God Modes! Who is the scariest God-Mode player you've witnessed outside the top 4?

[monfed]

God mode DelPotro by FAR.
The way he destroyed Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-2 in the 2009 USO semi STILL boggles my mind as to how he bashed Nadal to submission.

Godmode Delpo> Godmode Tsonga IMO. I mean how do you play against rockets?

 

[NadalAgassi]

surprised nobody mentioned berdych.

when he puts his best tennis together..he can annhilate guys from the serve, groundtrokes and return.

yes, hes inconsistent...but his top form is pretty tough.

nalbandian is a big player but he doenst have the serve, and to me in order to be the scariest, you have to be able to decide some points by your own racket.

Berdych having not even come close to beating Nadal since 2006 eliminates him as a valid choice IMHO. Someone whose god mode is scariest can beat all the top guys in god mode, so anyone whose god mode is incapable of beating all of Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic is not a good choice.

 

[Mike Sams]

Speaking of Nalbandian munching on Murray reminds me of Murray's run to the 2010 Toronto title. He crushed a then in-form Nalbandian in the quarters (who had just come off a title win in Washington) for the loss of just 4 games and went on to beat Nadal in the semis (who had just won the FO and Wimbledon and the 3 clay court MS) and Federer in the final (who was just beginning to get back into form after beating Murray at the AO and went on to win Cincy a week later). All in straights!

Nalbandian was shell-shocked after his mauling by Murray as up to then he had been the one handing out the punishment. He said after their match: "I was shocked. Andy doesn't normally play that aggressive! " Well, he certainly did at that tourney.

I think Murray's run to the 2010 Toronto title was his most 'God-Mode' showing to date though I'm not necessarily putting it on the same level as some of the others mentioned here.

Well the thread says "players outside the top 4". We're supposed to expect fascinating stuff from Murray just like we expect from the other 3 guys (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic).

 

[Mike Sams]

Was Kohlschreibber in god mode when he crunched Djokovic at Roland Garros in straights in 2009? Or was Djokovic still reeling and drained from his 4 hour epic against Nadal in the semis of Madrid 2 weeks prior? I know Djoker was upset from that loss and at the same time he might have taken a bit out of Nadal who also was eliminated from Roland Garros.
I never saw Djokovic/Kohl so was impossible to analyze Kohl's quality of play or whether it was Djoker's lacking that made Kohl look better than he is...

 

[Deleted member 77403]

That Wimbledon match between Gasquet and Roddick, when Gasquet went into Backhand God Mode when he was on the verge of losing. He hit countless backhand winners, probably more than I have ever seen...he did have like 90 plus winners in the end. It was jawdropping.

 

[Talker]

Del Potro and Davydenko.
I would put Davydenko at the top, angles, movement and accuracy are some of the best when he's on.
Davydenko's play in AO 2009 against Fed, see that first set and a half, how he moved to the ball and his play was some of the highest level of tennis.

Davy's only 5'10", if the skill is there you don't have to be tall.

 

[Fate Archer]

Kohly is the type of guy who can take a set of anyone anywhere, and on a good day is a lot of trouble.

Took sets of Nadal on hard and Federer on grass and beat Novak on clay at slams.

Good honorable mention.

 

[ARIARAIDEN]

How can i forget blake!.he was very scary at some points.

 

[aceroberts13]

Monfils, Blake, Robredo used to be pretty scrappy. Of course all of these are older examples

 

[Crazy man]

How can i forget blake!.he was very scary at some points.

Nah, Blake could never apply his rare 'on' days by beating anyone in form or decent. He beat Nadal who was good, but very beatable outside clay and Federer who hit a confidence crisis in 2008. Blake was a mental midget too let's not forget. Nalbandian at least had a level where he played so well even his nerves prevented him from choking like he normally does, now that's something.


I wouldn't mention Safin, he is a capable top 5 player sometimes good enough to make #1 like he did in 2000. I'd say Nalbandian because he was never good enough to maintain a high ranking consistently.

 

[VVmonsterFH]

I would have to say Tsonga... I'm pretty sure you all saw what he did during Wimbledon, and he wasn't even in 'God Mode'

 

[NadalAgassi]

Blake in his prime, on his game, could beat anyone not named Federer though. He wouldnt be my first choice for sure, but he still was imposing at his best.

 

[Mainad]

Well the thread says "players outside the top 4". We're supposed to expect fascinating stuff from Murray just like we expect from the other 3 guys (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic).

Oops sorry...got carried away when someone mentioned Nalbandian and Murray!

