Spencer Gore
Legend
It's here! For the first time in 52 years a man has a shot at the Grand Slam. It's been a long wait for old-timers like me!
In this thread I'm going to follow Djokovic's progress (if he makes progress) against the equivalent progress made by the four men who previously tried to gain tennis immortality.
I'm sure all of TTW will be wishing Djokovic luck in his noble quest!
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THE CONTENDERS
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Djokovic's main rivals for the title include Daniil Medvedev (Russia),Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) and Alexander Zverev (Germany)
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The Previous Contenders
1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford's main rivals were defending champion Ellsworth Vines (who was going for his third US in a row), Britain's Fred Perry and Frank Shields (US)
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge's main threats were Bobby Riggs and Joseph Hunt (USA) and #1 international seed John Bromwich (Australia)
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
Hoad's main opponents included Ken Rosewall (Australia), Vic Seixas (USA) and Neale Fraser (Australia)
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The Rocket's main threats were defending champion Emerson (Australia), Chuck McKinley (US) and Rafael Osuna (Mexico)
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The US Open draw was daunting: alongside top seed Laver were Australians John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson and Tony Roche as well as Americans Stan Smith, Pancho Gonzales and defending champion Arthur Ashe.
The 1969 draw contained players who had/ would have 51 majors (excluding pro majors): or 86 majors (including pro majors)
FIRST ROUND COMPLETE
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1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford didn't want to play the US Championship. He was exhausted after five months on the road and 13 straight tournament wins in a row, but his home association was paid a $1500 guarantee by the USLTA, so he had to play.
He had the easiest of starts: a bye in the first round. The sixteen seeds all made it safely through.
New York Times columnist John Kiernan wrote: 'If Crawford wins, it would be something like scoring a grand slam on the courts"
The Grand Slam was born.
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge had been suffering from flu -at one point he lost his voice - but he got off to the easiest of starts at Forest Hills, a bye in the First Round.
4th international seed Destremau of France was the only seed to lose in this round.
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
The Diamond Jubilee year of the US Championships at Forest Hills saw Hoad comfortably beat Walraven(USA) 6-0, 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round.
All of the seeds made it safely through to the second round.
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Don Budge invited Laver to spend a day in the Catskills before the tournament -even playing a couple of sets with him. It got the rocket in tune; he won his first round match comfortably, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 against Davidman of Israel.
There were no shocks in the first round. All the seeds were safely through.
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The Rocket prepared for his tilt at a unique Double Grand Slam by knocking up and listening to albums (Aretha Franklin, Dave Brubeck, Jose Feliciano) with New Zealand Davis Cup player, John McDonald.
Laver won easily 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 against Garcia of Mexico in his first match.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosewall survived a 5 set thriller but 8th seed, Drysdale, and 5th seed, Okker, were shock losers in the first round.
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Top seed, Djokovic, played no warm up tournaments before his attempt at the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
His first round opponent was 18 year old Dane, Holger Rune (former French Junior champion), Djokovic struggled in the second set but came through 6-1, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1
Former US champions Murray and Cilic lost in the first round, alongside seeds Carreño Busta, de Minaur, Isner, Sonego, Humbert, Khachanov, Norris, Goffin, Fognini, Fokina and Krajinovic.
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SECOND ROUND COMPLETE
1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford beat former World #8, Seligson, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
No. 1 seed Vines made easy progress in straights, while Fred Perry also progressed, dropping a set.
No 13 seed, Ito of Japan, was eliminated in straight sets.
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge lost only one game to American, Van Horn (future US pro champion)
Bobby Riggs lost a set but No.1 international seed, John Bromwich won in straights.
#13 seed Nakano was the only seeded player eliminated.
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
Hoad lost the first set but eventually defeated Dodson of the US, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-1.
Rosewall won in straight sets but Fraser and Seixas both lost a set.
No seeds were eliminated
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Laver beat clay court specialist, Zuleta of Ecuador, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Osuna struggled through in five sets against Schmidt of Sweden.
Emerson faced a new-comer called Arthur Ashe, beating him in straight sets.
All the seeds made it through.
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Laver beat Chilean clay courter Pinto-Bravo 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Rosewall, Emerson, Ashe, Gimeno, Santana, Gonzales, Newcombe and Roche all progressed.
#7 seed Graebner had to retire and # 12 seed, Stan smith, lost to an exciting newcomer called Nastase.
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Djokovic had a comfortable 6-2,6-3,6-2 victory over Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, the seeds continued to tumble, including #8 seed, Ruud and #10, Hurkacz, -who had bagelled Federer in his final (to date) set at Wimbledon earlier in the year. But Seppi was too strong for him in the second round here. Bublik (31),Gavin (16) and Dimitrov (15) also exited.
In this thread I'm going to follow Djokovic's progress (if he makes progress) against the equivalent progress made by the four men who previously tried to gain tennis immortality.
