PETE right now is unbeatable

[Third Serve]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

 

[Deleted member 748597]

The best in tennis.

 

[Rosstour]

On clay? Brother please.

 

[Aretium]

Dude, it's another sport from when Pete was playing. It's like comparing the men and the women now. Cmon man don't kid yourself

 

[Towny]

No Federer bashing? I am disgust

 

[Kalin]

Pete was awesome; one of the best ever and probably the best ever on grass. But clay wasn't his thing. Just like Ivan Lendl's cows ate grass, Pete's ate clay.

 

[Deleted member 748597]

 

[Phoenix1983]

Seriously, you hope some guys on here don't take things this literally IRL.

 

[TennisFan3]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

Excellent post.
Pistol Pete Forever. The Humble Champion. The king of swing..

 

[-NN-]

At least this thread makes some sort of sense. He's retired and can't be beaten.

 

[Nadalgaenger]

Unfortunately half of the posters here don’t get the joke. Too new...sigh

We miss 90s!!!

 

[haqq777]

At least this thread makes some sort of sense. He's retired and can't be beaten.

Someone asked Roddick this question on TC not too long ago; how did he feel owning a positive H2H record against Novak and his response was a bit similar.

 

[stringertom]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

Too much 60’s Weed has been smoked, no?

Sinner vs The Nadal...it’s a 19-year-old facing the defending champion and king of a natural surface, making it the match FOR ALL THE MARBLES!

 

[SpinToWin]

Lmao never change

 

[TheNachoMan]

This but unironically

 

[King No1e]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

Even changed your avatar? Now that's commitment!

 

[King No1e]

ROFLMAO.

 

[davced1]

No the game has evolved even the no. 10 ranked player is better than Sampras ever was. He would get killed at net because of polyester strings and massive top spin.
Just kidding he would win Wimbledon but the French? Come on he would still suck on clay.

 

[DSH]

90s clay rocks!

 

[Third Serve]

*takes off 90's Clay mask*

It's sure fun parodying 90's.

 

[Red Rick]

Lmao never change

Who?

@Third Serve changed severely tonight.

 

[Standaa]

hey who's gonna be my avatar sidekick now

look at me just standing there all by myself

but well done with the parody

 

[Third Serve]

hey who's gonna be my avatar sidekick now

look at me just standing there all by myself

but well done with the parody

I’ll change it back tomorrow. Never fear.

 

[Standaa]

I’ll change it back tomorrow. Never fear.

I mean if you were planning on going full time 90s clay parody don't let me stand in your way

 

[itrium84]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

Damn, those panic attacks are really kickin' in as Fed's records are getting closer and closer to being broken phase.

 

[2ndServe]

Dude, it's another sport from when Pete was playing. It's like comparing the men and the women now. Cmon man don't kid yourself

I feel like you didn't ace the analogies section of the SAT

 

[Meles]

On clay? Brother please.

Bruguera/Courier/Guga are better than anyone on clay the last 20 years except for Nadal. LOL. Please. Especially Guga. Then you add Agassi and Kafelnikov and Muster into the mix. Its no contest. the clay field was much better back then.

 

[Meles]

No the game has evolved even the no. 10 ranked player is better than Sampras ever was. He would get killed at net because of polyester strings and massive top spin.
Just kidding he would win Wimbledon but the French? Come on he would still suck on clay.

Fed's generation washed out by 2006 basically. Maybe 2005. Thats pathetic considering they were only 24-26 years old. . All these guys from the 1985-1990 generation should still be going strong due to advancements in medical technology and the rest of the crap yet except for Djoker and Nadal they're basically done. Makes no sense.

This just means they were content getting easy appearance fees and put NO WORK IN into being the best. Of course, it showed on the court too

 

[Meles]

Who?

@Third Serve changed severely tonight.

Roddick-itis. They dont follow what brought them to the dance and made them successful. They think playing the "safe way" is the way to go when they need to realize only genetic freaks like Djoker and Nadal can get away with that. If you got a booming serve and big ground strokes and you're 8 foot tall. Youre Karlovic. You aren't Chang. That's Zverev

 

[NonP]

Maybe it's just moi but I don't see what's so funny about parodying for the 43976th time a long-gone poster who's no longer around to hit back. Or to take it in stride if he so chooses. Guess it's better than the latest sureshs joke, but that isn't much of a bar to clear, is it?