To get back on topic, and staying with Nalbandian, I will vote for his back to back wins in Madrid and Paris in 2007 against peak Federer and near-peak Nadal.

 

[bluetrain4]

Before I even clicked on the link, I thought exactly what the OP suggested - Tsonga v. Nadal at the AO. It went beyond being "on", it really was God Mode. He went for so many shots AND made them. Beyond he powerful winners, he hit all those drop shots AND made them, and he mixed it up and volleyed exceptionally well, and served well. Talk about putting it all together.

Gonzo had some pretty amazing matches leading up to his AO final as well. For once was a little more patient and really reduced he errors while crushing a ton of winners.

I was gonna say Del Potro v. Nadal in the USO SFs, but I think DelPo was top 4 at the time. Or, did you mean simply players other than the current Top 4, no matter what the were ranked at the time?

 

[ZeroSkid]

Nalbandian without a doubt

 

[Mainad]

I was gonna say Del Potro v. Nadal in the USO SFs, but I think DelPo was top 4 at the time. Or, did you mean simply players other than the current Top 4, no matter what the were ranked at the time?

Del Potro was ranked # 6 at the 2009 USO so feel free to vote for him.

 

[penguyen17]

ok, doesn't anyone remember the fact that Nadal was injured at the 2009 USO? I mean come on, he had a torn abdominal muscle or something, and his serve was coming in at like 100-109 max with little action on the ball. And there is no way Nadal would retire in a GS semi. Its not a mystery as why the score was 6-2 6-2 6-2. I wouldn't really call this God-mode, when you beat an injured player, now the 2009 USO finals...that another story.

 

[beast of mallorca]

Nalbandian, for the win.
If he had the same dedication that Djokovic did this year, and the same tenacity as Nadal. Lose those excess weight, he could win a GS or two. But sadly, that bus might have passed already.

 

[Ripster]

Scariest God mode players:

1) Nalbandian
2) Safin
3) Del Potro

Verdasco just for the AO 2009. Man, if he could ever replicate that form it would be great. Would love to see that.

 

[beast of mallorca]

Scariest God mode players:

1) Nalbandian
2) Safin
3) Del Potro

Verdasco just for the AO 2009. Man, if he could ever replicate that form it would be great. Would love to see that.

I have to agree on that one. Verdasco, if he is to repeat that kind of game, would be a player to reckon with. Wonder what happened ?

That was one of my favorite matches that I've seen.

 

[abmk]

Del Potro and Davydenko.
I would put Davydenko at the top, angles, movement and accuracy are some of the best when he's on.
Davydenko's play in AO 2009 against Fed, see that first set and a half, how he moved to the ball and his play was some of the highest level of tennis.

Davy's only 5'10", if the skill is there you don't have to be tall.

AO 2010 QF, yeah.

The ballstriking and hitting on the run from davydenko, especially in the first set and half was just out of the world . It was downright scary !

 

[Benhur]

I agree: Gonzalez, Tsonga, Nalbandian and Davydenko in recent years, in no particular order (and Davydenko in more than one match, including the Miami semis and final in 2008 ). Going back quite a few years, one of the best such performances I remember was Pat Cash at the 1987 Wimbledon final (he was ranked just outside the top 10 at the time).

 

[mistik]

Berdeych 2010 Wimbledon OF against Federer and semi against Djokovic.

 

[Cup8489]

ok, doesn't anyone remember the fact that Nadal was injured at the 2009 USO? I mean come on, he had a torn abdominal muscle or something, and his serve was coming in at like 100-109 max with little action on the ball. And there is no way Nadal would retire in a GS semi. Its not a mystery as why the score was 6-2 6-2 6-2. I wouldn't really call this God-mode, when you beat an injured player, now the 2009 USO finals...that another story.

Sounds like an excuse to me.

 

[DjokovicForTheWin]

ok, doesn't anyone remember the fact that Nadal was injured at the 2009 USO? I mean come on, he had a torn abdominal muscle or something, and his serve was coming in at like 100-109 max with little action on the ball. And there is no way Nadal would retire in a GS semi. Its not a mystery as why the score was 6-2 6-2 6-2. I wouldn't really call this God-mode, when you beat an injured player, now the 2009 USO finals...that another story.

Most pros are injured by the time the USO rolls around. However, most also don't tend to make a big deal out of it and announce. Others like that kind of attention.

 

[DavaiMarat]

Safin bt. Sampras US OPEN 2000 ring a bell anyone?

 

[KHSOLO]

There is no godmode other than Fed's, anything else is just cheap copycat

 

[Laurie]

Nice idea for a thread.

