Safin vs Ivanisevic...who had a better career?

Mr.Federer

Hall of Fame
Hey I haven't posted in a while...but I'm currently watching the Safin vs Monfils match and Safin's getting destroyed.

His antics reminded me of Ivanisevic...and I thought who had a better career? Ivanisevic only has one grand slam and SAfin has two...but SAfin has really self-destructed these last couple of years...I, personally believe that Goran Ivanisevic had a better overall career than Marat SAfin...


Discuss.
 

akv89

Hall of Fame
Safin. Ivanisevic was more consistent, but Safin's accomplished more in the brief time he was near the top.
 

grafrules

Banned
Ivanisevic was a bigger force at Wimbledon than Safin at any one slam. Safin is more versatile though, he has been to the semis of all 4 slams. Safin has an extra slam. I am not sure 100% but I think he has more Masters titles too. Safin had bigger wins to win his slams. Ivanisevic's biggest wins were at Wimbledon 92 but they didnt lead to the title ultimately.

I would go with Safin.
 

GameSampras

Banned
Goran IMO. He only has 1 slam, but he actually stayed significant for quite some time. Goran would have had more Wimbeldons if he didnt run into red hot Pete for all those years


Safin wasnt even relevant most of the time. Goran was through most of the 90s
 

drwood

Professional
Goran IMO. He only has 1 slam, but he actually stayed significant for quite some time. Goran would have had more Wimbeldons if he didnt run into red hot Pete for all those years

Safin wasnt even relevant most of the time. Goran was through most of the 90s

Safin...he beat prime Federer in 05 Aus Open SF and destroyed Sampras in 00 US Open final when nearly everyone expected Sampras to win -- that would have given Pete Wimby and US Open that year plus a year-end #1 and no one would have been saying he was post-prime. Ivanisevic's 92 Wimby (Lendl, Edberg, Sampras before losing to Agassi) was impressive, but he never became #1; Safin did.

Grass = Huge edge to Ivo
HC = Huge edge to Safin
Clay = Slight edge to Safin (made a French SF in 02, beat prime Guga on clay in 98 at French; Ivo never got past QF, but was the only person to take a set off Courier in 92)
Carpet = Even
 

egn

Hall of Fame
Safin 2 slams to Goran 1 slam
Safin 5 Master Seires to Goran 2 Master Series
Goran 22 titles to Safin 15 titles
Goran 6 top 10 years to Safin 3 top ten
Safin #1 rank to Goran #2 rank
Safin
Goran has the better win percentage
Safin has a semifinal at each slam
Safin won his two slams over two of the greatest players of all time..

My edge goes to Safin, more big titles and the #1 ranking..Goran was more consistent but less consistent Safin won more.
 

Mr.Federer

Hall of Fame
Safin 2 slams to Goran 1 slam
Safin 5 Master Seires to Goran 2 Master Series
Goran 22 titles to Safin 15 titles
Goran 6 top 10 years to Safin 3 top ten
Safin #1 rank to Goran #2 rank
Safin
Goran has the better win percentage
Safin has a semifinal at each slam
Safin won his two slams over two of the greatest players of all time..

My edge goes to Safin, more big titles and the #1 ranking..Goran was more consistent but less consistent Safin won more.


yeah but Ivanisevic made 4 grand slam final appereances while Marat only had 3...
 

egn

Hall of Fame
yeah but Ivanisevic made 4 grand slam final appereances while Marat only had 3...

Wrong there 4.

2000 US Open
2002 Australian
2004 Australian
2005 Australian...

uh?

Besides 2 slams and 1 runner up or 1 slam and 3 runner ups. I guess Lendl is better than Sampras because Lendl made 19 slam finals and Sampras only 18?
 

GameSampras

Banned
I dunno about Safin... Yea his two wins came over arguably the two greatest players that ever played.. But his career was so inconsistent and he spent more time out of the top 10 than even in it..


His big wins doesnt erase the stigma of mediocrity and MIA his whole career IMO..

If we are going OVERRALL and Consistency I think Goran has the edge. Thats just my opinion.. Its close but I'll take Goran's career instead.


Neither are hall of famers though IMO.
 

matchmaker

Hall of Fame
IMO Safin was greater in his prime. Problem is his prime was extremely short.

Hence Ivanisevic could be considered as more consistent.

