How often has this happened?
- Thread starter BTURNER
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suwanee4712
Professional
In looking back at draws I can't find another instance of this happening where 2 players played each other at all 4 slams in one year. I don't think there's much chance of this having happened during the Open era of men's tennis. The ladies always seemed to be more consistent in reaching the latter stages of the slams. I remember Graf and Coetzer meeting many times in slam play from 1994-1997 but not at all 4 in one year.
I once looked into the rankings discussion for 1981 because it was so odd that Hana made 4 slam finals in a row, won 2 of them, but could never rise above #5 in the rankings that year. It was her misfortune to draw Chris so often, and what probably rankled them both was that they had to meet twice in the QF's because Hana's ranking didn't make much sense. Many thought Hana should've been #2 and I personally think she should've been at least 3rd.
You still have to win them all no matter who you play. But I'm pretty sure that's also the only time that's ever happened to any man or woman. So your question brings up what I believe are two extremely rare situations.
I once looked into the rankings discussion for 1981 because it was so odd that Hana made 4 slam finals in a row, won 2 of them, but could never rise above #5 in the rankings that year. It was her misfortune to draw Chris so often, and what probably rankled them both was that they had to meet twice in the QF's because Hana's ranking didn't make much sense. Many thought Hana should've been #2 and I personally think she should've been at least 3rd.
You still have to win them all no matter who you play. But I'm pretty sure that's also the only time that's ever happened to any man or woman. So your question brings up what I believe are two extremely rare situations.
What's even more intriguing is that Evert and Mandlikova also met in the finals of the 1980 US Open and semis of the French that year. So for the 1980-1981 seasons, 8 majors, they faced each other 6 times. Also, Evert didn't play the 1980 Australian.
Intriguing indeed.
Serena and Venus did meet in 4 consecutive major finals from 2002-2003. Chris and Martina met in 3 consecutive major finals in 1984, and in 3 of the 4 in 1985 (Hana preventing another Chrissie-Martina final in the 1985 US Open).
As far as the rankings in 1981, it was when the WTA used their really quirky ranking system they never explained and no one ever really understood. And 1981 was also one of those years when the top 5 all had very good records. Chris was the queen of consistency and maintained #1 throughout. Late season surges by Austin and Navratilova kept them in the hunt for #1, and certainly placed them as solid top 3 players. Hana was terrific in the majors, but the 2 QF losses hurt her. Andrea Jaeger had a great season, and overall was more consistent than Hana, which is probably why she wound up ahead of Hana in the rankings.
It was tough that Chris and Hana had to meet in the QF of the 1981 US Open, a repeat of the previous year's final, and that year's Wimbledon final. It's why I so wish the USTA had the balls to deviate from the rankings the way Wimbledon did that year, and seed Hana higher. It was kind of a joke that Andrea Jaeger was #2 seed for the US Open. Through a quirk in the rankings, Jaeger was ranked #2 for all of 2 weeks, during the exact moment they announced seedings for 1981 US Open. (Even though Hana had beaten Andrea in the semis the year before). Unfortunate too that Jaeger crashed out in the 2R of the Open, and Chris and Hana were drawn in the same quarter. Really would have been an even more intriguing event if Hana were in Jaeger's quarter.
At the Australian, where Hana was defending champ, she was again seeded #5, and again drawn against Chris in the QF. Jaeger, again seeded ahead of Hana, didn't live up to her seeding. (At 3 of the 4 majors in 1981, Jaeger failed to live up to her seeding, and in the only major where she fulfilled her seed, the French, Hana won the tournament.)
Another commentary on the Evert-Mandlikova match ups in majors is that they faced each other 13 times from 1980-1986. Believe it or not, that is the same # of times that Chris and Martina faced each other in majors. Evert held an 10-3 edge over Hana in the majors. Chris was obviously the better player, but too bad for Hana. Chris and Hana met in just 3 finals from 1980-1986, compared to the 11 finals Chris and Martina played in.
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Another instance where same two players meeting in 3 of the 4 majors in one year was from 1982. Chris Evert and Andrea Jaeger faced off in the semis of French, US Open, and Australian Opens (Evert winning US and Australia, Jaeger winning French matches). The two also met in the first major of 1983, the French semis. Which meant a run of 4 of 5 majors they faced off. And they were paired in the same semi bracket again at Wimbledon in 1983. Shockingly it was Chris who failed to get to the appointed match, losing in the 3R. Also, in the 3 victories over Jaeger, Chris lost a grand total of 8 games.
