Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

RE: Greatest Players of All Time - according to Tennis Abstract

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

I had no idea she was 33!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

At 45 is Conchita Martinez - she wasnt on my list and being frank wouldnt have been close!

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/09/20/the-tennis-128-no-45-conchita-martinez/

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
At 45 is Conchita Martinez - she wasnt on my list and being frank wouldnt have been close!

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/09/20/the-tennis-128-no-45-conchita-martinez/

Well that is one player I never considered at all !

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

In 44th place is that Czech/Egyptian double passport star of the 30's to 50s , Jaroslav Drobny

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/09/22/the-tennis-128-no-44-jaroslav-drobny/

It also says he has some sort of GB background, no idea about that so will need to read the article!!

Needless to say, he also avoided being on my list of 50! Of the 7 named in the top 50 so far, only 3 of them coincided with my list!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Indeed, by 1960 he had married a Brit, and become a British citizen and represented GB when he played that years Wimbledon final - so that would make him the last British man to reach a Wimbledon final before Andy, I guess?

I had no idea he had British representation - maybe the Greg Rusedski of his day?

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

JonH comes home wrote:
Indeed, by 1960 he had married a Brit, and become a British citizen and represented GB when he played that years Wimbledon final - so that would make him the last British man to reach a Wimbledon final before Andy, I guess?

I had no idea he had British representation - maybe the Greg Rusedski of his day?

He was on my list .He left Czechoslovakia rather similar to Martina's departure in the 1970's.I do have a copy of his autobiography.

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

GAMEOVER wrote:
JonH comes home wrote:
Indeed, by 1960 he had married a Brit, and become a British citizen and represented GB when he played that years Wimbledon final - so that would make him the last British man to reach a Wimbledon final before Andy, I guess?

I had no idea he had British representation - maybe the Greg Rusedski of his day?
He was on my list .He left Czechoslovakia rather similar to Martina's departure in the 1970's.I do have a copy of his autobiography.

I think my list probably aligns too closely to slam wins overall, not sure, which may take it astray at these lower levels. I imagine I will have closer alignment at the top end of the top 50, hopefully.

I havent got one spot on yet though, probably my closest was Azarenka. The 3 I do have in the top 50 that match with TA's list are Wilander, Jacobs and Azarenka

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

If Jeff's keep up this current pace of every two days, he will complete it all by December 17th, so just in the year! Good luck, Jeff!!

jsackmann · Social player

>become a British citizen and represented GB when he played that years Wimbledon final

That's slightly clumsy wording from me -- I meant that 1960 was his last Wimbledon. He lost in the first round. Had he made the final as a British citizen, it'd probably come up on every third BBC broadcast during the fortnight each year ;)

>I havent got one spot on yet though

Someone sent me their top 64 this week. It's a solid list, and even then, there's only one entry that matches my ranking exactly. There's a pair in the 30s that are the same, just reversed, and then maybe 10 that are off by exactly one spot.

>If Jeff's keep up this current pace of every two days, he will complete it all by December 17th, so just in the year! Good luck, Jeff!!

Thanks! My tentative, subject to certain change, schedule has #1 coming in on the 22nd. Fingers crossed--assuming they are not deformed by repetitive stress injuries by then.

-- Edited by jsackmann on Thursday 22nd of September 2022 09:42:32 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

jsackmann wrote:
>become a British citizen and represented GB when he played that years Wimbledon final

That's slightly clumsy wording from me -- I meant that 1960 was his last Wimbledon. He lost in the first round. Had he made the final as a British citizen, it'd probably come up on every third BBC broadcast during the fortnight each year ;)

>I havent got one spot on yet though

Someone sent me their top 64 this week. It's a solid list, and even then, there's only one entry that matches my ranking exactly. There's a pair in the 30s that are the same, just reversed, and then maybe 10 that are off by exactly one spot.

>If Jeff's keep up this current pace of every two days, he will complete it all by December 17th, so just in the year! Good luck, Jeff!!

Thanks! My tentative, subject to certain change, schedule has #1 coming in on the 22nd. Fingers crossed--assuming they are not deformed by repetitive stress injuries by then.

-- Edited by jsackmann on Thursday 22nd of September 2022 09:42:32 PM

Thanks Jeff - I wont send you my list as a) Im sure youre busy and b) Im keen to see the unveil, its much more interesting that way!

id actually be amazed to have any spot on outside the top 10 or so, and even then - the biggest thing is comparing a man with a woman and getting that correct, I feel, to try and say Serena or Roger , Martina or Borg is better is impossible without having cold hearted stats to differentiate them, and Doing that across 50 players is a merciless task!

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

What is fascinating is that some of my top 50 wont be in Jeffs but ALSO that as they havent appeared yet in Jeffs list, those few in my top 50 also wont be in Jeffs list at all - it is those ones Im particularly keen to see, at the end, where they would have placed !

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Ive just noticed the next player is up and it is one of my all time favourites, the poet Guillermo Vilas

www.tennisabstract.com/blog/2022/09/24/the-tennis-128-no-43-guillermo-vilas/

I had Vilas in and out of my list each time I rewrote it and in essence placed him 51! Ie he didnt make
My top 50 cut but probably should have!

His greatest achievement in my mind was winning those two Aussie Opens on grass and also the Masters the one year it was played on grass. The guy was the ultimate clay courter and yet, like Borg, found a way!

GAMEOVER · Satellite level

We have no. 43 Guillermo Vilas. I had him on an original long list but omitted him later.

-- Edited by GAMEOVER on Saturday 24th of September 2022 09:25:17 PM

JonH comes home · Tennis legend

Looks like we both thought the same, Gameover!

His biggest win in my view was this - not sure if Jeff saw this - which was the 1974 Masters at Kooyong on grass; more than the Aussie Open wins against weaker fields.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Commercial_Union_Assurance_Masters_%E2%80%93_Singles

In the Masters he beat Newcombe, Nastase, Borg in winning 5 matches. Same
Format as today.