Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

[Satchmo Distel]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

I don't see Agassi as a valid comparison because Agassi's best surface was Murray's weakest: clay. I think the big four are going to be competing as equals for the next two or three years and will play musical chairs with No. 1 and titles. Murray will get his fair share but probably won't ever be as dominant as Djokovic was in 2011 or Federer and Nadal at their peaks. I agree with Janik that he will finish with maybe 6 titles, say 2 each at the three non-clay majors, but non-consecutive. He is favorite for Wimbledon 2013 currently in my book.

[Janik]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

Agassi at Roland Garros - one title in 17 attempts. Career record 51-16.
Agassi at Wimbledon - one title in 14 attempts. Career record 46-13.
Agassi at Melbourne Park - four titles in 9 attempts. Career record 48-5. He must feel a bit foolish about not bothering entering that event in the first years of his career...

And it's not just slams. Agassi only ever made one final of a clay court Masters Series event, which was late career and he won it. By contrast he won 13 outdoor hard court Masters Series events, and was runner-up in 5 others. He was definitely best on a hard court.

Agassi may have been a baseliner, but he was an attacking player. He could play on clay, but it didn't really suit him. Nadal would have had him on toast, Federer would have barely ever lost to him on the surface, either. Agassi-Murray on a clay court sounds a fascinating match, actually. Two brilliant returners and shotmakers, who might have struggled to put the ball past each other.

[Jimski]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

Bored of Education wrote:

Bored of Education wrote:

A fact I only realised today is that Murray is equal with Roddick already in Open titles.

Doesn't take much though! Roddick only won that single grand slam.

That's a bit harsh, jimski. He was in a fair few finals and and was number 1 for a fair while so I assumed he had won another, at least.

Heh - yeah he was number one in that bit between Sampras/Agassi and Federer, when there was a real dearth of top players. An exceptionally limited player for a number one, Roddick, whose power alone could get him far in tournaments. Never liked watching him at all.

[Jimski]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

Janik wrote: Agassi at Roland Garros - one title in 17 attempts. Career record 51-16.

Yes, I remember that final too. Medvedev (hardly a clay great) was two sets up (and had break point at 4-4 in the third), and should have won. Agassi did raise his game, but it still felt like a match thrown away for Medvedev.

[Janik]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

I recall it as being very windy that day. Agassi was all over the show, unable to cope with the conditions, and barely won a game in the opening two sets. It was sheer will power, allied as you note to a bit of a choke from Medvedev, that allowed him to turn it around.

[Gerontophile]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

multipleman78 wrote: ...When he won the US Open in 2010 for his third grand slam of the year and in a row i actually stood up in my living room and applauded.

When Michael Chang beat Stefan Edberg in 1989 (French? must have been, no chance anywhere else), I did a front somersault, in the middle of a dinner party (with the TV silently on in the background, at my insistence). The guests, and other host, were so pissed, they just had a look, and went on with their conversations.

Those were the days... actually, these are the days of tennis. Those were the days when I was a lot more... bendy. (Don't!)

[Gerontophile]

Midnight on the lawns of Wimbledon

Oh, and Janik... there was a shitty line call, and Medvedev just went 'ah fuck it'.

I saw that one, too... and much as I love Agassi (always and forever), Andre got that as a gift.