Infamous Sampras hater Rusedski: Federers's serve is in the category as Sampras

How good is Federer's serve


  • Total voters
    100
  • Poll closed .

Heuristic

Hall of Fame

He even said on another occasion that the only thing Sampras had that was better was his second serve.

This is a very silly statement refuted by every statistic known to man but It made me wonder...

Is there ANY big server Federer had a better serve than? Well, Marat Safin has similiar stats to Fed in aces and first serves won (actually slightly worse in first serves won, even).. So that would be it..

Federer IMO better than anyone else besides the big servers. Now that's a great serve but not in Sampras category.


Please make your vote
 

DreddyTennis45

Hall of Fame
He has the best service game in history in the fact that he can go deep into tournaments with little ground game and/or return game (see Wimbledon 2014). As a pure shot it obviously isn't as good as some others
 

Benben245

Banned
Im shocked Federer got to 5 sets with Djoker considering his streaky first serve percentages in context. Its interesting, Sampras has a bigger forehand and serve but Roger's forehand is even better and his serve is comparable, atleast in terms of efficacy.
 

TheFifthSet

Legend
Lol at the poll.

The only poll question is if his serve is better than Safin's or not.

Any of the bottom 5 options are laughable

I dunno if top 30’s laughable, Fedrs serve is pretty overrated on these forums but the totality of his serve (pace, spin, accuracy, motion not putting a terrible strain on his body, second serve being of high quality AND having one of the lowest DF rates ever, kick, ball toss) makes for a pretty good package. I think there’s a case to be made that it belongs somewhere in the 30s, though no better.
 

SaintPetros

Hall of Fame
I go back and forth on whether it's an ATG serve, or ATG serve+forehand package. Regardless, it's not as good as Petros', and yet my favorite serve on tour.
 

Pheasant

Legend
Federer is a very good server. But he's not close to Sampras. Sampras was hitting 2nd serve aces at 117-121 mph late in his career. Sampras was a boss at serving.
 

Djokodalerer31

Hall of Fame
Sampras' strenth wasn't only big serve! It was also excelent net play and flexibility, for which incredible reaction is a must! Rusedski is obviously full of it...also tell me if i am wrong, but isn't Sampras' running stretching forehand was a treat for the eyes?!
 

Phoenix1983

G.O.A.T.
The posters point was obvious. That your statement that Pete “schooled him” is false. It was a close 5-set match.

My point was obvious.

Sampras, even in the twilight of his career, was far superior to Rusedski - whose petty comments on Sampras’s form were made to look foolish by Pete winning the title.

I was aware that the match went to 5 - I watched it. It was still a schooling of an also ran by an ATG.
 

SaintPetros

Hall of Fame
Sampras' strenth wasn't only big serve! It was also excelent net play and flexibility, for which incredible reaction is a must! Rusedski is obviously full of it...also tell me if i am wrong, but isn't Sampras' running stretching forehand was a treat for the eyes?!
Oh no man, Pete was just a servebot with an ugly game and no talent who succeeded just because he worked hard and was record obsessed. He also faced the weakest era in history, and was a stain on the game that Federer erased.
Is that about right, forum?
 

Djokodalerer31

Hall of Fame
Oh no man, Pete was just a servebot with an ugly game and no talent who succeeded just because he worked hard and was record obsessed. He also faced the weakest era in history, and was a stain on the game that Federer erased.
Is that about right, forum?

haha good one! Shots fired! :-D
 

Jaitock1991

Hall of Fame
I dunno if top 30’s laughable, Fedrs serve is pretty overrated on these forums but the totality of his serve (pace, spin, accuracy, motion not putting a terrible strain on his body, second serve being of high quality AND having one of the lowest DF rates ever, kick, ball toss) makes for a pretty good package. I think there’s a case to be made that it belongs somewhere in the 30s, though no better.