One more thing:

Bruguera/Courier/Guga are better than anyone on clay the last 20 years except for Nadal. LOL. Please. Especially Guga. Then you add Agassi and Kafelnikov and Muster into the mix. Its no contest. the clay field was much better back then.

I'm rather pleasantly surprised to see this from you (maybe you've read one of my dissertations on this very topic?!), but then how do you explain your, shall we say, well-known vanguardism for Thiem when those stats I presume you as a fellow stathead rely on show that he ain't all that (yet) on clay?

 

[Ronaldorro]

Sampras has one of the most unappealing groundstrokes in history. It was a pain to watch him play. But since he was winning so much it was unavoidable.

 

[King No1e]

Maybe it's just moi but I don't see what's so funny about parodying for the 43976th time a long-gone poster who's no longer around to hit back. Or to take it in stride if he so chooses. Guess it's better than the latest sureshs joke, but that isn't much of a bar to clear, is it?

One more thing:



I'm rather pleasantly surprised to see this from you (maybe you've read one of my dissertations on this very topic?!), but then how do you explain your, shall we say, well-known vanguardism for Thiem when those stats I presume you as a fellow stathead rely on show that he ain't all that (yet) on clay?

Yeah it's just you

90's Clay threads are never not funny

 

[Meles]

Maybe it's just moi but I don't see what's so funny about parodying for the 43976th time a long-gone poster who's no longer around to hit back. Or to take it in stride if he so chooses. Guess it's better than the latest sureshs joke, but that isn't much of a bar to clear, is it?

One more thing:



I'm rather pleasantly surprised to see this from you (maybe you've read one of my dissertations on this very topic?!), but then how do you explain your, shall we say, well-known vanguardism for Thiem when those stats I presume you as a fellow stathead rely on show that he ain't all that (yet) on clay?

Thiem needs to raise his level about 10 bars. You cant hit through Nadal on this slow as molasses court

 

[Meles]

Sampras has one of the most unappealing groundstrokes in history. It was a pain to watch him play. But since he was winning so much it was unavoidable.

I think we headed for an era a of 2002-2004. Random people winning titles all over. Upsets all over place. Except its gonna last for a very long time.

 

[Meles]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

I bet guys like Davydenko, Nalbandian, Berdych etc. wished they were just entering their primes now.LOL. They would have had Agassi-like careers playing in this era

 

[metsman]

I bet guys like Davydenko, Nalbandian, Berdych etc. wished they were just entering their primes now.LOL. They would have had Agassi-like careers playing in this era

Are you ok?

 

[BeatlesFan]

On clay? Brother please.

Single-handedly Pete won the Davis Cup against a FO champion in Russia and he also won Rome. Fed never managed to do it despite holding two MP's in 2006.

Watch Pete on clay and learn about his achievements before tossing him.

 

[Meles]

Are you ok?

Single-handedly Pete won the Davis Cup against a FO champion in Russia and he also won Rome. Fed never managed to do it despite holding two MP's in 2006.

Watch Pete on clay and learn about his achievements before tossing him.

Fed got to vulture 2003-2007 Who was his main rival? 30 some year old Agassi from Pete's era with a bad back? . Thats lucky enough. Nadal didn't hit his real prime until 2008. Fed was already on 12-13 slams something like that by the time Nole hit his first. Hes lucky he didnt come 4-5 years after. There would be no vulturing of slams like he did in the 2003-2007 timeframe. Not with prime/Peak Nadal and Nole around.

His resume is overinflated because of that timeframe

 

[NonP]

Yeah it's just you

90's Clay threads are never not funny

Well, my sense of humor trumps everyone else's, so there!

