tenniswriter
Banned
For the most undeserving Slam winner in the past twenty years, I'd have to go for Thomas Johansson.
Best player not to win a slam: David Nalbandian
Best player not to win a slam: David Nalbandian
Most undeserving Slam winner in the past 20 years,and best player never to win a Slam
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PSNELKE
Legend
Best player to never win a major: Tough call between Tim Henman, David Nalbandian and Niko Davydenko.
Well imo, there is no "undeserving" major win.
Whoever wins a major, kinda worked hard for it and that said deserved it.
But the one that stands out would be Thomas Johansson. I would call his major win a fluke, but it ain't undeserved.
Well imo, there is no "undeserving" major win.
Whoever wins a major, kinda worked hard for it and that said deserved it.
But the one that stands out would be Thomas Johansson. I would call his major win a fluke, but it ain't undeserved.
Johansson's path to the 2002 AO
J Diaz (Esp)
M Hipfl (Aut)
Y El Aynaoui (Mor) (21)
A Voinea (Rou)
Jonas Bjorkman (Swe)
Jiri Novak (Cze) (26)
Marat Safin (Rus) (9)
Gotta be the "luckiest" slam ever...Right in between eras, he only had to play 2 seeds en route to the final, the highest being 21st. It would be impossible to win a slam in that fashion these days.
But credit to him, you can only beat what's put in front of you.
J Diaz (Esp)
M Hipfl (Aut)
Y El Aynaoui (Mor) (21)
A Voinea (Rou)
Jonas Bjorkman (Swe)
Jiri Novak (Cze) (26)
Marat Safin (Rus) (9)
Gotta be the "luckiest" slam ever...Right in between eras, he only had to play 2 seeds en route to the final, the highest being 21st. It would be impossible to win a slam in that fashion these days.
But credit to him, you can only beat what's put in front of you.
tenniswriter
Banned
If Wozniacki doesn't win a slam, she's right up there though
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
right up there with what?
what makes her deserving of a slam?
may as well say jelena jankovic deserved a slam.
D
Deleted member 21996
Guest
gotta agree with the Korda one...
Danstevens
Semi-Pro
I definitely agree with all of those picks; I would add Murray to the list of best players never to win a major though.
BauerAlmeida
Hall of Fame
Johansson was lucky, it was a fluke, etc...but he won it fair and square, unlike Roddick. Hard to say.
Nalbandian and Rios best players not to win one (Mecir, Davydenko and Murray also).
Nalbandian and Rios best players not to win one (Mecir, Davydenko and Murray also).
Fedex
Legend
So if results are all that matter then Murray is the best player never to win a slam by a mile. Agreed?
4 slam finals, lost count of slam semis, 22 ATP titles, 9 Masters.
Results all that count you said.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Whoever wins a major deserves it, in my opinion. Thomas Johansson doesn't get the credit he deserves for taking his chance to win the 2002 Australian Open, just like he took his chance at 1999 Montreal to win his only masters series title.
I must admit that Guillermo Coria not winning the 2004 French Open is a painful memory, and does challenge this philosophy.
I must admit that Guillermo Coria not winning the 2004 French Open is a painful memory, and does challenge this philosophy.
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woodrow1029
Hall of Fame
Most undeserving slam winner? Does anyone else not realize how stupid that question is? The only answer is Korda.
Everyone else who has won a slam has deserved it.
Everyone else who has won a slam has deserved it.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Except that Korda tested negative after that final. The positive test was at Wimbledon later that year.
Nadalfan89
Hall of Fame
Andre Agassi's French Open win. He was tested positive for drugs and then LIED about it to the ITF.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
you realize most dopers pass most tests, yes?
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Agassi's positive drugs test was in 1997, for crystal meth. Agassi was at the nadir of his career at the time.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Yes, and he did it in such a low profile way. He was a Wimbledon semi finalist too, losing a winnable match against Roddick in 2005.
woodrow1029
Hall of Fame
Ok then. Undeserving slam champion is even more ridiculous then.
Nadalfan89
Hall of Fame
A professional athlete taking crystal meth - the most destructive, sports irrelevant hilly-billy drug on the planet.
If that's not considered undeserving then I don't know what is.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
most dopers pass tests.
see marion jones.
she wasnt outed because of failed tests, she was outed after Balco got raided.
Cup8489
G.O.A.T.
You don't have a clue. Agassi got back in shape, rededicated himself to the sport, and won the FO the hard way. He was also in two previous FO finals, so it's not that surprising that he was finally able to pull off something he'd always been capable of.
Clueless *******s...
N
NadalAgassi
Guest
Most undeserving? Such a concept in itself is strange but I guess if had to choose one it would be Gaudio at the 2004 French. Coria just handed him the match when he had totally outplayed Gaudio and had it wrapped up pretty much. The crowd and cramping for Coria also became involved.