I guess much in the same way as how we endlessly discuss this in the "best returner" threads(return as a shot vs return game as a whole), we also here have to seperate the serve as an isolated shot rather than the hold game as a whole.

Fed's serve itself is great, but no better than top 30 as you mention. But in terms of his hold game as a whole he has to be among the very best ever(easily top 3 imo).
 

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
Federer is a very good server. But he's not close to Sampras. Sampras was hitting 2nd serve aces at 117-121 mph late in his career. Sampras was a boss at serving.

What is the percentage of First and Second Serve Points Won by Sampras in his career?
:unsure:
 

metsman

Talk Tennis Guru
Oh no man, Pete was just a servebot with an ugly game and no talent who succeeded just because he worked hard and was record obsessed. He also faced the weakest era in history, and was a stain on the game that Federer erased.
Is that about right, forum?
Most of those comments don't even come from Fed fans anymore although I will admit there was a time period when Fed was getting close to the record that you heard a lot of nonsense (mostly related to Sampras' clay game, his losses to the younger guys in 00-01). Calling someone a servebot to diminish was started by certain other fanbases, likely insecure about the serving prowess of their own favorites due to prop up the "modern game". The demeaning of Sampras today is more about the strict sense of superiority most have about the 25 feet behind the baseline spinny grind game and Sampras' supposed inability to play it. And also because people don't know who Courier, Chang, Goran, Henman, Rafter etc. are and only vaguely recall Agassi as the drug addicted bald guy who somehow lucked into winning 03 AO and recall Becker for being the German drunk who gave Djokovic some good serving tips. I can assure you that isn't most Fed fans although there are some.
 
Federer is a very good server. But he's not close to Sampras. Sampras was hitting 2nd serve aces at 117-121 mph late in his career. Sampras was a boss at serving.
Sampras was king of 1st serve. His 2nd serve stats are nothing special as he comes 41st in that category. Federer comes 2nd, behind Nadal.
I'd also add that Federer played against much better competition at returning.
 

SaintPetros

Hall of Fame
Most of those comments don't even come from Fed fans anymore although I will admit there was a time period when Fed was getting close to the record that you heard a lot of nonsense (mostly related to Sampras' clay game, his losses to the younger guys in 00-01). Calling someone a servebot to diminish was started by certain other fanbases, likely insecure about the serving prowess of their own favorites due to prop up the "modern game". The demeaning of Sampras today is more about the strict sense of superiority most have about the 25 feet behind the baseline spinny grind game and Sampras' supposed inability to play it. And also because people don't know who Courier, Chang, Goran, Henman, Rafter etc. are and only vaguely recall Agassi as the drug addicted bald guy who somehow lucked into winning 03 AO and recall Becker for being the German drunk who gave Djokovic some good serving tips. I can assure you that isn't most Fed fans although there are some.
That's why I said "forum" :p
 
D

Deleted member 77403

Guest
Yes.

Rusedski said in his press conference that Sampras had lost a step and a half (and also gave Sampras no chance to win the tournament).

When Sampras was asked about the comment he replied “against him, I don't really need to be a step and a half quicker.” :D

I remember it and it made me smile from ear to ear. Sampras was the man!
 

SaintPetros

Hall of Fame
Also this thread's title made me laugh, so to you...
rHo4N6G.gif
 

travlerajm

Talk Tennis Guru
I dunno if top 30’s laughable, Fedrs serve is pretty overrated on these forums but the totality of his serve (pace, spin, accuracy, motion not putting a terrible strain on his body, second serve being of high quality AND having one of the lowest DF rates ever, kick, ball toss) makes for a pretty good package. I think there’s a case to be made that it belongs somewhere in the 30s, though no better.
Who are the 30+ names ahead of him? I might agree with you if you can come up with a list.
 

Heuristic

Hall of Fame
Who are the 30+ names ahead of him? I might agree with you if you can come up with a list.

I agreed it's probably in the 20, but I would have to count first. I voted for worse than the big servers apart from Safin, and Safin serve wasn't bad so that's good.
 

travlerajm

Talk Tennis Guru
Yes.