And another one:
In 2007, Justine Henin defeated Serena Williams in 3 consecutive majors, all in QF: French, Wimbledon, and US Open. That same year Serena won the Australian, Justine did not play. The following year in the Australian, they were paired to meet in the semis, but both lost in the QF.
It was a shame that the two best players for that year had to play so early in majors. Serena, who started the year ranked #81, never was able to raise he ranking high enough to avoid that QF showdown. Of course it was truly sad when Wimbledon did not seed Serena higher than #7 that year (and of course the WTA was using their pathetic ranking system anyway!). Serena, Justine and Venus were clearly the 3 best grass court players at the time. All three of their encounters that year were worthy of major finals. Of course we wound up with 3 stinker finals that year: Henin d. Ivanovic (French); VWilliams d. Bartoli; Henin d. Kuznetsova (US Open)
In 2007, Justine Henin defeated Serena Williams in 3 consecutive majors, all in QF: French, Wimbledon, and US Open. That same year Serena won the Australian, Justine did not play. The following year in the Australian, they were paired to meet in the semis, but both lost in the QF.
It was a shame that the two best players for that year had to play so early in majors. Serena, who started the year ranked #81, never was able to raise he ranking high enough to avoid that QF showdown. Of course it was truly sad when Wimbledon did not seed Serena higher than #7 that year (and of course the WTA was using their pathetic ranking system anyway!). Serena, Justine and Venus were clearly the 3 best grass court players at the time. All three of their encounters that year were worthy of major finals. Of course we wound up with 3 stinker finals that year: Henin d. Ivanovic (French); VWilliams d. Bartoli; Henin d. Kuznetsova (US Open)
I do believe it is without precedent. However, here are several other almost occurrences:
1973: Chris Evert and Margaret Court met in the 1973 French finals, Wimbledon semis and US Open semis. Evert didn't play the Australian that year.
1975: Martina Navratilova and Margaret Court met in the QF of 3 majors: Australian (Navratilova over Court), Wimbledon (Court over Navratilova) and US Open (Navratilova over Court). Court didn't play the French.
In fact, the only times Court faced Evert or Navratilova in a major was those years.
1993: Steffi Graf d. Jennifer Capriati in the QF of the Australian, French, and Wimbledon. Capriati was not in Graf's quarter for the US Open (She lost 1R anyway).
1991-1992: Sabatini and Capriati met in 3 consecutive majors. 1991 Wimbledon semis, 1991 US Open QF, 1992 Australian QF. In the 1992 French, Capriati lost in QF. The two met again in the Wimbledon QF, which makes 4 out of 5 meetings in consecutive majors.
1974: Australian, Evonne Goolagong d. Kerry Melville in QF; Wimbledon, Melville d. Goolagong; US Open: Goolagong d. Melville. Neither played the French that year.
As they say, luck of the draw. The times where you had 3 of the 4 major finals with the same participants (1984 and 1985 with Navratilova-Evert, and 2002 with Serena-Venus), it was two pairs of players who were dominating the rest of the field. Serena and Venus played in 4 consecutive major finals, something Chris and Martina didn't do.
The men have too much depth for this to ever happen in later rounds. Might only occur through a fluke in the draws, with the same pair meeting 4 times in one year.
With Federer and Nadal dominating, they have met three times in two major finals. In 2008-2009 they met in 3 of 4 major finals. But that's really the closest.
The only time two men met in 3 of the 4 majors in one year was 2003, when Andre Agassi beat Guillermo Coria in R16 at Australia, Coria beat Agassi in QF of French, and Agassi beat Coria in QF of US Open.
With Federer and Nadal dominating, they have met three times in two major finals. In 2008-2009 they met in 3 of 4 major finals. But that's really the closest.
The only time two men met in 3 of the 4 majors in one year was 2003, when Andre Agassi beat Guillermo Coria in R16 at Australia, Coria beat Agassi in QF of French, and Agassi beat Coria in QF of US Open.
Moose Malloy
G.O.A.T.
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