Favorite Unsung Player

Candide said:
Here's my top ten of players I'll always try to make time to watch regardless of where their ranking is. They're not fashionable but they are cool in a way that the demi-gods and Olympians are not.

1. Radek Stepanek
2. Steve Darcis
3. Dan Evans
4. Gilles Muller
5. Feliciano Lopez
6. Philipp Kohlschriber
7. Mikhail Youzhny
8. Nicolas Mahut
9. Denis Istomin
10. Nicolas Almagro
Click to expand...
The worm.
laugh_above.gif
The Colonel (Y) is growing on me of late and Evans is getting interesting, but needs to keep it up.
 
Gulbis, Mikael Ymer (the younger one), Casper Ruud, Tomic (lol when he's playing well only and ditto for Paire), Chung (when playing well), and Bublik (young monster Russian).
 
Viktor "You're the worst umpire ever in the world!" Troicki. Never a dull moment! Kohlschreiber also good to watch, really free flowing strokes. A great match the other day!
 
If you can call a fringe top 10 player unsung then David Goffin would be my first pick. He doesn't get a lot of attention, but I really like watching him. Compact, nice looking strokes with excellent timing.

After that probably Verdasco for pure entertainment, Kohly, and Feli Lopez. Also Baghdatis.
 
Gilles Muller. Definitively should won more in his career. The way he outplayed Nadal and Roddick back in 2005 was outstanding.
 
zjtennis said:
I notice there are few talking about non-Big Four players in this forum. I wonder though, who are the players around below the Top 30 that you are a fan of? Are there here whose most favorite player is someone out of the Top 30? I will say most of the players I like are in the Top 30 but I have a soft spot for Victor Estrella Burgos -- not exactly my favorite gamestyle, but his demeanor is always fun to watch, and when watching him in Quito, he actually feels like no one could beat him there.
Click to expand...
Andrey Kuznetsov and Vasek Pospisil for sure. Carreno-Busta and Kyle Edmund are also favorites of mine. Philipp Kohlschreiber is another favorite unsung player of mine, but he is, as of this moment, #30 :/
 
Steve0904 said:
If you can call a fringe top 10 player unsung then David Goffin would be my first pick. He doesn't get a lot of attention, but I really like watching him. Compact, nice looking strokes with excellent timing.

After that probably Verdasco for pure entertainment, Kohly, and Feli Lopez. Also Baghdatis.
Click to expand...

Have to agree on Goffin, for the reasons you said as well as him being pretty sharp tactically. It's going to be hard for him to push on from where he's currently at. He has very few wins against top-ten opposition and I'm not sure what else he can do to really rectify that problem on a consistent basis. His ceiling is probably not the highest, but he's going to be winning more titles... that current 6-match finals losing streak has to be hurting a bit, however.
 
-NN- said:
In some ways it's been frustrating to be a fan of Kei but he's still had a much better career than most. Hopefully there's more to come.

I just find Wawrinka a bit dull and monotonous. Sure, his power is often scintillating and he has underrated touch and shot-making ability in more crafty situations when he's required to produce it, but generally it's just baseline bombs and it's not that interesting to me.
Click to expand...

I fully agree with you on this. There's no touch or feel, no noting. Just mindless ball basing from the baseline. On a good day, when he's too motivated to play certain players, he gets away with it. Other times it's just a big mess.
 
fednad said:
Sania Mirza
Click to expand...
Oh, if we're talking about WTA you have to mention Sania. That forehand was lethal.
If were talking about active players I've always thought Nadia Petrova didn't reach her full potential. (wait, she's been off the WTA for a while) I remember one season she was winning every clay tournament she entered and right before the French Open, where she would have been a favorite for sure, she got injured.

Urzula Radwanska had a pretty nice game from time to time and I don't think people know that. She took Venus out first round of the French Open.

I always thought Chanda Rubin was always overlooked. Sure, she didn't win slams but she did well in Miami and was always right around the top 10 after injury after injury after injury. She should have defeated Venus at the 2002 USO. She was up in the third 5-5 15-40 but couldn't break, obviously.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Dan Evans. One guy I would like to watch in person too. His playing style and fighting spirit is what I love.
Click to expand...

I saw him play in Sydney and he had quite a fan base I was surprised to see. In the first set he was outplayed but that mental toughness you mention got him through the second set and he steam rolled the third. Good choice!
 