I'm sure all of TTW will be wishing Djokovic luck in his noble quest!
---------------------------------------------------
THE CONTENDERS
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Djokovic's main rivals for the title include Daniil Medvedev (Russia),Stefanos Tsitsipas (Greece) and Alexander Zverev (Germany)
---------------------------------------------------
The Previous Contenders
1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford's main rivals were defending champion Ellsworth Vines (who was going for his third US in a row), Britain's Fred Perry and Frank Shields (US)
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge's main threats were Bobby Riggs and Joseph Hunt (USA) and #1 international seed John Bromwich (Australia)
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
Hoad's main opponents included Ken Rosewall (Australia), Vic Seixas (USA) and Neale Fraser (Australia)
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The Rocket's main threats were defending champion Emerson (Australia), Chuck McKinley (US) and Rafael Osuna (Mexico)
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The US Open draw was daunting: alongside top seed Laver were Australians John Newcombe, Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson and Tony Roche as well as Americans Stan Smith, Pancho Gonzales and defending champion Arthur Ashe.
The 1969 draw contained players who had/ would have 51 majors (excluding pro majors): or 86 majors (including pro majors)
FIRST ROUND COMPLETE
---------------------------------------------------
1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford didn't want to play the US Championship. He was exhausted after five months on the road and 13 straight tournament wins in a row, but his home association was paid a $1500 guarantee by the USLTA, so he had to play.
He had the easiest of starts: a bye in the first round. The sixteen seeds all made it safely through.
New York Times columnist John Kiernan wrote: 'If Crawford wins, it would be something like scoring a grand slam on the courts"
The Grand Slam was born.
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge had been suffering from flu -at one point he lost his voice - but he got off to the easiest of starts at Forest Hills, a bye in the First Round.
4th international seed Destremau of France was the only seed to lose in this round.
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
The Diamond Jubilee year of the US Championships at Forest Hills saw Hoad comfortably beat Walraven(USA) 6-0, 6-2, 6-0 in the opening round.
All of the seeds made it safely through to the second round.
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Don Budge invited Laver to spend a day in the Catskills before the tournament -even playing a couple of sets with him. It got the rocket in tune; he won his first round match comfortably, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 against Davidman of Israel.
There were no shocks in the first round. All the seeds were safely through.
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
The Rocket prepared for his tilt at a unique Double Grand Slam by knocking up and listening to albums (Aretha Franklin, Dave Brubeck, Jose Feliciano) with New Zealand Davis Cup player, John McDonald.
Laver won easily 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 against Garcia of Mexico in his first match.
Meanwhile, Ken Rosewall survived a 5 set thriller but 8th seed, Drysdale, and 5th seed, Okker, were shock losers in the first round.
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Top seed, Djokovic, played no warm up tournaments before his attempt at the Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.
His first round opponent was 18 year old Dane, Holger Rune (former French Junior champion), Djokovic struggled in the second set but came through 6-1, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1
Former US champions Murray and Cilic lost in the first round, alongside seeds Carreño Busta, de Minaur, Isner, Sonego, Humbert, Khachanov, Norris, Goffin, Fognini, Fokina and Krajinovic.
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SECOND ROUND COMPLETE
1933 JACK CRAWFORD (Australia)
Crawford beat former World #8, Seligson, 6-4, 6-3, 6-1
No. 1 seed Vines made easy progress in straights, while Fred Perry also progressed, dropping a set.
No 13 seed, Ito of Japan, was eliminated in straight sets.
1938 DONALD BUDGE (USA)
Budge lost only one game to American, Van Horn (future US pro champion)
Bobby Riggs lost a set but No.1 international seed, John Bromwich won in straights.
#13 seed Nakano was the only seeded player eliminated.
1956 LEW HOAD (Australia)
Hoad lost the first set but eventually defeated Dodson of the US, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-1.
Rosewall won in straight sets but Fraser and Seixas both lost a set.
No seeds were eliminated
1962 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Laver beat clay court specialist, Zuleta of Ecuador, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Osuna struggled through in five sets against Schmidt of Sweden.
Emerson faced a new-comer called Arthur Ashe, beating him in straight sets.
All the seeds made it through.
1969 ROD LAVER (Australia)
Laver beat Chilean clay courter Pinto-Bravo 6-2, 6-4, 6-2
Rosewall, Emerson, Ashe, Gimeno, Santana, Gonzales, Newcombe and Roche all progressed.
#7 seed Graebner had to retire and # 12 seed, Stan smith, lost to an exciting newcomer called Nastase.
2021 NOVAK DJOKOVIC (Serbia)
Djokovic had a comfortable 6-2,6-3,6-2 victory over Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Elsewhere, the seeds continued to tumble, including #8 seed, Ruud and #10, Hurkacz, -who had bagelled Federer in his final (to date) set at Wimbledon earlier in the year. But Seppi was too strong for him in the second round here. Bublik (31),Gavin (16) and Dimitrov (15) also exited.
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