour Rankings - 1,850 ahead of No.2 Svetlana Kuznetsova - Henin has mathematically clinched the season-ending top ranking.
Henin added eight Tour singles titles to her resume this season, including two Grand Slam titles - a fourth career Roland Garros title and second career US Open title - for a total of seven Grand Slams. In addition, the dominating Belgian won events at Dubai, Doha, Warsaw, Eastbourne, Toronto, and Stuttgart for a total of 37 career Tour singles titles. Henin's title tally could potentially increase due to her upcoming participation at Zürich and the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid.
Henin reclaimed the No.1 spot earlier this year on March 19 and has held on ever since, for an eventual 2007 total of 45 out of 52 weeks (includes the remaining weeks to close out 2007). She has held No.1 for all but seven weeks this season when Maria Sharapova owned the top spot. When rankings are released Monday, October 15, Henin will have owned the top ranking for a total of 87 weeks.
Henin first captured the No.1 ranking on October 20, 2003 for one week. A week after losing the top spot, she regained it for 44 straight weeks from November 10, 2003 to September 12, 2004. Following more than a two-year absence from the top ranking, Henin again ascended to No.1 on November 13, 2006 for 11 weeks until January 28, 2007 (when Sharapova took the top spot). Dropping out of the position for seven weeks, Henin recaptured the illustrious position on March 19, 2007 and will now enter the 2008 season as the world's top player.
"Justine has displayed outstanding play to finish the year this early as the world's No.1 player," stated Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Larry Scott. "Her work ethic, professionalism and devotion to the sport are to be commended, and I congratulate her for this amazing achievement, along with the numerous other accolades she has collected in our sport."
Henin is one of only 15 players to reach the pinnacle of women's professional tennis since the computer rankings were created in 1975. The others are Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Amélie Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1810
Another fact for 2007:
Henin Clinches Year-End No.1 Ranking For Third Time
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – Justine Henin will conclude the 2007 season as the No.1 player in the world, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced Wednesday, October 10. Currently holding 5,500 points in the Tour Rankings - 1,850 ahead of No.2 Svetlana Kuznetsova - Henin has mathematically clinched the season-ending top ranking.
Henin added eight Tour singles titles to her resume this season, including two Grand Slam titles - a fourth career Roland Garros title and second career US Open title - for a total of seven Grand Slams. In addition, the dominating Belgian won events at Dubai, Doha, Warsaw, Eastbourne, Toronto, and Stuttgart for a total of 37 career Tour singles titles. Henin's title tally could potentially increase due to her upcoming participation at Zürich and the Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid.
Henin reclaimed the No.1 spot earlier this year on March 19 and has held on ever since, for an eventual 2007 total of 45 out of 52 weeks (includes the remaining weeks to close out 2007). She has held No.1 for all but seven weeks this season when Maria Sharapova owned the top spot. When rankings are released Monday, October 15, Henin will have owned the top ranking for a total of 87 weeks.
Henin first captured the No.1 ranking on October 20, 2003 for one week. A week after losing the top spot, she regained it for 44 straight weeks from November 10, 2003 to September 12, 2004. Following more than a two-year absence from the top ranking, Henin again ascended to No.1 on November 13, 2006 for 11 weeks until January 28, 2007 (when Sharapova took the top spot). Dropping out of the position for seven weeks, Henin recaptured the illustrious position on March 19, 2007 and will now enter the 2008 season as the world's top player.
"Justine has displayed outstanding play to finish the year this early as the world's No.1 player," stated Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Chairman and CEO Larry Scott. "Her work ethic, professionalism and devotion to the sport are to be commended, and I congratulate her for this amazing achievement, along with the numerous other accolades she has collected in our sport."
Henin is one of only 15 players to reach the pinnacle of women's professional tennis since the computer rankings were created in 1975. The others are Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario, Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters, Amélie Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1810
marpiw
Semi-Pro
Thank you very much for your highly interesting posting which gives a summary of what has been of tennis history....
I took the liberty of saving it for future use...
I think you will agree with me that the NUMBER ONE SYNDROME exists (symptoms are :loneliness at the top and being a superior category of player than all the rest of the pack)...and that all the tennis players you mentioned have suffered it during their number one reign...
The second part of the symptoms of this illness is the fact that "number one wins all" and that is destroying the credibility of the sport and making viewers
escape from tennis matches because they know beforehand that the number one (in this case Justine) is going to win...
I simply guess that when Justine appears on the court she has won almost half of the match in doing so, because all the other girls are afraid of her...
Best Regards
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