Era Head-to-head

[70sHollywood]

I know it's pretty much impossible to separate players into eras, but I did it anyway based simply on year of birth and splitting each decade in half. I looked at ten players from each "era" and compared h2h records to come up with a total h2h. So:

1980/1984 v 1985/1989

1980/1984: 356-359, 49.79
1985/1989: 359-356, 50.21


Roger Federer: 125-79, 61.27
Marat Safin: 11-10, 52.38
Lleyton Hewitt: 15-26, 36.59
Andy Roddick: 26-36, 41.94
Juan Carlos Ferrero: 11-24, 31.43
David Ferrer: 58-75, 43.61
Nikolay Davydenko: 32-40, 44.44
David Nalbandian: 28-25, 52.83
Robin Soderling: 28-28, 50.00
Fernando Gonzalez: 22-16, 57.89

Rafael Nadal: 92-38, 70.77
Novak Djokovic: 65-41, 61.32
Andy Murray: 48-34, 58.54
Juan Martin del Potro: 27-37, 42.19
Stan Wawrinka: 29-43, 40.28
Tomas Berdych: 33-55, 37.50
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 21-26, 44.68
Richard Gasquet: 18-48, 27.27
Marin Cilic: 13-21, 38.24
Kei Nishikori: 13-13, 50.00

 

[kandamrgam]

I know it's pretty much impossible to separate players into eras, but I did it anyway based simply on year of birth and splitting each decade in half. I looked at ten players from each "era" and compared h2h records to come up with a total h2h. So:

1980/1984 v 1985/1989

1980/1984: 351-357, 49.58
1985/1989: 357-351, 50.42


Roger Federer: 120-77, 60.91
Marat Safin: 11-10, 52.38
Lleyton Hewitt: 15-26, 36.59
Andy Roddick: 26-36, 41.94
Juan Carlos Ferrero: 11-24, 31.43
David Ferrer: 58-75, 43.61
Nikolay Davydenko: 32-40, 44.44
David Nalbandian: 28-25, 52.83
Robin Soderling: 28-28, 50.00
Fernando Gonzalez: 22-16, 57.89

Rafael Nadal: 92-38, 70.77
Novak Djokovic: 63-40, 61.17
Andy Murray: 48-32, 60.00
Juan Martin del Potro: 27-37, 42.19
Stan Wawrinka: 29-42, 40.85
Tomas Berdych: 33-55, 37.50
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 21-26, 44.68
Richard Gasquet: 18-47, 27.69
Marin Cilic: 13-21, 38.24
Kei Nishikori: 13-13, 50.00

Wow! Beautiful work, thanks for sharing. May I ask a few questions:

- How did you choose the players? 10 players with the biggest h2h pc? Or chose the 10 biggest names?

- How is this done? Some manual heavy lifting? Or got it from some other source? Or you did programming/scraping? If it is the last,

- Can you post the results surface-wise? Should give us clearer picture.

- Can you re-arrange the years, ie, move the cutoff and margin forward and backward till you get the biggest difference?

Once again thanks, interesting!

 

[The_18th_Slam]

I don't understand. Are these H2Hs of players from one era against players of another era?

 

[kandamrgam]

I don't understand. Are these H2Hs of players from one era against players of another era?

Yes. Eras being players born in 1980-1984 and 1985-1989

 

[The_18th_Slam]

Yes. Eras being players born in 1980-1984 and 1985-1989

Okay. I just did the math and Federer is 133-29 against players of his own era.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

Yeah, notice how Hewitt and Ferrero did worse against the next generation?

Look into their 2004 and 2006 falls respectively for reasons why..

