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Counting Down the 15 Greatest French Open Champions of the Open Era… 1

Posted on April 29, 2011 by JA Allen

The French Open Grounds surrounding Stade Roland Garros

Thoughts now turn to the red clay of Stade Roland Garros––the next Grand Slam championship on the calendar.

The French Open begins on May 22 following the Masters 1000 tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

The French Open has often presented obstacles to many of the top players.  Pete Sampras never won on the red dirt nor did John McEnroe, although he came very lose in 1984.

Maria Sharapova could never capture this title and the Williams sisters never found the dirt to their liking, although Serena Williams did win the title in 2002 with her sister Venus as the runner-up.

In all eight men and seven women have won multiple championships since the Open Era began in 1968.

How do you measure the greatness of an athlete within their respective sport? What factors determine the degree of greatness over a period of time, be it years or decades?

Further, how do you determine who is number one in any given list or ranking?

First you must find a pattern and then you must determine the significant components of the ranking—does each factor merit being used as part of the overall equation? Sometimes it does, without question, like the score in a game. The highest or lowest score wins as in football or golf.

It is not always a simple task to determine who is the greatest because such discussions invariably have subjective components.

For this ranking, first consider the number of times a man or woman won the title.  Add in as well the number of times a player made it to the French Open finals since 1968 (Open Era) as the initial demarcation of greatness.

To be considered the player must have won the French Open more than once since 1968.

It should be noted that Rod Laver did win this tournament twice in 1962 and 1969, once in the Open Era. He also made the finals in 1968.

Roger Federer made four consecutive finals from 2006-2009, winning the title once in 2009.

That just proves how difficult it can be to win this tournament multiple times as these 15 players have done.

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Roger Federer Looks For More Grand Slam Glory 2

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Pete South

Over the last year the road has gotten a little tougher for former number one Roger Federer.

The question on many people’s lips this summer will be whether Roger Federer can get himself back amongst the Grand Slams, and add to his 16 titles so far. The Swiss Maestro hasn’t won a major tournament since the Australian Open at the beginning of last year, failing to reach a single final since that victory in Melbourne.

During his spell out of the spotlight, Federer has only been able to sit back and watch as Rafael Nadal has dominated the Grand Slams, with Novak Djokovic’s impeccable form making it hard to see how Federer will be able to break back into the top-two. While it is near impossible to see Federer stopping Nadal notching up his sixth French Open title next month, the Swiss star will once again fancy his chances of doing something at Wimbledon and lifting his seventh title, although the Wimbledon betting 2011 suggests he faces a tough challenge.

For Federer now though, he needs to start believing he can still mix it with the best and get back amongst the trophies, despite a poor run in the Grand Slams for the majority of last year and the beginning of this season. Thomas Berdych sprung a surprise at the quarter-final stage at Wimbledon last year to put Federer out and the former world number one will be looking to repay his loyal fans that turn up at the All England Club in such numbers each year.

A decent month on the clay-courts will give Federer that spark of confidence that he needs to get back onto winning form. Another disappointing year and Federer would face a mammoth task to get back amongst the younger top players.

Previewing the Favorites at the 2011 French Open Championships… 4

Posted on April 27, 2011 by JA Allen

French Open gets underway in less than a month.

Last season the 2010 French Open marked the culmination of a player sweeping the major titles of the entire clay court season––the final act of the Tao of Nadal.

No man has quite dominated the red dirt so completely since Bjorn Borg did in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

That said, no individual has yet to equal Chris Evert’s record on clay, man or woman by winning 125 consecutive matches on the red dirt, and seven French Open titles in nine final appearances.

Is it possible that Nadal could surpass even the ice maiden?

There are few mysteries abounding about the results on clay in 2011. If Nadal can hobble on to the court, then he will no doubt win, according to the odds-makers.

The only unknowns come on the women’s side of the draw where no one stands out as a favorite to win. In fact the bookies remain fairly clueless.

Past winners like Ana Ivanovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova remain mired in unending slumps punctuated by an unexpected win or two along the way.

Francesca Schiavone who won it last year over the woman who was supposed to win, Samantha Stosur, may be the best bet.

The sure thing about watching the French Open is that it is not pretty. Play on the red dirt can be long and ugly on a hot afternoon with unending rallies from the baseline.  It often becomes truly survival of the fittest.

