pc1
G.O.A.T.
With a number of threads discussing weaknesses in players I'd thought I'd start a thread discussing the overwhelming strengths of players.
For example let's use Pete Sampras against Andre Agassi as an example. If you compare stroke by stroke some may give Andre the advantage overall. Sampras had a great forehand but some (not me) may give Andre the edge there as well as the forehand etc.
Andre may not have a huge stroke weakness and some may say that Sampras has a relative weakness on the backhand.
However Sampras has that super serve of his that can overpower even one of Agassi's great strengths, his great return of serve. Pete can play very badly for most of the set and still be even with Agassi. And then Sampras can hit a few decent returns and suddenly the set is his despite Agassi outplaying him for the set!
Sampras' strength overpowered Agassi's strength.
My analysis in the above example may have not been the greatest but it was to establish the point of the thread.
My point is that some players have some really powerful weapons in tennis that can mask some relative weaknesses or even real major weaknesses. So despite the weaknesses, the player's great strengths can make them an overall great player.
Another example is Roger Federer's forehand. Not that Federer's backhand is a weakness but only a fool would say his backhand is superior to his forehand. Federer can use that forehand to overpower his opponents off the ground and on serve return. Some players like Djokovic, Murray and Nadal may have better backhands than Federer but none of them can say for sure that they have a better forehand than Federer. Federer's forehand is the major weapon in Federer's arsenal that has allowed him to be one of the all time greats.
Goran Ivanisevic is another example of a player with an overwhelming serve that covers any weakness. Now I'm of the opinion Goran had great talent but mentally he could wander a bit. However Goran's games on serve often amused me, especially at Wimbledon. His mind could wander a bit and yet he would win his service games because of his great serve, perhaps the best in tennis in his time.
No one ever thought Goran had the best volley in the world so sometimes I would think that Goran decided to eliminate the volley portion of the serve and volley game when he played on grass. So often I would see Goran playing a service game in which he never had to hit the ball (outside of hitting the serve) to win the point. His awesome serve compensated for the fact that his volley wasn't as good as an Edberg or a Sampras.
Pancho Segura's two handed forehand, called by many to be the best single stroke in the history of tennis allowed him to compete with greats like Pancho Gonzalez, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman etc. To get an idea of how Segura's two handed forehand was, it's almost the same stroke as Jimmy Connors' two handed lefty backhand. But many who have seem both hit their shots have called Segura's two handed forehand the superior shot. They said, like Federer's forehand today that any return just pass the service line and in would be put away by the Segura forehand. That Segura's disguise, power and consistency on that shot was incredible.
My general point here is that while some players may not have exploitable weakness and of course that's great. That some players who may have a small weakness may be superior players if these player's strength can be used properly.
Can we discuss some players in tennis history with great overwhelming strengths? It doesn't have to be strokes. It could be Nadal's mobility for example.
What I would like to discuss is how these players integrated their great strength or strengths into their overall games and how it may have covered any relative weaknesses (if any) and made them great.
I'll throw out a few. Currently Federer's forehand, Nadal's forehand, Roddick's serve, Serena Williams' serve, Murray's backhand, Djokovic's backhand, Clijsters' mobility.
In the past--
1. Pancho Gonzalez's serve
2. Ken Rosewall's backhand
3. Rod Laver's backhand
4. Edberg's volley
5. Ivan Lendl's forehand
6. Jimmy Connors' backhand
7. Pancho Segura's forehand
8. John McEnroe's volley
9. Bjorn Borg's groundies
10. Don Budge's backhand
11. Pete Sampras' serve
12. Andre Agassi's return.
13. Jimmy Connors' return
14. Ken Rosewall's return
15. Rod Laver's return
16. Goran's serve
17. Borg's return
18. Tilden's forehand
19. Perry's forehand
20. Sedgman's volley
For example let's use Pete Sampras against Andre Agassi as an example. If you compare stroke by stroke some may give Andre the advantage overall. Sampras had a great forehand but some (not me) may give Andre the edge there as well as the forehand etc.
Andre may not have a huge stroke weakness and some may say that Sampras has a relative weakness on the backhand.
However Sampras has that super serve of his that can overpower even one of Agassi's great strengths, his great return of serve. Pete can play very badly for most of the set and still be even with Agassi. And then Sampras can hit a few decent returns and suddenly the set is his despite Agassi outplaying him for the set!
Sampras' strength overpowered Agassi's strength.
My analysis in the above example may have not been the greatest but it was to establish the point of the thread.
My point is that some players have some really powerful weapons in tennis that can mask some relative weaknesses or even real major weaknesses. So despite the weaknesses, the player's great strengths can make them an overall great player.
Another example is Roger Federer's forehand. Not that Federer's backhand is a weakness but only a fool would say his backhand is superior to his forehand. Federer can use that forehand to overpower his opponents off the ground and on serve return. Some players like Djokovic, Murray and Nadal may have better backhands than Federer but none of them can say for sure that they have a better forehand than Federer. Federer's forehand is the major weapon in Federer's arsenal that has allowed him to be one of the all time greats.
Goran Ivanisevic is another example of a player with an overwhelming serve that covers any weakness. Now I'm of the opinion Goran had great talent but mentally he could wander a bit. However Goran's games on serve often amused me, especially at Wimbledon. His mind could wander a bit and yet he would win his service games because of his great serve, perhaps the best in tennis in his time.
No one ever thought Goran had the best volley in the world so sometimes I would think that Goran decided to eliminate the volley portion of the serve and volley game when he played on grass. So often I would see Goran playing a service game in which he never had to hit the ball (outside of hitting the serve) to win the point. His awesome serve compensated for the fact that his volley wasn't as good as an Edberg or a Sampras.
Pancho Segura's two handed forehand, called by many to be the best single stroke in the history of tennis allowed him to compete with greats like Pancho Gonzalez, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Frank Sedgman etc. To get an idea of how Segura's two handed forehand was, it's almost the same stroke as Jimmy Connors' two handed lefty backhand. But many who have seem both hit their shots have called Segura's two handed forehand the superior shot. They said, like Federer's forehand today that any return just pass the service line and in would be put away by the Segura forehand. That Segura's disguise, power and consistency on that shot was incredible.
My general point here is that while some players may not have exploitable weakness and of course that's great. That some players who may have a small weakness may be superior players if these player's strength can be used properly.
Can we discuss some players in tennis history with great overwhelming strengths? It doesn't have to be strokes. It could be Nadal's mobility for example.
What I would like to discuss is how these players integrated their great strength or strengths into their overall games and how it may have covered any relative weaknesses (if any) and made them great.
I'll throw out a few. Currently Federer's forehand, Nadal's forehand, Roddick's serve, Serena Williams' serve, Murray's backhand, Djokovic's backhand, Clijsters' mobility.
In the past--
1. Pancho Gonzalez's serve
2. Ken Rosewall's backhand
3. Rod Laver's backhand
4. Edberg's volley
5. Ivan Lendl's forehand
6. Jimmy Connors' backhand
7. Pancho Segura's forehand
8. John McEnroe's volley
9. Bjorn Borg's groundies
10. Don Budge's backhand
11. Pete Sampras' serve
12. Andre Agassi's return.
13. Jimmy Connors' return
14. Ken Rosewall's return
15. Rod Laver's return
16. Goran's serve
17. Borg's return
18. Tilden's forehand
19. Perry's forehand
20. Sedgman's volley
