NatF
Bionic Poster
QFT
The other exception was Pat Cash a great serve volleyer at Wimbledon. So not a bad loss either.
Which decade had the toughest overall competition for men
- Thread starter grafselesfan
- Start date
QFT
The other exception was Pat Cash a great serve volleyer at Wimbledon. So not a bad loss either.
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
Lendl is indeed underrated. I rank him among the all-time Top 10.
Anti-Fedal
Professional
According to Agassi, the 2010's are the golden age ;-)
monfed
Banned
2010 over 2000? Oh cmon don't be such a goof. :lol:
Dan, You contradict yourself: First you say "We cannot know about Emerson/Gimeno", then "No contest"!!??!!
Emerson did not improve after 1961. He just had one outstanding year, 1964.
Vienna 1961 was indoors, most probably on fast court!
I'm not sure if Turin was on clay.
You "forget" that in Gimeno's five best years, 1963 to 1967 there was no French Pro on clay!!!
You forget to mention that Andres won several tough claycourt tournaments where he beat Laver and/or Rosewall, and that he reached several big claycourt finals, among them 1961 Milano (tough match to Gonzalez), Trofeo Facis , 1964, second place, Noordwijk and Munich 1964: title, Geneva 1966 title, Oklahoma and Barcelona 1966 win over Laver plus Rosewall, thus winning all three big claycourt events that year!!!. Doubt that Emmo could have been claycourt No.1 in any year against Laver, Rosewall and Gimeno!
You "forget" Gimeno's five set French Open SF against winner, Rosewall, also 1969 QF against Laver, French Open 1972 triumph and 1972 Davis Cup win against Smith. So I can paint a very different picture of Gimeno's claycourt strength and achievements in comparsion to your (and many other Emerson fans') biased picture...
Oklahoma?
Not "the world pro championships"?
Wow.
You mean, he LOST to Rosewall in five. You consider that a win?
Doesn't sound great if you have to list his LOSSES as evidence of his greatness.
He had big trouble with Cooper and Stolle at Roland Garros, the big house for clay.
Previously, you claimed that Vienna was a CLAY event for your idol Rosewall, now you say you think it was not clay.
Make up your mind.
kiki, Rosewall was extremely strong in the 1970 US Open: beat Smith 6-2,6-2,6-2, beat Newcombe in three clear sets and Roche in four...
Gimeno was 33 when meeting one of the two best grasscourters in the world, Newcombe, and 32 when meeting the best grasscourter, Laver.
Santana and Emerson would also be intimitated when facing prime L&R.
Dan, learn to read and to think: Oklahoma 1966: Gimeno beat Rosewall in the final (W. Pro Ch.)! No five-setter at all!
I said earlier that Vienna 1959 was clay. Vienna 1961 was fast surface (I asked also a friend today who witnessed that tournament!
Gimeno lost to Cooper and Stolle before and after his prime. Don't tell us nonsense!
kiki
Banned
Emerson and Santana may have lost more often than not to Laver and Rosewall on grass.But if anything, they certainly would never be intimidated.
Gimeno was not as mentally strong ( but more than Roche)
kiki
Banned
The three best grass courters along Laver .That list is certainly impressive.
kiki
Banned
Now, try find a decade with this top 15
Borg
Connors
Newcombe
Vilas
Nastase
Rosewall
Smith
Kodes
Ashe
Mc Enroe
Orantes
Panatta
Gerulaitis
Tanner
Gimeno
plus, in female´s play:
Court
King
Evert
Navratilova
Goolagong
Wade
Austin
and make your all possible combinations
The 30´s,50´s and 80´s would have had a very comparable top ten.But not such a top 15 and much less if we go down to the next 15 players.Guys like Laver,Pilic,Riessen,Roche,Gorman,Okker,Franulovic,Solomon,Dibbs,Ramirez,Gottfried,Barazutti,Stockton,Metrevali or Richey
Borg
Connors
Newcombe
Vilas
Nastase
Rosewall
Smith
Kodes
Ashe
Mc Enroe
Orantes
Panatta
Gerulaitis
Tanner
Gimeno
plus, in female´s play:
Court
King
Evert
Navratilova
Goolagong
Wade
Austin
and make your all possible combinations
The 30´s,50´s and 80´s would have had a very comparable top ten.But not such a top 15 and much less if we go down to the next 15 players.Guys like Laver,Pilic,Riessen,Roche,Gorman,Okker,Franulovic,Solomon,Dibbs,Ramirez,Gottfried,Barazutti,Stockton,Metrevali or Richey
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
I agree that Emerson was the 3rd best of the 60s in the men's game.
However, there are some here who think he was little more than a journeyman. ;-)
kiki
Banned
If Gonzales or Hoad had been more consistent, no doubt they were far better players and would be in the top 4 (Hoad) and top 3 (Pancho)
Burt Emerson was the amateur´s king and was very consistent, that should be rewarded or at least, recognized.
kiki
Banned
the 1960 aussies could be divided into two geo sociologichal groups.
Those coming from the rich southern cities, and relatively well off families like Newk,Rosewall,Fraser,Cooper,Stolle,Dent
and those coming from rural or very humble environtments, basically in the north or the bush: Laver,Anderson,Emerson,Roche,Hoad,Alexander
That did not prevent interactions like Hoad and Rosewall, Emerson and Stolle,Anderson and Cooper,Roche and Newcombe, Alexander and Dent.
Laver and Emerson had a very particular tie; both always refeered to themselves as the farmer players and both supported each other no matter whom they were playing against.
