Federer may be the best ever

[BillVol]

I can't believe he hasn't won the French Open yet. Because he is a shot maker and he is patient and he can run down anything.

Even if he never wins the French, to me he's the best ever. I think he'll surpass Sampras's majors total easily.

Nice effort by Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the final, though. I don't know if they call him "Huaso," but that's the usual nickname slapped on Chileans, it seems. Huaso what the Chilean "cowboy" is called.

[bambam]

Re: Federer may be the best ever

Even if he never wins the French, to me he's the best ever. I think he'll surpass Sampras's majors total easily.

While he may be the best ever, the majors total record is quite suspect because of the case of Rod Laver, whom many still consider the greatest ever.

Laver won Wimbledon in 1961-62, and won the Grand Slam in 1962. He was easily the greatest tennis player in the world at the time. He then turned pro and was denied entry to the major championships from 1963-1967, 5 years of his prime. In 1968, when tennis returned to the Open era, he again won Wimbledon 1968-1969, and in 1969, again won the Grand Slam, the only player to win a Singles Grand Slam twice. He finished with 11 major championships, despite not being able to compete in them for 5 years. Assuming he would have won 2 majors/year for that period, which is probably pretty likely considering he surrounded that era with Grand Slams, his total would have been around 20.

[bambam]

Another thing about the tennis majors record: The record Sampras broke was Roy Emerson's 12. But Emerson, alone among the great Aussies of the 60s, did not turn pro and remained an amateur throughout the 60s. From 1963-67, while Laver and Ken Rosewall (and Pancho Gonzalez) were playing as pros, Emerson won 10 of his 12 major titles. Laver, Rosewall, and Gonzalez could all handle Emerson pretty comfortably so it is unlikely he would have approached his 12 majors had all players been able to compete in that time.

[tandfman]

I saw all those guys in their prime, and Laver stands out in my memory as being frighteningly good, usually invincible.

[Per Andersen]

But if it came down to just one match with everything on the line who would bet against Lew Hoad?

Federer might be the greatest ever but to cement that claim he should win in Paris. Came close last year and he might have figured out a way to beat Raffa on clay. Until that happens I agree with Bambam and will go with the Rockhampton Rocket.

[Pego]

I'll join Laver's groupies.

[bad hammy]

OK, I’m not much of a tennis fan so this may all be just so much noise, but isn’t there more to this greatest ever stuff than how many Grand Slams you win? The only time I really watched much tennis there seemed to be three great players knocking each other around every tournament: Connors, Borg, and McEnroe. The fact that there were three guys all at the top of their game ensured that none of them won every major. Men’s tennis was great fun to watch in those days, and is comparatively boring now.

The fact that Federer apparently has no one to seriously challenge him does not in and of itself make him the greatest.

[SQUACKEE]

I agree, both Tigee and Fed need a great challenger for the good of the game and their legacy. Jordon was clearly the best ever but wasnt Magic and Bird more fun?

[bad hammy]

I agree, both Tigee and Fed need a great challenger for the good of the game and their legacy. Jordon was clearly the best ever but wasnt Magic and Bird more fun?

Now that I am talking sports I don’t pay close attention to, I’ll say this about that.

If Tiger’s career ended today he would be amongst the greatest golfers of all time but not yet the greatest. However, assuming he has a reasonably long golf career I don’t think there is any doubt that he will go down as the greatest, even without his own Arnold Palmer or Joe Fraiser. Maybe someday Federer gets there too.

I am in the distinct minority that does not see Jordan as the greatest of all time. Great without a doubt, on the starting five, but I’m a Wilt as GOAT guy. And yes, Magic and Bird were more fun . . .

[bambam]

Having some knowledge of the game, I've long not felt that Nicklaus was hands down the GOAT in golf. I have always supported Ben Hogan as the GOAT. But I gotta tell ya I'm starting to lean towards Tiger. It is scary what he is doing.

The comment by Per about Lew Hoad is very appropriate. In the late 70s, Pancho Gonzalez was asked who he would pick, one player at his absolute best ever, to play one match representing the Planet Earth for the All-Universe Championship. Gonzalez picked Hoad.

Hoad was an Australian of the 50s, contemporary of Ken Rosewall. In 56 he won Australia, Wimbledon, and French, and lost in the final of the US to Rosewall, narrowly missing the Grand Slam. He won Wimbledon again in 1957 and then turned pro, missing out on chances at the majors. His career was short-circuited by back problems.

[SQUACKEE]

Fed is completely dominating the world. Has the no. 2-30 players suddenly become average or is he that good? The people in the know say he's that good and from what ive seen i believe them.

Tiger is from another planet. IMO he is by far the best ever and Jack will tell you the same thing. Ive said he's Babe Ruth with a golf club but maybe thats not fair to the greatness of Mr. Woods.

He holds the Master's scoring record. He won the US open by the biggest margin in history. ECT ECT ECT.............

Tigee will hold every meaningful record in golf when he's finished and may put them so far out there that they wont be broken for hundreds of years.

[cullman]

Fed is completely dominating the world. Has the no. 2-30 players suddenly become average or is he that good?

It's a combination of both. The men's game would probably be considered below average if you take away Federer and Nadal.

cman

[bambam]

Tigee will hold every meaningful record in golf when he's finished and may put them so far out there that they wont be broken for hundreds of years.

No, there'll be another Tiger down the road. Its inevitable. After all, wasn't Beamon's record unbreakable? What did that take? 23 years.

[SQUACKEE]

Tigee will hold every meaningful record in golf when he's finished and may put them so far out there that they wont be broken for hundreds of years.

No, there'll be another Tiger down the road. Its inevitable. After all, wasn't Beamon's record unbreakable? What did that take? 23 years.

Your right, i really meant my life time which i hope is hundreds of years.