So, selecting who will be standing holding the trophies at the end of the French Open can be a futile exercise but here are the favorites and where they stand at the beginning of May…

Read the rest of this entry →

David Ferrer Targets French Open Glory 1

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Pete South

David Ferrer hopes this is the year he can get past Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

David Ferrer must be sick of the sight of Rafael Nadal. His Barcelona Open final defeat by the world number one was his second tour final loss to that player in a week and his fifth at the hands of Nadal in his career, all of which have come on clay. In reality he should be encouraged, as any player who regularly runs into Nadal must be doing something right, as it generally means you are playing well enough to reach the latter stages of tournaments.

Those Monte Carlo and Barcelona defeats saw Ferrer push Nadal closer than most have in the king of clay’s current 34-match unbeaten run on the red stuff. He broke the champion on numerous occasions and created plenty of break points, leading 4-2 in the second set in Spain, but lacked the consistency to produce an upset.

In truth Nadal was not at his best in either match, a worrying sign for his rival that suggests a sixth French Open title is inevitable. It is certainly true that Ferrer is one of his likeliest challengers, although the calf injury he picked up in the Barcelona is a slight concern and those looking for French Open tips should bear this in mind. Read the rest of this entry →

Roger Federer: How Does He Stack Up Against the 10 Greatest of All Time? 3

Posted on April 14, 2011 by JA Allen

Roger Federer wins Wimbledon in 2009.

In over a century of judging the hits and misses of men’s professional tennis, tournament rules have come and gone. Styles of play rose and fell with the passage of time.

Technology has increased speed, spin and accuracy as rackets evolved and athletes became bigger, stronger and faster.

In light of constant evolution, it becomes difficult to compare players from one generation to the next because unlike baseball, tennis has never been a game noted for rote statistics.

That is not to say the stats were not there, but as a professional organization, no one thought to keep numbers comparing players in a consistent and forward-thinking manner. Sometimes even the most rudimentary facts about a match are missing.

Even today, there is no consensus about just what statistical measures are important in judging the overall careers of the top men in tennis.

The statistics that seem to matter most currently are: (1) the number of grand slam victories; (2) the number of weeks or total length of time holding the No. 1 ranking; (3) the number of year-end tour championship wins over the best eight men in the field, and (4) the number of Master’s Shields won. Many other statistics considered important by the ATP are detailed here

This ranking looks at players of the modern era, since 1968, although a great case can and should be made for male tennis stars who played before the Open Era.

Compare Federer’s numbers to the stats of others with him in the top 10, especially those who have won slams on all surfaces.

These 10 players in the modern era have set the bar for the rest following in this 21st century.

Read the rest of this entry →

Roger Federer Out To Prove He Can Still Triumph 0

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Pete South

Roger Federer is looking to regain his winning form.

Roger Federer is a man who knows that he has very little left to prove in the world of tennis. However, Federer nevertheless badly wants to continue to prove to both himself and his loyal fans that he is not just a good player, nor even just a great player, but instead simply the greatest player of the modern era ever to have graced the game of tennis.

With this in mind, his recent impressive form at Monte Carlo should come as no surprise to tennis fans as he seeks to continue to put in the hard yards required to become a player who can consistently perform well not only on a few surfaces, but on them all. Having already triumphed at Roland Garros in the past, the Swiss legend knows that he has never done so when his main rival Rafa Nadal has been at his very best, meaning that his previous victories can never be viewed as quite so special or meaningful as they would be in an ideal world. Those betting French Open 2011 money should remember this. Read the rest of this entry →

  • Vintage Athlete of the Month

    • Harold Jackson: Unsung Star WR
      December 12, 2024 | 4:24 pm

      The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is one of the most underappreciated wide receivers in NFL history, despite boasting a career that spanned 16 seasons and saw him excel as one of the league’s premier deep threats. Known for his speed, route-running, and ability to make plays downfield, Harold Jackson left an indelible mark on the game during an era that was not yet pass-heavy. Standing at 5’10” and weighing 175 pounds, he defied expectations of size to become a dominant force on the field. Over the course of his illustrious career (1968–1983), Jackson totaled 10,372 receiving yards and 76 touchdowns, placing him among the top receivers of his time.

      Read more »

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