Those coming from the rich southern cities, and relatively well off families like Newk,Rosewall,Fraser,Cooper,Stolle,Dent
and those coming from rural or very humble environtments, basically in the north or the bush: Laver,Anderson,Emerson,Roche,Hoad,Alexander
That did not prevent interactions like Hoad and Rosewall, Emerson and Stolle,Anderson and Cooper,Roche and Newcombe, Alexander and Dent.
Laver and Emerson had a very particular tie; both always refeered to themselves as the farmer players and both supported each other no matter whom they were playing against.
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hoodjem
G.O.A.T.
Laver and Emmo were good doubles buddies.
But Laver and Muscles also teamed up at the 1973 US Open and made it to the finals.
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kiki
Banned
They would have probably team up a lot before in the pro ranks?
Now, Gimeno deserves a spot around Nr. 5, at least equal with Santana and very close to Emerson. Anderson and Cooper did close to nothing in the 60s. The Wimbledon seeding of the first open event in 1968 had: Laver, Rosewall, Gimeno, Newcombe, Emerson, Santana, Hoad, Gonzalez, Ralston, Stolle, Bucholz, Ashe, Okker, Drysdale, Roche, Pilic. I agree, that Osuna and Pietrangeli were very interesting artistic players. An early round Wim match between Santana and Osuna i think in 1964 was seen by the British press corps as one of the finest matches alltime. McKinley was small, but a living jumping ball with a great overhead, he became a broker later and died early on a brain tumor.
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joelmilnetennis
New User
To me it seems like every decade has only 2-3 at the top and maybe a couple more that can challenge them regularly. So to have Djokovic/Murray/Nadal all playing at the same time with Federer still a threat, and Del Potro nearby, how could it have ever been tougher than that?
kiki, Rosewall was better on grass than Smith, Roche and arguably Newcombe.
kiki, Pancho was much stronger than Emerson in the 1960's.
kiki, No, they seldom played together.
kiki
Banned
My bad.I just forgot to place Gimeno ( even if I was thinking of him I just oblitterated).He would be around nº 7, with Hoad and Stolle and behind Santana and Fraser.
kiki
Banned
still a very impressive sequence for Mr Rosewall.
Vienna 1960 was on clay?
Than Cooper whipped Gimeno on clay twice that year?
Gimeno was 23 years old in 1960.
I guess if you blinked, you missed his prime.
kiki, Thanks for that great joke: Gimeno behind Fraser! Gimeno:No.3 in several years. Fraser: No.9 or 10 in his best year.....
kiki, Of course, I rate Rosewall US Open 1970 as his greatest tournament win.
Confused Dan, There was no Vienna 1960 at all. Learn history!!
Gimeno was a top three or four player for six years in a row- about equal with your darling!
Right, it was 1961 where Cooper whipped Gimeno in Vienna.
Also in 1960 Cooper overpowered him at Roland Garros and Wembley.
Gimeno was probably third for a few years in a weak pro field.
Emmo dominant in the strong amateur field.
Dan! The pros had Laver, Rosewall, Gonzalez, three GOAT candidates, plus strong Hoad. A weak field for Gimeno???
Dan, Gonzalez was No.3 in the world in 1964 and 1965. When were old Budge and Riggs No.3 in the world? Please tell us!
Budge was runner-up to Gonzales at the U.S. Pro in 1953, and beat Gonzales at L.A. in the 1954 tour.
Riggs was still showing up at majors into the mid-fifties.
Gonzales at 3 in 1964 and 1965?
Shows you how shallow the pro field was, and how slow Gimeno was to grow.
SamprasisGOAT
Hall of Fame
I've not read thought the whole thread but I'd say the pool of talent in the 80s with McEnroe, Borg, Connors, Lendl, wilander, edberg and Becker will never be beaten. The 90s was very tough aswell. The 10s only have 3 top top players.
I'd say this
80s
90s
70s
00s
10s
I'd say this
80s
90s
70s
00s
10s
Dan, Fill your brain with facts!!!
kiki
Banned
Now tell me if there´s been a decade with a seeding list for a whole decade that goes like this:
Borg,Connors,Newcombe,Rosewall,Nastase,Vilas,Smith,Ashe,Kodes,Orantes,Mc Enroe,Panatta,Gerulaitis,Tanner,Gimeno and Laver
Equally great top ten, maybe the 30,50,80 but never ever such a top 16
If we include Okker,Ramirez,Roche,Pilic,Pecci and five or ten more names in, it beats left right up down any other decade.
Borg,Connors,Newcombe,Rosewall,Nastase,Vilas,Smith,Ashe,Kodes,Orantes,Mc Enroe,Panatta,Gerulaitis,Tanner,Gimeno and Laver
Equally great top ten, maybe the 30,50,80 but never ever such a top 16
If we include Okker,Ramirez,Roche,Pilic,Pecci and five or ten more names in, it beats left right up down any other decade.
kiki, Here I can agree.
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
Your love of the 70s knows no bounds!
kiki
Banned
kiki
Banned
The title of the thread is the best decade for tennis
I don´t have any biass here, just my personnal observation¡¡
The Sandbagger
New User
The 80's was the best in men's tennis.
Let's only include players who were still producing their best game, or who had reached it.
1950's
Kramer Gonzales Sedgman Hoad Trabert Rosewall Segura Cooper Anderson Olmedo Fraser Patty Drobny Savitt
kiki
Banned
Yes, as good as mine.Maybe the 50´s share the top with the 70´s.Difference is that in 1950 tennis was still divided while in 1970´s it was open ( divided by organizations but all players could compete vs the others)
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