Live I can think of:

Wimbledon 2007 Rd 16, Court no 18, watched Tsonga thrash Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, at the end of the match Spanish fans sitting next to us literally shrugged their shoulders and acknowledged Tsonga was too good! I was like, why haven't I heard of this guy before, he looked like he was grand slam material that day, I've been following his progress since then.

French Open quarterfinal 2009 on Court Centrale - Fernando Gonzalez thrashed Murray in 4 sets (Murray did well to win a set). I've been going to live tennis since 1995 and have all seen all the top players and legends, I still think Gonzalez has the biggest forehand I've seen live, the crowd loved it and were on his side against Murray.

Wimbledon 1995, Rd 16 Court 13 (now defunkt) - Cedric Pioline beat Kafelnikov in straight sets. Pioline was the Richard Gasquet of his day, he came up with amazing shots and was so stylish, Unlike Gasquet though he did get to two slam finals so does have something to show for his incredible talent.

 

[Mustard]

Wimbledon 2007 Rd 16, Court no 18, watched Tsonga thrash Feliciano Lopez in straight sets, at the end of the match Spanish fans sitting next to us literally shrugged their shoulders and acknowledged Tsonga was too good! I was like, why haven't I heard of this guy before, he looked like he was grand slam material that day, I've been following his progress since then.

Good match. It was in the R32. Tsonga had made a bit of a name for himself a few weeks earlier, when he beat Hewitt at Queen's Club in charasmatic fashion.

Wimbledon 1995, Rd 16 Court 13 (now defunkt) - Cedric Pioline beat Kafelnikov in straight sets. Pioline was the Richard Gasquet of his day, he came up with amazing shots and was so stylish, Unlike Gasquet though he did get to two slam finals so does have something to show for his incredible talent.

Now I'm confused. Pioline beat Korda in the R16 of 1995 Wimbledon in straight sets, not Kafelnikov. 1995 was Kafelnikov's best Wimbledon performance, losing a quarter final match to Goran Ivanisevic. The year Kafelnikov lost at Wimbledon to Pioline was in 1999, where Kafelnikov retired with a hamstring injury. Pioline won 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 ret.

 

[citybert]

Muster on clay early to mid 90s after his crazy injury. and that crazy grunt he had

 

[Laurie]

Good match. It was in the R32. Tsonga had made a bit of a name for himself a few weeks earlier, when he beat Hewitt at Queen's Club in charasmatic fashion.

Now I'm confused. Pioline beat Korda in the R16 of 1995 Wimbledon in straight sets, not Kafelnikov. 1995 was Kafelnikov's best Wimbledon performance, losing a quarter final match to Goran Ivanisevic. The year Kafelnikov lost at Wimbledon to Pioline was in 1999, where Kafelnikov retired with a hamstring injury. Pioline won 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 ret.

Was it? We're all getting on a bit, I remember Kafelnikov but maybe I remember wrong, I might have some old photos around I could check. I think Pioline went on to play a great match against Becker in the quarterfinal and lost.

On Tsonga, yes I think you're right, Gasquet beat Tsonga then Roddick in the quarters. I saw the match on a Friday so that would have been the 3rd rd.

 

[Mustard]

Was it? We're all getting on a bit, I remember Kafelnikov but maybe I remember wrong, I might have some old photos around I could check. I think Pioline went on to play a great match against Becker in the quarterfinal and lost.

Yes, Becker beat Pioline 9-7 in the fifth set in the 1995 Wimbledon quarter finals

Here are the results of 1995 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tournaments/tournamentresults.asp?tournament=1010004493&event=

1999 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tournaments/tournamentresults.asp?tournament=1010004497&event=

And 2007 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tourn...ts.asp?event=1100091560&tournament=1100016129

 

[Shaolin]

God mode Gulbis is just ridiculous...his match against Robredo at the US Open was such a beatdown that Tommy himself requested the dvd of it later.

 

[Laurie]

Yes, Becker beat Pioline 9-7 in the fifth set in the 1995 Wimbledon quarter finals

Here are the results of 1995 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tournaments/tournamentresults.asp?tournament=1010004493&event=

1999 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tournaments/tournamentresults.asp?tournament=1010004497&event=

And 2007 Wimbledon:
http://www.itftennis.com/mens/tourn...ts.asp?event=1100091560&tournament=1100016129

Thanks. I managed to bloc Korda out of my memory he's left handed so I should have at least remembered that!

Plus it seems I only took photos of Pioline that day, along with Sabatini, Lisa Raymond and Sampras. I obviously wasn't too impressed with Korda