Rusedski said in his press conference that Sampras had lost a step and a half (and also gave Sampras no chance to win the tournament).

When Sampras was asked about the comment he replied “against him, I don't really need to be a step and a half quicker.” :D
I miss the trash talk era.
 

travlerajm

Talk Tennis Guru
Sampras was king of 1st serve. His 2nd serve stats are nothing special as he comes 41st in that category. Federer comes 2nd, behind Nadal.
I'd also add that Federer played against much better competition at returning.
I think returners were better in the 90s than today.
 

Enga

Hall of Fame
Well, just to add onto what makes Sampras' serve so great is it had the most topspin without sacrificing MPH. So it was a lot more consistent. Federer doesnt put as much topspin on his first serve its more a slice serve that he aims to the corners.
 

scotus

G.O.A.T.
Sampras was king of 1st serve. His 2nd serve stats are nothing special as he comes 41st in that category. Federer comes 2nd, behind Nadal.
I'd also add that Federer played against much better competition at returning.

In some cases stats don't tell the whole story. Pete's second serves were scary and were often touted as the very best by pros, pundits and fans.
 

SamprasisGOAT

Hall of Fame
Federer has a top 10 serve of all time.

The problem is his serve gos missing when he’s under big pressure or he’s playing a fellow great.

That’s because Federer is a mental midget.

Look at the 2008 Wimbledon final. Federers serve went walk about. Petes serve improved under intense pressure. Sampras would have won that in straight sets. Becker Djokovic and prime McEnroe also win that match against nadal. Federers a great player and I love his style on court. I watch all his match’s. He’s single handily saved tennis these last 15 years. He’s a hero of mine. But when it comes to match play he’s weak. And that’s where Sampras was strongest. Pete was clutch and Pete was gritty. Pete would destroy nadal head to head. Djokovic is a more difficult proposal and off grass I see Djokovic besting Pete.

I have Sampras and Djokovic as 1 and 2 in the goat race.
 

SaintPetros

Hall of Fame
Federer has a top 10 serve of all time.

The problem is his serve gos missing when he’s under big pressure or he’s playing a fellow great.

That’s because Federer is a mental midget.

Look at the 2008 Wimbledon final. Federers serve went walk about. Petes serve improved under intense pressure. Sampras would have won that in straight sets. Becker Djokovic and prime McEnroe also win that match against nadal. Federers a great player and I love his style on court. I watch all his match’s. He’s single handily saved tennis these last 15 years. He’s a hero of mine. But when it comes to match play he’s weak. And that’s where Sampras was strongest. Pete was clutch and Pete was gritty. Pete would destroy nadal head to head. Djokovic is a more difficult proposal and off grass I see Djokovic besting Pete.

I have Sampras and Djokovic as 1 and 2 in the goat race.
I think Pete would win on grass and fast and indoor hard. Clay and slower hard goes to Novak tho, so I see it as a tight rivalry that would slightly favor Pete.
As for Nadal, Pete obv. wouldn't have a prayer on clay, but anywhere else he'd lick his chops.
 

SamprasisGOAT

Hall of Fame
I think Pete would win on grass and fast and indoor hard. Clay and slower hard goes to Novak tho, so I see it as a tight rivalry that would slightly favor Pete.
As for Nadal, Pete obv. wouldn't have a prayer on clay, but anywhere else he'd lick his chops.
Nadal standing so far back against Sampras would end so badly for nadal. I genuinely think Sampras destroys nadal everywhere but clay. Nadal is made for Sampras. There head to head would be more one sided then Sampras Agassi 20-14.
 

SamprasisGOAT

Hall of Fame
Sampras Djokovic is interesting. So is Sampras Federer.

Pete is the goat on fast surfaces and Djokovic is the goat on slow surfaces.

Makes it
1.sampras
2.djokovic
 
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