Best to never win one? Murray of course.
Best to never win one? Murray of course.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
I hesitate to say murray because unlike Nalbandian who is clearly not the player he was, Murray is not over the hill and declining. If say in 6 years he still hasnt won one then yes, murray.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
The only player to test positive in a major final was Mariano Puerta, who had 3 set points to make it 2 sets all against Nadal.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
bad luck for him. he must have messed up his regimen.
PSNELKE
Legend
Well Murray's career ain't over yet and I still think he will win a major sooner or later.
I would like to edit Marcelo Rios though.
He was awesome to watch, but a badass pr1ck.
Mustard
Bionic Poster
A cardiac stimulant left over by his wife from traces in a glass, apparently. It was second time in his career that Puerta had tested positive for a banned substance.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
"Worst player to win a Slam" seems more appropriate than most "undeserving." As ugly as some of the wins are, they deserve it.
Rios badly underachieved at RG, reaching 0 semi-finals there and just 2 quarter-finals, despite winning the titles at Monte-Carlo in 1997, Rome in 1998 and Hamburg in 1999.
He lost his 1998 and 1999 RG quarter-finals to Moya and Hrbaty respectively. Admittedly Hrbaty was a terrible match-up for him. However against Moya, he won all 5 of their non-slam matches, but lost both of their matches at slams.
He couldn't even win his home tournament in Chile, choking there year after year, losing to players that had never won any ATP titles before, ones he never lost to in any of their matches at other tournaments and/or ones that were ranked outside the top 50.
He lost his 1998 and 1999 RG quarter-finals to Moya and Hrbaty respectively. Admittedly Hrbaty was a terrible match-up for him. However against Moya, he won all 5 of their non-slam matches, but lost both of their matches at slams.
He couldn't even win his home tournament in Chile, choking there year after year, losing to players that had never won any ATP titles before, ones he never lost to in any of their matches at other tournaments and/or ones that were ranked outside the top 50.
ZeroSkid
Banned
changed my mind this is better
Gaudio went 43-8 on clay next year and bagelled Nadal so he kind of made up for it but yes, that is one of the strangest things that as ever happened in tennis.
A journeyman headcase getting to the final against a guy who was winning virtually every clay court tournament that year, bagelled in the first set, Coria starts cramping/choking, servin under arm, Gaudio wins. THEN Gaudio comes back NEXT year and plays the entire clay court season like he was the king of clay. Amazing.
mellowyellow
Legend
What about guys lime W. Ferriera, Cedric Pioline, Magnus Norman, Thomaz Enqvist? Korda, I thought informed the organization of what he was taking, they allowed it, players found out and all hell broke loose...
Rhino
Legend
Sampras' route to the 2000 Wimbledon title:
Jiri Vanek (CZE) 80
Karol Kucera (SVK) 44
Justin Gimelstob (USA) 99
Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) 78
Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 56
Vladimir Voltchkov (BLR) 237
Patrick Rafter (AUS) 21
At least ToJo had to play a top tenner...
merlinpinpin
Hall of Fame
... And finally loses at RG against Ferrer, 6-4 in the 5th, after being 4-0 up. Yeah, pretty much up and down, was Gaudio...
Also has the dubious "honour" of playing the fastest YEC semi-final ever in 2005, when he lost to Federer 6/0, 6/0.
MaiDee
Professional
What about:
Hyung-Taik Lee
Stefan Koubek
Mardy Fish (30)
Feliciano Lopez (55)
Sjeng Schalken (26)
Andy Roddick (7)
Mark Philippoussis (34) for Wimbledon title?
This is a much tougher draw than Sampras's at Wimbledon 2000. Sampras faced ONE player ranked in the top 40.
primetennis
Rookie
most undeserving slam winner of all time : Rafael Nadal
Best player who never won one : Marcelo Rios
sunof tennis
Professional
Not condoning Andre's behavior, but you realize that meth isn't actually a PED, right?
Oh please, the Nabaldian was robbed trope again? Only on TT. I made a thread on TT about this a few years ago: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=252358
Nalby blew it. He was up 3-0 and 4-2 in the TB and played loose points. Roddick fired a legit ace to save MP. There is no way in hell Nalbandian was "robbed."
He had to beat Rafter in the final though, Rafter who ad just beaten Agassi in the other semi so was obviously playing pretty well.
... And finally loses at RG against Ferrer, 6-4 in the 5th, after being 4-0 up. Yeah, pretty much up and down, was Gaudio...
Also has the dubious "honour" of playing the fastest YEC semi-final ever in 2005, when he lost to Federer 6/0, 6/0.
Gaudio is definitely the craziest player ever. On clay he had a stronger set of groundstrokes than even Kuerten in my opinion, although he didn't have Kuerten's serve. Incredibly talented but mentally he made Safin look like Born Borg.
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