To be fair, the AO before 1988 was irrelevant.
Is WADA appealing?But they did it clean, presumably
Is WADA appealing?
On topic: this will be the first of many such doubles in his imminently glorious HC career.
For your desire to happen, WADA has merely hours left to get the job done.Ugh. I hope you're not right. I don't even dislike Sinner, he seems like a very nice and humble guy, I just find him really boring.
Yeah, only switched to hard in 1988. Probably Connors, Mac and Lendl would have had a fair shake if it had been HC their whole careers.To be fair, the AO before 1988 was irrelevant.
Both is surprising:Wilander in 88
Federer in 04, 06, 07
Djokovic in 11, 15, 23
Even rarer is AO, USO, YEC triple
Federer in 04, 06, 07
Djokovic in 11, 15, 23
The arguable "5th" major.Through also winning the 1988 Lipton title in Key Biscayne, Wilander won 3 separate / all 3 hard court tournaments with 128 player draw sizes and best of 5 set matches in all 7 rounds, available to him that year.
Medvedev's loss last night really raises questions about the Next Gen Era and as great as Nadal and Djokovic were, it really does look like they benefitted in their late career from having behind them a dreadfully weak group of players.Novak had zero business doing that in 2023. The tour should be ashamed lol
I'm talking about how seriously players took it. Most of them didn't give a damn about it.Yeah, only switched to hard in 1988. Probably Connors, Mac and Lendl would have had a fair shake if it had been HC their whole careers.
Yes, but it was also the first year in the open era players cared about it.AO became a HC slam in 88. The year Mats won it.
Sinner will do what it takes to massage his stats.If Sinner doesn’t Join this group TTW will tear him apart.
Well it wasn't HC before then so it wouldn't have mattered how seriously people took itI'm talking about how seriously players took it. Most of them didn't give a damn about it.
Borg played it what, 1 time?
Outside of the Big 3/Big 4? Federer and Hewitt did it in 2004, though Hewitt wasn't top 5 for all of those. Djokovic and Berrettini did it in 2021 as well. Must be more but can't remember off the top of my head.@NatF you're a stats guy, when was the last time two players faced off in 3 of the 4 slams in a single season? Especially two top 5 players.
I just realized Med-Sinner played at AO, Wimbledon and USO this year. It's remarkable.
Yeah, only switched to hard in 1988. Probably Connors, Mac and Lendl would have had a fair shake if it had been HC their whole
A shame it does not exist anymore..Fed vs.Agassi 2002..for those who want to see the young FedThe arguable "5th" major.
@NatF you're a stats guy, when was the last time two players faced off in 3 of the 4 slams in a single season? Especially two top 5 players.
I just realized Med-Sinner played at AO, Wimbledon and USO this year. It's remarkable.
That's not really true. From '83 onwards the top players were pretty consistently going there.Yes, but it was also the first year in the open era players cared about it.
Same for (in the Open Era) the likes of Laver, Newcombe, and Smith.Yeah, only switched to hard in 1988. Probably Connors, Mac and Lendl would have had a fair shake if it had been HC their whole careers.
What's interesting here as those speculations come up so often how the surface change effected the outcome and potential winners: When I rewatched the 1988 final the commentators said that the sole intention of the new surface was not having to take care of the grass anymore and having a sustainable court that always plays the same instead. But they also said that experts made sure that the new court plays EXACTLY like the grass they had before (however that might be possible).Yeah, only switched to hard in 1988. Probably Connors, Mac and Lendl would have had a fair shake if it had been HC their whole careers.
It's copoutWhat's interesting here as those speculations come up so often how the surface change effected the outcome and potential winners: When I rewatched the 1988 final the commentators said that the sole intention of the new surface was not having to take care of the grass anymore and having a sustainable court that always plays the same instead. But they also that said experts made sure that the new court plays EXACTLY like the grass they had before (however that might be possible).
