Rating the quality of final opponents for the top 3 in the majors won

[tennisaddict]

The quality of opponent that you face in a major final adds sheen to that title for the winner and makes it more memorable for their fans. More so, when it is a tough match and you get through that.

I am not saying that it is the finals that only matter. One needs to win 6 matches to get there and over the course of your career, you have your share of easy and tough matches and I believe they even out.

The final is a match that everyone remembers.

I wanted to analyze the finals alone of the top 3 and grade the opponent as either 'High' and 'Normal' :

Nadal - 14 majors, 10 High, 4 Normal, Difficulty Level : 10/14 - 71%
High - Federer (6), Novak (4)
Normal - Soderling, Berdych, Ferrer, Puerta

Federer - 17 majors , 13 High, 4 Normal Difficulty level : 13/17 - 77%
High : Roddick(4), Nadal(2), Murray(3), Djokovic,Hewitt ,Agassi, Safin
Normal : Baghdatis, Gonzalez, Soderling, Phillippousis

Djokovic - 7 majors, 6 High, 1 Normal , Difficulty level : 6/7 - 86%
High - Nadal(3), Murray (2), Federer
Normal Tsonga

Novak has better stats than Fed and Nadal when dealing with tougher opponents in matches won.

(Perhaps he also leads the stats in matches lost against tough opponents , but that may just show he has had good quality opponents in the finals)


That said, it is a myth that Fed had easy opponents in major finals, as seen above.

If Novak wins a few more majors, I am sure he will face pigeon Raonic or may be some one final wonder.

I would expect Fed to be even with Novak in this stat as well as long as Novak is winning more majors.

 

[SpicyCurry1990]

What are these rankings based on?

Why are Berdych/Soderling/Ferrer/Puerta considered normal, but Tsonga Low when all 5 have made 1 slam final, won 1 career masters title, 0 career slams and had a peak ranking in the top 5, but never top 2?

I would re-order as follows:


Nadal - 14 majors, 10 High, 4 Low, Difficulty Level : 10/14 - 71%
High - Federer (6), Novak (4)
Low - Soderling, Berdych, Ferrer, Puerta

Federer - 17 majors , 6 High, 7 Normal Difficulty level : 6/17 - 35%
High: Nadal(2), Murray(3), Djokovic
Normal: Roddick (4), Hewitt, Agassi, Safin
Low : Baghdatis, Gonzalez, Soderling, Philippoussis

Djokovic - 7 majors, 6 High, 1 Low , Difficulty level : 6/7 - 86%
High - Nadal(3), Murray (2), Federer
Low - Tsonga

 

[Djokodal Fan]

Hewitt, Safin and Roddick are supposed to be high level?

Sure they are grandslam winners, But if you put Hewwit & Roddick in the same pedestal as Djokovic, Fed & Nadal, you are kidding me.

I cannot comment about Safin and Murray. Everyone agrees that Murray is a tough opponent and Safin can be tough only if he chooses to be. For the most part Safin was mental midget.

Fed vs his pigeons for the most part. He just relished, didn't he?

 

[tennisaddict]

Tsonga is normal, I will edit op.

 

[SpicyCurry1990]

Tsonga is normal, I will edit op.

I'm fine with you leaving him as low and moving all of the other tier 2 stars form this era to low too

I'd rank the stars of the previous era (Safin/Roddick/Hewitt) as above the current gen 2nd tier (Tsonga/Berdych/Ferrer/Soderling) but well below the Big 4, so I think placing them as Normal, Big 4 as high, and everyone else as low is fair.

I'd also say 05 corpse Agassi who was what 35 years old at that point is no way high anymore, he should be lumped in with the Roddick/Hewitt/Safin group.

And before you make any arguments favoring Safin he played terrible in 04 (the final you allude to). His 05 level was high, but Fed lost that one.

Safin/Roddick/Hewitt are about equal to what Del Po (healthy) is currently or what Wawrinka has been just this year.

Clearly though I think we can all agree Nole has had the hardest by far. He's beat Nadal for 3 slams, Murray for 2, and Fed for 1 and these are the only guys he has lost to in finals as well. His only slam win not over Murray/Fed/Nadal was over Tsonga (in a tournament he beat Fed in previously) and his only loss in any slam since USO 2010 in any round to someone other than Murray/Fed/Nadal was to Wawrinka (in a tournament he won later also beating Nadal).

 

[tennisfan87]

I would re-order as follows:


Nadal - 14 majors, 10 High, 4 Low, Difficulty Level : 10/14 - 71%
High - Federer (6), Novak (4)
Low - Soderling, Berdych, Ferrer, Puerta

You have to take into account that he beat Federer in the 2005 RG SF (then world number 1) before beating Puerta in the finals.

He beat Djokovic in the 2013 RG SF before meeting Ferrer in the finals. Also, Murray in the 2010 Wimbledon SF before defeating Berdych in the finals.

Obviously the draw played its part here. Soderling is still the only man who has managed to defeat him at RG and their meeting in the 2010 RG F came after Soderling's victory the previous year and his victory over Federer in the QF.

But even then, it's only 1 slam where Rafa didn't have to face one of Federer, Djokovic, Murray for the title.

 

[Djokovic2011]

I can predict already what this thread's gonna lead to.........

 

[tennisaddict]

No player except Puerta is in the caliber of Pioline or Chris Lewis.

So, let us give credit for the fact that these opponents who made the finals and not call them 'Low'. It is a shame to call Soderling or Gonzalez as Low.

 

[rocketassist]

No way is Safin equal to Del Potro/Wawrinka. He's leagues better than them.

Also Ferrer is a weak slam final opponent.

 

[SpicyCurry1990]

No way is Safin equal to Del Potro/Wawrinka. He's leagues better than them.

Also Ferrer is a weak slam final opponent.

I wouldn't say leagues, but ya hes better. He isn't as good as Murray though. I'd say hes closer to Del Po/Wawrinka level than Murray level.

 

[SpicyCurry1990]

No player except Puerta is in the caliber of Pioline or Chris Lewis.

So, let us give credit for the fact that these opponents who made the finals and not call them 'Low'. It is a shame to call Soderling or Gonzalez as Low.

Fair enough, I can get behind that. I'd agree Puerta is the weakest of all on the list and everyone else is better than some of the 90s finalists.

Would still rate Nadal's finalists as stronger than Federer's overall though which your initial numbers don't show.

 

[SpicyCurry1990]

You have to take into account that he beat Federer in the 2005 RG SF (then world number 1) before beating Puerta in the finals.

He beat Djokovic in the 2013 RG SF before meeting Ferrer in the finals. Also, Murray in the 2010 Wimbledon SF before defeating Berdych in the finals.

Obviously the draw played its part here. Soderling is still the only man who has managed to defeat him at RG and their meeting in the 2010 RG F came after Soderling's victory the previous year and his victory over Federer in the QF.

But even then, it's only 1 slam where Rafa didn't have to face one of Federer, Djokovic, Murray for the title.

True, but we were just discussing finals. If we go that route, Nole has a 100% ratio in his wins.