pc1
G.O.A.T.
The Thirties and Forties in World Tennis
NatF and Krosero brought out an excellent point that we tend to discuss the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s too much on the Former Player’s forum and that we should discuss other eras in tennis.
So I think discussing the 1930s and 1940s would be a source of interesting discussion. The 1930s still had some superstars from the 1920s in Bill Tilden, arguably the GOAT and a player ranked in a poll of tennis experts in 1969 as easily the top player in tennis history, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra, John Doeg who apparently had one of the greatest serves ever, Bunny Austin, George Lott and others.
There were new superstars during the 1930s in Ellsworth Vines, often argued to be the greatest of all time when on his game and perhaps the most powerful hitter ever, Fred Perry with the great continental forehand and winner of three straight Wimbledons among his many majors, Jack Crawford, the almost winner of the first Grand Slam even though I’m not sure there was such a term then, Don Budge, the player who many have called the GOAT and the first winner of the Grand Slam as we know it today, Bobby Riggs, the great stylist, hustler and loser to BJ King (unless he threw the match), John Bromwich with the unusual hitting style but a great player nevertheless, Frank Shields (grandfather of Brooke), Nusslein, and Frank Parker. There is a lot of fascinating players here.
World War II interrupted tennis for a number of years but from the 1940s emerged greats like Ted Schroeder, Jack Kramer, the player who popularized the serve and volley, Drobny, one of the great winners of all time, Gardner Mulloy who was a superb player until the end of his life which was only recently, Bob Falkenburg, Bill Talbert (later US Open tournament director) as well as some leftovers from the 1930s, specifically Bobby Riggs who was Pro Champion in the later 1940s.
The women in the 1930s still had the great Helen Wills who won 19 majors out of 24 played, Helen Jacobs who was Wills’ rival, Cilly Aussem, Elizabeth Ryan, Dorothy Round, Lili de Alvarez as well as the great Alice Marble whose life story is something out of fantasy movies.
The 1940s had Pauline Betz, who had a super backhand modelled after Budge but also the winner of a number of majors, Louise Brough, Margaret Osborne, Doris Hart, Beverley Baker who had no backhand only a forehand.
Actually I think we should discuss the 1950s for the women. The 1950s had the great Maureen Connolly who won the Grand Slam and 9 straight majors that she enter, Althea Gibson, the first top African American female player, Christine Truman, Maria Bueno, Shirley Fry among the many great and interesting players.
Please discuss.
NatF and Krosero brought out an excellent point that we tend to discuss the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s too much on the Former Player’s forum and that we should discuss other eras in tennis.
So I think discussing the 1930s and 1940s would be a source of interesting discussion. The 1930s still had some superstars from the 1920s in Bill Tilden, arguably the GOAT and a player ranked in a poll of tennis experts in 1969 as easily the top player in tennis history, Henri Cochet, Jean Borotra, John Doeg who apparently had one of the greatest serves ever, Bunny Austin, George Lott and others.
There were new superstars during the 1930s in Ellsworth Vines, often argued to be the greatest of all time when on his game and perhaps the most powerful hitter ever, Fred Perry with the great continental forehand and winner of three straight Wimbledons among his many majors, Jack Crawford, the almost winner of the first Grand Slam even though I’m not sure there was such a term then, Don Budge, the player who many have called the GOAT and the first winner of the Grand Slam as we know it today, Bobby Riggs, the great stylist, hustler and loser to BJ King (unless he threw the match), John Bromwich with the unusual hitting style but a great player nevertheless, Frank Shields (grandfather of Brooke), Nusslein, and Frank Parker. There is a lot of fascinating players here.
World War II interrupted tennis for a number of years but from the 1940s emerged greats like Ted Schroeder, Jack Kramer, the player who popularized the serve and volley, Drobny, one of the great winners of all time, Gardner Mulloy who was a superb player until the end of his life which was only recently, Bob Falkenburg, Bill Talbert (later US Open tournament director) as well as some leftovers from the 1930s, specifically Bobby Riggs who was Pro Champion in the later 1940s.
The women in the 1930s still had the great Helen Wills who won 19 majors out of 24 played, Helen Jacobs who was Wills’ rival, Cilly Aussem, Elizabeth Ryan, Dorothy Round, Lili de Alvarez as well as the great Alice Marble whose life story is something out of fantasy movies.
The 1940s had Pauline Betz, who had a super backhand modelled after Budge but also the winner of a number of majors, Louise Brough, Margaret Osborne, Doris Hart, Beverley Baker who had no backhand only a forehand.
Actually I think we should discuss the 1950s for the women. The 1950s had the great Maureen Connolly who won the Grand Slam and 9 straight majors that she enter, Althea Gibson, the first top African American female player, Christine Truman, Maria Bueno, Shirley Fry among the many great and interesting players.
Please discuss.
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, but probably not the direction you want the thread going just yet 