Thiem needs to raise his level about 10 bars. You cant hit through Nadal on this slow as molasses court

Definitely on return. He's been averaging 27.5% of return games won so far, which is in line with his previous %s and nowhere near good enough to establish him as an elite dirtballer, let alone a legit challenger to Rafa (a whopping 52%, though he's won a dismal 72% of his service games) and probably even Novak (37.7%) at RG. That's been the overarching theme of his CC career, the inability to break as often as the typical RG champ due to that ridiculously defensive positioning on return which may work for a freak like Nadal but not for a mortal like him.

And as you know Diego has been playing some inspired tennis of his own, too. Let's see if Thiem gets past him first before we talk up his chances vs. Rafanole.

 

[Meles]

Well, my sense of humor trumps everyone else's, so there!



Definitely on return. He's been averaging 27.5% of return games won so far, which is in line with his previous %s and nowhere near good enough to establish him as an elite dirtballer, let alone a legit challenger to Rafa (a whopping 52%, though he's won a dismal 72% of his service games) and probably even Novak (37.7%) at RG. That's been the overarching theme of his CC career, the inability to break as often as the typical RG champ due to that ridiculously defensive positioning on return which may work for a freak like Nadal but not for a mortal like him.

And as you know Diego has been playing some inspired tennis of his own, too. Let's see if Thiem gets past him first before we talk up his chances vs. Rafanole.

Well I’d take a look at Tim’s return performance at the 2020 US open and you’ll see it’s quite high. Also Cilic sock and Ruud have pretty massive serve games on Clay.

Talk up his chances? A lot of people at RG are already rating him over Nadal this year just behind Djokovic.

 

[Rosstour]

Bruguera/Courier/Guga are better than anyone on clay the last 20 years except for Nadal. LOL. Please. Especially Guga. Then you add Agassi and Kafelnikov and Muster into the mix. Its no contest. the clay field was much better back then.

Except Sampras never even got to Guga, or Muster (except a 1R win in 1991), because he was too busy losing in the early rounds. See my reply below for his results from 1992-2002.

He lost to the eventual champion in 1993 & 1996, and I think that is it.

Single-handedly Pete won the Davis Cup against a FO champion in Russia and he also won Rome. Fed never managed to do it despite holding two MP's in 2006.

Watch Pete on clay and learn about his achievements before tossing him.

I watched Pete on clay. It hurt, a lot.

1991 2R: Champion d (6) Sampras, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
1992 QF: (11) Agassi d (3) Sampras, 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
1993 QF: (10) Brugera d (1) Sampras, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
1994 QF: (7) Courier d (1) Sampras, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
1995 1R: Schaller d (2) Sampras, 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
1996 SF: (6) Kafelnikov d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-0, 6-2
1997 3R: Norman d (1) Sampras, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
1998 2R: Delgado d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
1999 2R: Medvedev d (2) Sampras, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
2000 1R: Philipoussis d (2) Sampras, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 8-6
2001 2R: Blanco d (5) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2
2002 1R: Gaudenzi d (12) Sampras, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6

So in the 12 years since he became Pistol Pete, he lost in 3R or earlier 8 times, all to unseeded players...and all his losses came to a lower-seeded player.

C'mon now.

OK, Pete won a DC and Rome.

Fed won the French, which Sampras never came close to doing, and made 4 additional Finals.

Since becoming "Fedr" in 2004 he has lost to:

2004 3R: (28) Kuerten
2005 SF: Rafa
2006 F: Rafa
2007 F: Rafa
2008 F: Rafa
2010 QF: (5) Soderling
2011 F: Rafa
2012 SF: (1) Djokovic
2013 QF: (6) Tsonga
2014 4R: (18) Gulbis
2015 QF (8) Wawa (eventual champ)
2019 SF: (2) Rafa

So in 13 tries from 2004-19 he has lost to the eventual champ in 7 of those...plus Kuerten 1x, Djok 1x...leaving only the losses to Sod, Tsonga, and Gulbis as the really uncharacteristic results.

Without Rafa in the picture Fred has at least 5 French titles (arguably 6 as he likely would have defeated the unseeded Puerta) and we aren't even having this ridiculous conversation.

 

[abmk]

Fed's generation washed out by 2006 basically. Maybe 2005. Thats pathetic considering they were only 24-26 years old. . All these guys from the 1985-1990 generation should still be going strong due to advancements in medical technology and the rest of the crap yet except for Djoker and Nadal they're basically done. Makes no sense.