Forgot to add Florian Mayer. Absolutely love his awkward shots, crazy FH slices and double handed BH slices... laid back attitude .Florian seems to be great guy osf court too
 
Noelan said:
Forgot to add Florian Mayer. Absolutely love his awkward shots, crazy FH slices and double handed BH slices... laid back attitude .Florian seems to be great guy osf court too
Click to expand...

I saw him play in person at IW. Love his gigantic fh swing. His shots look like he's made of rubber.

Iknowstuff said:
Unorthodox game, talented, unpredictable, I think Tomic first comes to my mind right now.
Click to expand...

Not to mention relentless, indomitable work ethic.
 
Iknowstuff said:
Unorthodox game, talented, unpredictable, I think Tomic first comes to my mind right now.
Click to expand...

Isn't that more Dolgopolov? But I like Tomic. He has a smooth and beautiful game. Too bad he isn't too serious about it.
 
Iknowstuff said:
His positioning on the court is one of the best, he barely needs to run after that.
Click to expand...

Lol, I agree. He has amazing anticipation. Obviously I was joking about his actual act of moving though. He lumbers around like an elephant. If he was really hairy I'd be a huge fan because I love mammoths.

I wish I could have pet mammoths the size of kittens, chomping away at my pot plants.

Mammoths are really really cool.
 
Zara said:
I do find Tomic beautiful to watch when he is on but wait until dark.
Click to expand...

I've always appreciated his unique game, but his mobility is going to hold him back from the top elite level for the rest of his career methinks. In the early days it was something I thought he could rectify, but he's just not very athletic in that sense and he has flexibility problems (had to have some procedure on his hip sockets or something of the sort.. still stiff anyway).
 
Jürgen Melzer - He's getting on 36, comes back from another injury lay off in 2015/2016 and is now making his way back to the top 100, I like his game and in 2011 he had a run in the top 10 deservedly so after his semi-final run at the 2010 French Open.

Pablo Cuevas - His career was basically finished in 2012/2013 but he fought back and since 2014 he's won 6 titles and he's been in the top 20, prior to 2012 he was more noted for winning the French Open doubles in 2008.

Roberto Bautista Agut - He's a blue chipper, always there plugging away, playing as many tournaments as he can to sustain a top 20 placing, he might flirt with the top 10 soon I think, hits a good ball.

Mischa Zverev - Another player who's come back from career threatening injuries and as of the latter stages of last year onwards to now he's been one of the hottest players without winning a title, making a first slam quarter final after beating the World Number 1 with a serve and volley masterclass. He's a credit to his younger brother with a great game on him too.
 
I think Robredo is kinda underrated -- I quite like the hammer FH (and I thought the BH is clean and smooth at times).
 
I would go a while back. For me those were Ancic, Ljubicic, Blake, those sort of guys. On here we can add Roddick and Hewitt as well, given the general degree of contempt shown for these two.
 
FEDERERNADAL13 said:
Been a fan of Sam querrey for years. As a kid, he gave me his racket. When I saw him play the next year, he said "I met you last year in Toronto! You have my racket". Really good dude. Glad that he is playing well.
Click to expand...
At the US Open one year they were pushing some sort of phone app in which you can play someone with another smart phone. Querrey was there and was using the phone app to play my daughter on her phone. For that alone he is one of my favorites. LOL. Don't remember who won. :)
 
pc1 said:
At the US Open one year they were pushing some sort of phone app in which you can play someone with another smart phone. Querrey was there and was using the phone app to play my daughter on her phone. For that alone he is one of my favorites. LOL. Don't remember who won. :)
Click to expand...

Such a good guy. Let's hope he keeps moving up!
 
  • Like
Reactions: pc1
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

SaintClaires
Favorite player outside the top 100?
Replies
29
Views
2K
SaintClaires
SaintClaires
F
  • Poll Poll
What changed Stan's career?
Replies
25
Views
2K
FailBetter
F
metsman
Most special GS wins of your favorite player(s)
Replies
32
Views
3K
Jaitock1991
Jaitock1991
The Blond Blur
When and How Did Your Favorite Player Become Your Favorite Player?
2 3
Replies
115
Views
4K
ibbi
ibbi
H
Which men will win titles after their 35th birthday in 2018?
Replies
23
Views
1K
helterskelter
H
Back
Top