Rank ATG baseliners from 3-10 places?
- Thread starter lud
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UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
Are we supposed to guess which names you placed in the top spots?
Best baseliners from the 90s onwards (because I simply can't compare the earlier era to 90s and later):
Agassi, Djokovic, Nadal, Kafelnikov, Muster, Federer (not referred to as a baseliner but he's up there with the best), Murray, Wawrinka, Courier, Lendl (sort of belongs to 80s, but whatever), Kuerten, Rios, Enqvist, Moya, Ferrer, Davydenko, Nalbandian, Hewitt, Thiem, Delpo.
In no specific order.
Bruguera won FO twice but I simply can't bring myself to add his name. Had the ugliest style of playing for a slam champ, ever.
Hard to rank players because are we ranking SUCCESS or STYLE? If both, to what extent each? Do we reward consistency more than flash?
Best baseliners from the 90s onwards (because I simply can't compare the earlier era to 90s and later):
Agassi, Djokovic, Nadal, Kafelnikov, Muster, Federer (not referred to as a baseliner but he's up there with the best), Murray, Wawrinka, Courier, Lendl (sort of belongs to 80s, but whatever), Kuerten, Rios, Enqvist, Moya, Ferrer, Davydenko, Nalbandian, Hewitt, Thiem, Delpo.
In no specific order.
Bruguera won FO twice but I simply can't bring myself to add his name. Had the ugliest style of playing for a slam champ, ever.
Hard to rank players because are we ranking SUCCESS or STYLE? If both, to what extent each? Do we reward consistency more than flash?
quirotkicks
Rookie
It is obvious he is ranking Nadal and Djokovic as the top 2 which makes sense. They won a combined 36 slams and counting by strictly baseline play, and virtually nothing else.
Blitzball
Professional
You put Nadal above Borg, yet Djokovic edges Nadal in their head 2 head. And as we all know, their matches are heavily reliant on baseline play...
Flash O'Groove
Hall of Fame
Djokovic serves and returns better than Nadal.
UnderratedSlam
G.O.A.T.
Yes, but eras can't be compared. I am 100% sure none of the Big 3 would have won anywhere close to 17-20 slams in earlier eras.
So to me it's not obvious who's at the top spots.
Last edited:
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Nadal leads the H2H over Djokovic in Slams. Anyway, tennis is a sport played agaisnt the whole field, not only agianst one player, so the number of Slams is a more relevant stat than the H2H and right now Nadal has more Slams than Djokovic. Plus, he said considering their baseline game exclusively and without including the serve. It is obivous that Djokovic has a much bigger serve than Nadal, which allows him an advantage in their direct matches.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
OK, Djokoland. Anyone who doesn't put Nadal first and Djokovic second is trolling.
Your being sarcastic but through there career I would put Nadal slightly ahead of Djokovic. Djokovic has the better serve/return combo to make up for it. Also please tell me who is a better baseliner than Djokodal ?
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Serve is not part of the baseline game, but rather of the server game. If we consider only baseline game per se, Nadal has a slight advantage. Of course, Djokovic is a better server than Nadal.
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
You know there will be that one Sampras fan who puts him at #1
ThiemPlayer
Rookie
1. Djokoovic
2. Nadal
3. Federer
4. Borg
5. Agassi/Lendl
2. Nadal
3. Federer
4. Borg
5. Agassi/Lendl
quirotkicks
Rookie
Of course, but considering Sampras was only 20-14 vs Agassi; even with all of Agassi's slump and down periods, I don't see how it is remotedly possible he is even above Agassi. When their head to head is that competitive inspite of Sampras having a light years better serve and far more of an all court game. That isn't even considering Sampras's superior movement which technically is partly part of baseline play, and superior mental strength.
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
Sampras had a bigger forehand and quicker movement. But Agassi was undoubtedly better from the baseline.
Sport
G.O.A.T.
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
Nadal and Borg, methinks.
Then again he’s probably equating baseliner with being great on clay.
Lew II
G.O.A.T.
Nadal is much stronger on clay, which is heavily related to baseline game.
SamprasisGOAT
Hall of Fame
Are you talking about me?
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
No I am talking about the one surface type from a certain decade
SamprasisGOAT
Hall of Fame
Many players have better overall ground games and baseline games then Sampras and would probably win most matches overall if Sampras always stayed back and rallied with them. That’s why Sampras wasn’t a pure baseliner and stuck to his serve and volley in most big matches.
Better baseliners and overall ground games were
Lendl
Djokovic
Federer
Nadal
Borg
Agassi
Connors
Wilander
hell even safin and Hewitt and Murray and wawrinka but none had a better forehand.
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
Hewitt actually benefitted from Sampras's net rushing. If Pete had played more patient, maybe he would've fared a little better.
SamprasisGOAT
Hall of Fame
Hewitts game was based around players that serve volleyed and when they all retired he was ****ed
King No1e
G.O.A.T.
100%. That's why Hewitt did much better against young hyperagggressive Fedr, but got whipped post-2002 because he couldn't match Fedr from the baseline.
forehandblast
Rookie
Federer stopped coming in against Hewitt since he realized after the reviewing their excellent 2002 WTF match, that was really the only way Hewitt is able to beat Federer. Maybe he can make it close in a baseline duel but that is the best Hewitt can do without Federer coming in and giving him a target often.
nolefam_2024
G.O.A.T.
Federer is definitely top 10. Probably close to top 5.
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