How well would a prime steffi graf do in today's game?

[hoodjem]

Yes backhand slice winners--they stayed low and skidded away from her opponents. Where have you been?

Her forehand was the original women's power shot.

 

[halalula1234]

Wrong in nearly everything you said. There is hardly anyone who thinks of the state of the WTA today as having far more depth. There is no depth and no quality at the top. Anyone who has just finished watching the Australian Open would atest to that. A player like Jelena Dokic is just starting a comeback and yet is already right back where she was at her peak in 2002 which took her many years to reach back then. Safina had negative numbers the whole tournament and was still in the final.

There are not many women who hit harder than Steffi left today at all. The only possible ones are Serena and Venus. As already noted Serena is out of shape, and Venus only tries to perform 3 or 4 tournaments a year. Ivanovic, Safina, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, are an example of women considered the biggest hitters today and Graf easily hits harder than all of them, despite the fact that is the only thing these women can even do well.

Serena isnt at 90% now either. She is more like 55 to 60% and no she would not win if there were even 2 or 3 decent champions players in her current fitness and form. She is playing no better now than she was in 2007 when a second tier all time great like Justine Henin beat her in all 3 slams Justine played in, although Serena won a slam that year which Justine did not play in. So imagine 2 or 3 players even at Justine's level, which still isnt even the highest level really. Serena at her current shape and form would not be winning anything, and would have to become a full time player to even hope to start winning again. She might still be stopped from winning anything if Justine didnt abruptly retire, and as I said Justine is a second tier all time great at most.

i dont think graf hits harder than some of the women you mentioned. Graf is very precise and hits it very flat but i dont think i've heard of her hitting a 90+ mph winner like those girls that u mentioned did. She might hit as hard but i dont think she hits harder.

 

[CEvertFan]

With today's rackets and strings I certainly think she could probably hit a 90+ mph shot off her forehand. Also, hitting a shot 90+ miles per hour without any placement or just hoping it goes in doesn't mean that it's better. Most of the women/girls playing today don't know the meaning of the word depth but Graf sure did.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

In her prime in this era, Steffi would be going to work on these broads. The only one I can see even hanging with her is Serena, and she's out of shape and preoccupied half the time.

Sharapova - She's a terrible athlete, Graf would expose that

Jankovic - Please??? The over/unger is 55..... how many minutes will it take Graf to beat her???

Ivanovic - Got to #1 but now can't even get out of the 3rd of a slam???

Henin - Retired but.... can you see Graf getting overpowered by someone who stand 5'6" in heels???

Dementieva - Get a serve and then you'll warrant a response

V. Williams - Grass would be fun between the to, but a problematic 2nd serve and a forehand that breaks down, will allow Graf to take most of their meetings.


Who else??? Graf would would have some field days against the women on tour today.

I agree, Graf would punish all these chicks...Henin included.

 

[Mick]

i wonder how come agassi and graf don't compete in the mixed doubles at the grand slam tournaments. considering their talents, they should be very successful.

 

[Warriorroger]

i wonder how come agassi and graf don't compete in the mixed doubles at the grand slam tournaments. considering their talents, they should be very successful.

No they won't, although Steffí has won Wimbledon in doubles, she is not a good doubles player. Billy Jean king once said about her: the greatest single player. That sums it up. She made the effort with Gaby, but you could tell she was not comfortable in doubles. Her game was made to run around all day, hitting forehands, slicing opponents away. She had good volleys, but bad net instincts. It wasn't her game.

 

[halalula1234]

With today's rackets and strings I certainly think she could probably hit a 90+ mph shot off her forehand. Also, hitting a shot 90+ miles per hour without any placement or just hoping it goes in doesn't mean that it's better. Most of the women/girls playing today don't know the meaning of the word depth but Graf sure did.

i never said it was better maybe she could hit 90mph with today's racket but i dont think she can get more power than the big girls of today. but with her point construction and placement she could beat them and get them all frustrated.