Safin still takes it IMO. He was an inch away form being number one at the end of the year if Kuerten did not put up a huge performance at the YEC beating Agassi and Sampras on fast courts.
 

thalivest

Banned
He was an inch away form being number one at the end of the year if Kuerten did not put up a huge performance at the YEC beating Agassi and Sampras on fast courts.

Yeah but Safin still has to take some of the blame for performing so poorly at that event, getting destroyed by both Sampras and Agassi on a fast indoor court that should have suited him to a T, when even clay courter Kuerten was even able to step up and beat them both which is in essence the equivalent to giving Safin a smackdown on a more Safin suited court even though they didnt directly play.
 

GameSampras

Banned
Normally I would put up a big prime if only for a short IF it was a big enough prime of total domination for a year or two..

Problem is.. Safin didnt have a big peak year or two where he won every tournament in sight.. He had a couple situations where was huge that were stretched 5 years apart. USO 00 and AO 05.. But thats about where it ends with safin. Complete underachiver and disappointments

In this case.. I will take the consistency of Goran over 2 hot flashes in Safin and complete mediocrity and being out of the top 10 more than being in it.. And being irrelavant than being relevant
 
Not to mention that if Safin had done better earlier in the year on the slow hardcourts he says he likes so much he would have had the year-end no.1 wrapped up going into the TMC. He flaked out at IW and Miami as well as the AO. If he'd just done a bit better there then he would have taken it.

Nevertheless, I'd rather have Safin's career. One more grand slam and the prestige of having been no.1 in the world.
 
T

TennisandMusic

Guest
Here is the thing...Forget everything aside from this. If YOU could win one Wimbledon or one US Open and one Australian which would you pick?

I know which one I would take in a heartbeat...
 

dropshot winner

Hall of Fame
Here is the thing...Forget everything aside from this. If YOU could win one Wimbledon or one US Open and one Australian which would you pick?

I know which one I would take in a heartbeat...

I'd rather beat Sampras and Federer in two epic performances to win my two slams.
Ivanisevic's win had a lot of senimental value, but that's it.
 
T

TennisandMusic

Guest
I'd rather beat Sampras and Federer in two epic performances to win my two slams.
Ivanisevic's win had a lot of senimental value, but that's it.

Winning Wimbledon however, is by far more coveted as a tennis achievement than anything else in the sport. Most people who know about the sport, or grew up watching it know that Wimbledon is IT for tennis. So it's certainly debatable. I would take Ivanisevic's Wimbledon over Safin's wins any day of the week.
 

dropshot winner

Hall of Fame
Winning Wimbledon however, is by far more coveted as a tennis achievement than anything else in the sport. Most people who know about the sport, or grew up watching it know that Wimbledon is IT for tennis. So it's certainly debatable. I would take Ivanisevic's Wimbledon over Safin's wins any day of the week.

Sure, winning Wimbledon isn't too shabby either :).

But Safin beat two of the greatest players in the history of the game to win his two slams, and he did it by playing spectacular tennis.

Safin's wins are and will be regarded as the much more impressive feat.
 
Hey I haven't posted in a while...but I'm currently watching the Safin vs Monfils match and Safin's getting destroyed.

His antics reminded me of Ivanisevic...and I thought who had a better career? Ivanisevic only has one grand slam and SAfin has two...but SAfin has really self-destructed these last couple of years...I, personally believe that Goran Ivanisevic had a better overall career than Marat SAfin...


Discuss.

I would say Safin. But you just wonder if he wasn't such a hot-head, how much better would he have been? But then again, it's partly to his hot-headed character that people enjoy watching and listening to him. Funny dude during interviews. He and A-Rod give the best on and off-court comments.
 

Bilbo

Semi-Pro
Hey I haven't posted in a while...but I'm currently watching the Safin vs Monfils match and Safin's getting destroyed.

His antics reminded me of Ivanisevic...and I thought who had a better career? Ivanisevic only has one grand slam and SAfin has two...but SAfin has really self-destructed these last couple of years...I, personally believe that Goran Ivanisevic had a better overall career than Marat SAfin...


Discuss.

wat channel is the match on:confused:?

neway. goran was the better player
 

boredone3456

G.O.A.T.
Safin. 2 slams, number 1 ranking, beat Fed duing his prime at the 05 Aussie, he has just achieved more. Ivanisevic won the big one at Wimby...but that was really the only slam he was a major contender at...Safin was more an all around threat and a more accomplished player.
 
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