That's strange. But the best guys prevailed anyway in 1988. Wilander, Cash, Edberg, Lendl. All of them did well before the shift.What's interesting here as those speculations come up so often how the surface change effected the outcome and potential winners: When I rewatched the 1988 final the commentators said that the sole intention of the new surface was not having to take care of the grass anymore and having a sustainable court that always plays the same instead. But they also that said experts made sure that the new court plays EXACTLY like the grass they had before (however that might be possible).
Wilander in 88
Federer in 04, 06, 07
Djokovic in 11, 15, 23
Even rarer is AO, USO, YEC triple
Federer in 04, 06, 07
Djokovic in 11, 15, 23
Can Sinner join this very elite group?
In '06, Federer defeated Baghdaitis (was it the opening round?) at AO, and Roddick (Fed's favorite whipping boy) at US. In '07, he defeated Gonzalez (which one?) at AO, and Djokovic (20 at the time) at US.Novak had zero business doing that in 2023. The tour should be ashamed lol
Well several top players like Borg or Connors still never got a chance.That's not really true. From '83 onwards the top players were pretty consistently going there.
I've heard historians say they think HC was Laver's best surface. I ignored those guys because the USO was grass in their era as well, but if both majors had been HC I think the list would be quite a bit longer.Same for (in the Open Era) the likes of Laver, Newcombe, and Smith.
From what I've heard the grass courts at the AO and USO played differently to Wimbledon and were of generally poorer quality. No way they could make the HC play exactly like grass though.What's interesting here as those speculations come up so often how the surface change effected the outcome and potential winners: When I rewatched the 1988 final the commentators said that the sole intention of the new surface was not having to take care of the grass anymore and having a sustainable court that always plays the same instead. But they also said that experts made sure that the new court plays EXACTLY like the grass they had before (however that might be possible).
Yes lendl most likely would have done it multiple times.Had the AO become hard courts 10 years earlier, then Mr. Lendl likely pulls of the feat a couple of times. He once said that Rebound Ace is his favorite surface to play on.
That said, the YE tourney was played on carpet through 1996. It switched to hard courts in 1997. IIRC, the 2005 WTF was also played on carpet(a one-off at that time).
PETE.Yes lendl most likely would have done it multiple times.
It is still huge deal. Agassi a hard courts specialist doesn't have it.
Pete Sampras is amazing but he did not dominate AO.PETE.
Another interesting stat is how many players (since 1988) won the US Open and then the Aus Open 4 months later?
He prevented Agassi from doing the double in 1995 and maybe 2001, though Hewitt may have beaten him in 2001. I do think Agassi beats Courier in 1995 in the absence of PETE. Of course Sampras himself probably does this feat in 1995 without Agassi and possibly 1994 if he's not injured in the lead-up.Pete Sampras is amazing but he did not dominate AO.
EwwwI hope Sinner does it!
You are right. I always thought Agassi looked better at USO than Pete at ao. But Pete had skipped too many AO.He prevented Agassi from doing the double in 1995 and maybe 2001, though Hewitt may have beaten him in 2001. I do think Agassi beats Courier in 1995 in the absence of PETE. Of course Sampras himself probably does this feat in 1995 without Agassi and possibly 1994 if he's not injured in the lead-up.
Pete was very good in 1994 IMO but Andre has the better record at the USO by comparison with the finals and consistency.You are right. I always thought Agassi looked better at USO than Pete at ao. But Pete had skipped too many AO.
Sinner will do probably what both Pete and Andre can't.
Through also winning the 1988 Lipton title in Key Biscayne, Wilander won 3 separate / all 3 hard court tournaments with 128 player draw sizes and best of 5 set matches in all 7 rounds, available to him that year.
The arguable "5th" major.
To be fair, the AO before 1988 was irrelevant.
Djokovic 11-12
You read wrong so it's not wrong statementAhem, I don't recall Djokovic winning the US Open in 2012.![]()
Ahem, I don't recall Djokovic winning the US Open in 2012.![]()