This just means they were content getting easy appearance fees and put NO WORK IN into being the best. Of course, it showed on the court too

pretty sure roddick was relevant till mid-2010 at the very least
nalbandian till end of 2008 at the very least
Ferrer till 2015
heck Haas was thrashing Djokovic in Miami in 2013.
hewitt played some good ball in 2009 - grass season and US HC season

safin and hewitt of course were severely affected by injuries.

@ bold part : it makes sense when you realize those advancements aren't a magic tool for fully giving physical and mental sustanence - even if they do help.

 

[abmk]

Fed got to vulture 2003-2007 Who was his main rival? 30 some year old Agassi from Pete's era with a bad back? . Thats lucky enough. Nadal didn't hit his real prime until 2008. Fed was already on 12-13 slams something like that by the time Nole hit his first. Hes lucky he didnt come 4-5 years after. There would be no vulturing of slams like he did in the 2003-2007 timeframe. Not with prime/Peak Nadal and Nole around.

His resume is overinflated because of that timeframe

federer faced nadal, hewitt, roddick - each of them 5 times in slams from 2004-07. those 3 were his biggest rivals in that time frame. followed by agassi, nalbandian, safin (faced each of them 3x in slams in 2004-07, if you are counting 2003, he faced nalbandian 5x in slams - losing twice in 03)

nadal was already in grass court prime in 06, clay court prime in 06 (atleast, some would argue 2005)

 

[ChrisRF]

Except Sampras never even got to Guga, or Muster (except a 1R win in 1991), because he was too busy losing in the early rounds. See my reply below for his results from 1992-2002.

He lost to the eventual champion in 1993 & 1996, and I think that is it.



I watched Pete on clay. It hurt, a lot.

1991 2R: Champion d (6) Sampras, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
1992 QF: (11) Agassi d (3) Sampras, 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
1993 QF: (10) Brugera d (1) Sampras, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
1994 QF: (7) Courier d (1) Sampras, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
1995 1R: Schaller d (2) Sampras, 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
1996 SF: (6) Kafelnikov d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-0, 6-2
1997 3R: Norman d (1) Sampras, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
1998 2R: Delgado d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
1999 2R: Medvedev d (2) Sampras, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
2000 1R: Philipoussis d (2) Sampras, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 8-6
2001 2R: Blanco d (5) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2
2002 1R: Gaudenzi d (12) Sampras, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6

So in the 12 years since he became Pistol Pete, he lost in 3R or earlier 8 times, all to unseeded players...and all his losses came to a lower-seeded player.

C'mon now.

OK, Pete won a DC and Rome.

Fed won the French, which Sampras never came close to doing, and made 4 additional Finals.

Since becoming "Fedr" in 2004 he has lost to:

2004 3R: (28) Kuerten
2005 SF: Rafa
2006 F: Rafa
2007 F: Rafa
2008 F: Rafa
2010 QF: (5) Soderling
2011 F: Rafa
2012 SF: (1) Djokovic
2013 QF: (6) Tsonga
2014 4R: (18) Gulbis
2015 QF (8) Wawa (eventual champ)
2019 SF: (2) Rafa

So in 13 tries from 2004-19 he has lost to the eventual champ in 7 of those...plus Kuerten 1x, Djok 1x...leaving only the losses to Sod, Tsonga, and Gulbis as the really uncharacteristic results.

Without Rafa in the picture Fred has at least 5 French titles (arguably 6 as he likely would have defeated the unseeded Puerta) and we aren't even having this ridiculous conversation.

I was almost as huge a Sampras fan in my childhood/youth as I’m now a Federer fan, but there are really no excuses for his clay failures.

Yes, he won both his matches in the 1995 Davis Cup final against Russia, including a straight-sets-win over Kafelnikov. But that was in December on indoor clay. You saw the difference a few months later when Kafelnikov obliterated him in Paris in normal warm weather outdoor clay conditions. And I know Sampras was exhausted from the matches before, but in the Davis Cup final he also played a 5-setter on Friday and had heavy cramps after it. And then he still played (and won) the Doubles on Saturday before facing Kafelnikov on Sunday (everything best of 5 of course).