 

[Djokovic2011]

I know it's pretty much impossible to separate players into eras, but I did it anyway based simply on year of birth and splitting each decade in half. I looked at ten players from each "era" and compared h2h records to come up with a total h2h. So:

1980/1984 v 1985/1989

1980/1984: 351-357, 49.58
1985/1989: 357-351, 50.42


Roger Federer: 120-77, 60.91
Marat Safin: 11-10, 52.38
Lleyton Hewitt: 15-26, 36.59
Andy Roddick: 26-36, 41.94
Juan Carlos Ferrero: 11-24, 31.43
David Ferrer: 58-75, 43.61
Nikolay Davydenko: 32-40, 44.44
David Nalbandian: 28-25, 52.83
Robin Soderling: 28-28, 50.00
Fernando Gonzalez: 22-16, 57.89

Rafael Nadal: 92-38, 70.77
Novak Djokovic: 63-40, 61.17
Andy Murray: 48-32, 60.00
Juan Martin del Potro: 27-37, 42.19
Stan Wawrinka: 29-42, 40.85
Tomas Berdych: 33-55, 37.50
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: 21-26, 44.68
Richard Gasquet: 18-47, 27.69
Marin Cilic: 13-21, 38.24
Kei Nishikori: 13-13, 50.00

I have absolutely no idea what any of this means.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

I have absolutely no idea what any of this means.

I have a feeling it's a way to hype up the "next generation" and imply it is somehow better than the last (overall).

Thing is some of the comparisons are very unfair and the statistics of the players listed (this generation) have not naturally fallen yet given they are still young and in their prime.

 

[The_18th_Slam]

I have a feeling it's a way to hype up the "next generation" and imply it is somehow better than the last (overall).

Thing is some of the comparisons are very unfair and the statistics of the players listed (this generation) have not naturally fallen yet given they are still young and in their prime.

Actually, it shows how the "weak era" theory is nonsense. The H2H between eras is virtually tied.

 

[kandamrgam]

I have a feeling it's a way to hype up the "next generation" and imply it is somehow better than the last (overall).

Thing is some of the comparisons are very unfair and the statistics of the players listed (this generation) have not naturally fallen yet given they are still young and in their prime.

You're right the comparison is unfair, for all the prime and related factors like you mention. But I dont think OP is trying to hype up. It's a difference of just 6 or 7 matches that one group's advantage is, after playing some 700 matches. Nothing significant.

 

[kandamrgam]

I have absolutely no idea what any of this means.

Imagine Federer-Safin-Roddick-Hewitt forms a team and Nadal-Djokovic-Murray-Potro forms another team. It is the former group's combined h2h against players of latter group. For eg, Federer's h2h against Nadal-Djokovic-Murray-Del Potro is 57-58. Add to that Safin's and Hewitt's and Roddick's records you get an idea.

 

[Deleted member 307496]

You're right the comparison is unfair, for all the prime and related factors like you mention. But I dont think OP is trying to hype up. It's a difference of just 6 or 7 matches that one group's advantage is, after playing some 700 matches. Nothing significant.

Well one can also say (as The_18th_Slam said) that there is no "weak era" and that there is just different eras.

 

[70sHollywood]

Wow! Beautiful work, thanks for sharing. May I ask a few questions:

- How did you choose the players? 10 players with the biggest h2h pc? Or chose the 10 biggest names?

- How is this done? Some manual heavy lifting? Or got it from some other source? Or you did programming/scraping? If it is the last,

- Can you post the results surface-wise? Should give us clearer picture.

- Can you re-arrange the years, ie, move the cutoff and margin forward and backward till you get the biggest difference?

Once again thanks, interesting!

Oh man, sorry for not replying. I didn't even realise anyone else posted!!!

No fancy stuff I'm afraid, just manual lifting. Just picked the players mainly based on the YE Top 10 rankings (players appearing most often).

My thinking behind it was that the more players you use the more you even out the unfairness. So, Federer's longevity is perhaps countered by Soderling not playing for 4 years and Safin retiring early. Or, Nadal and his clay bias is countered by Gasquet being terrible!

Obviously not meant as any grand statement, just did it for a bit of fun, but I thought it was quite interesting. Surprised it is so close to be honest.

Anyway, I've updated it. Old Men 5-2 winners over the summer (Fed on his own).