 

[thalivest]

i never said it was better maybe she could hit 90mph with today's racket but i dont think she can get more power than the big girls of today. but with her point construction and placement she could beat them and get them all frustrated.

Sorry but I totally dont get you here. The hard hitters of today dont hit that amazingly hard. Venus and Serena are the only ones left with such phenomenal power. Safina, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, Dementieva, are hard hitters who dont even hit that incredibly hard. Steffi hits harder than all of them. Players like Huber, Majoli, and Maggie Maleeva who were the third tier power hitters of the Graf era hit as hard or harder than all of those women in fact. Your 90+ mph groundstrokes for all these girls is way off base. Venus and Serena only hit occasional shots that hard, these others hardly ever would. Ok maybe Dementieva on the groundstrokes alone, but her serve is so craptacular it negates it backwards again, and any player with a powerful serve, strong shots, and strong mind will beat her nearly everytime since her weak serve is so attackable and you just need to hold most of the time and break her pretty often by attacking her weak serve.

 

[halalula1234]

Sorry but I totally dont get you here. The hard hitters of today dont hit that amazingly hard. Venus and Serena are the only ones left with such phenomenal power. Safina, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic, Dementieva, are hard hitters who dont even hit that incredibly hard. Steffi hits harder than all of them. Players like Huber, Majoli, and Maggie Maleeva who were the third tier power hitters of the Graf era hit as hard or harder than all of those women in fact. Your 90+ mph groundstrokes for all these girls is way off base. Venus and Serena only hit occasional shots that hard, these others hardly ever would. Ok maybe Dementieva on the groundstrokes alone, but her serve is so craptacular it negates it backwards again, and any player with a powerful serve, strong shots, and strong mind will beat her nearly everytime since her weak serve is so attackable and you just need to hold most of the time and break her pretty often by attacking her weak serve.

Hard but not harder thats the point.

 

[World Beater]

tough to say...yes i agree today's players hit the ball harded but steffi might be one of those players like federer who just handle pace very well either by throwing it bac harder from the fh wing or totally taking pace off using her amazing slice.

the slice is a very underused shot in the women's game and i could see steffi using it very well.

i think today's player can crack a ball harder than steffi...much like some players like tsonga, moya, blake, agassi can crack a ball harder than federer. but when they get into fast rallies, federer owns everyone on the fh-fh rallies.

 

[Warriorroger]

tough to say...yes i agree today's players hit the ball harded but steffi might be one of those players like federer who just handle pace very well either by throwing it bac harder from the fh wing or totally taking pace off using her amazing slice.

the slice is a very underused shot in the women's game and i could see steffi using it very well.

i think today's player can crack a ball harder than steffi...much like some players like tsonga, moya, blake, agassi can crack a ball harder than federer. but when they get into fast rallies, federer owns everyone on the fh-fh rallies.

Good point. I think a lot of the posters (who haven't seen her that much) underestimate how great that forehand was and how hard it was it. Try a Max Dunlop 200 G and you will be amazed (as was John Mac) by how hard she smacked the ball. Later on with her her Wilson, in her day a modern racket (but now ancient), she hit even better. Her late preparation enabled the hard laser like forehand. Her fastest serve with those rackets was 108 mph, which would still be a good serve today. Hr forehand was hit 90 mph (during wtt in 2005). So she would still be a force today.

 

[halalula1234]

tough to say...yes i agree today's players hit the ball harded but steffi might be one of those players like federer who just handle pace very well either by throwing it bac harder from the fh wing or totally taking pace off using her amazing slice.

the slice is a very underused shot in the women's game and i could see steffi using it very well.

i think today's player can crack a ball harder than steffi...much like some players like tsonga, moya, blake, agassi can crack a ball harder than federer. but when they get into fast rallies, federer owns everyone on the fh-fh rallies.

yep i havent seeen many women who plays like graf in fact none..slice bh and drive fh.. on the male side theres gonzalez who does the same.