Rome 1994 was his only Masters title on clay. It was a year with unusually fast conditions, and he played Becker in the final, who never won any clay tournament. Comparing this to Federer’s clay success or his unability to beat Rafa in Rome 2006 is ridiculous. Sampras, who won his Rome final against Becker 6-1 6-2 6-2 would have been lucky to score that many games against Rafa.

 

[skaj]

I am confused, is this General Pro Player Discussion or Former Pro Player Talk?

 

[Biotic]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

4 paragraph intro and not a single MUG thrown in?

 

[chut]

I watched Pete on clay. It hurt, a lot.

1991 2R: Champion d (6) Sampras, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1
1992 QF: (11) Agassi d (3) Sampras, 7-6, 6-2, 6-1
1993 QF: (10) Brugera d (1) Sampras, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
1994 QF: (7) Courier d (1) Sampras, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
1995 1R: Schaller d (2) Sampras, 7-6, 4-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
1996 SF: (6) Kafelnikov d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-0, 6-2
1997 3R: Norman d (1) Sampras, 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
1998 2R: Delgado d (1) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
1999 2R: Medvedev d (2) Sampras, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
2000 1R: Philipoussis d (2) Sampras, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6, 4-6, 8-6
2001 2R: Blanco d (5) Sampras, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2
2002 1R: Gaudenzi d (12) Sampras, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6

Those days when you could run into an unseeded scud in the 1st roudn of a slam. Now they get MUGS for 3 training rounds before the tournament really get started. And sometimes the tournament doesn't even start before the SF. Or doesn't start at all, like USO17.

 

[Rosstour]

Those days when you could run into an unseeded scud in the 1st roudn of a slam. Now they get MUGS for 3 training rounds before the tournament really get started. And sometimes the tournament doesn't even start before the SF. Or doesn't start at all, like USO17.

What's weird is that Philipoopis had attained his career-high #8 ranking just the year before, but was unseeded at the French. Can someone explain that one to me?

 

[JackGates]

Or at least he WOULD be in this CRAPOLA field.

Dominic "hit the ball five feet wide" Thiem who bends over at the first sight of his daddy Nadal, Tsitsipas who can't even go 5 SHOTS without shanking a ball to the stands, Medvedev who is utterly CLUELESS on the dirt and on any surface since a year ago, brainless ballbasher Shapovalov who hits an unforced error every other shot, and Zverev who couldn't even hit a second serve if his life depended on it. My god, man. This tour is awful.

Where are these nextgenners and why aren't they just taking over the tour? Come on, you 22 year olds! Step the hell up!!! Why do you keep losing to qualifiers and getting straight-setted by past-it pensioners?!?! Seriously, these people have NO EXCUSE for being this god-awful. NUFF SAID!!!

If Sampras were still around, he would PISTOL-WHIP everybody, even on clay. But thankfully he retired early so he wouldn't have the humiliation of dealing with these BUMS.

90's clay, is dat you?

 

[Rosstour]

I was almost as huge a Sampras fan in my childhood/youth as I’m now a Federer fan, but there are really no excuses for his clay failures.
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Rome 1994 was his only Masters title on clay. It was a year with unusually fast conditions, and he played Becker in the final, who never won any clay tournament. Comparing this to Federer’s clay success or his unability to beat Rafa in Rome 2006 is ridiculous. Sampras, who won his Rome final against Becker 6-1 6-2 6-2 would have been lucky to score that many games against Rafa.

Point 1--you and me both. The first tennis match I can really remember watching and being 'into' was Sampras-Agassi USO91. After that, Sampras was my favorite athlete next to Jordan (I was born in 1981). I modeled my serve on his and have always dabbled in the 1HBH because of him. So when he retired, I kinda stopped watching. For me he was the GOAT so I didn't care about the next crop of guys until Fed started to look inhuman in like 2004/05. And even though I hated it at first I became a bigger Fedfan eventually.

Point 3--speaking of clay success, at some point Fed (despite all the heartbreak) was still the second-winningest player on clay of all time. Is that still true?