*Official* Tennis Thread

[Mister Wright]

Moya will never win another slam, i just dont think he can sustain 7 matches of form to win any of the 4 majors, i believe he can still do some damage in the french by making it late into the 2nd week, but i dont think he can win one now...

I didn't say anthing like he could win another slam, I was just refuting Marc's comment that he is only good on clay.

 

[Simon]

Ivanisevic had a pretty good career but till he won a grandslam, it wasnt complete.

Safin has already won a grandslam and any one will tell you winning the big ones is far more important than reaching the semis of slams or being world number 2 for a short while.

I like the way Haas plays but he is still world number 17 right now. So 17th most consistent player on the tour right now. Certainly you have to be in the top 5 first consistently. Safin was exceptional last year by the end of it in the sense he had a chance of beating Federer. He has his own set of admirers, Sampras being one for obvious reasons.

Haas is promising but o are many others. Including one of my favourites, Coria, who has little chance in this tournament I am afraid.

26 isnt a small age in tennis. Haas has to do some thing big in the next two years or else he will remain some one like Philipoussis. Promising bu nothing more than that.

I believe Safin has astly improved on consistency and is about to reach bigger heights if he can grasp that opportunity. If Haas can do that as well, I will be delighted.

haas' ranking wont be accurate until around the middle of April, then he would have had the full 12 months of ranking points that safin has, again ill play the IF game, if he goes out in the 4th round to Safin and safin then goes out in the semis to federer haas ranking would then go up to about 10, while safins would drop to about 8, add to that 3 months of "free" points to gain and he would almost certainly jump him, unless marat has an extrodinary period...

i dont think its safe to say safin has improved on consistency, remember back in 200, before wimbledon he was ranked around 30, in a few months he played great tennis, won a masters series, won the US open and got his ranking up to 3. theres no denying he has periods of blistering tennis and then periods of very poor tennis. last year was the same, made the Aus open final, went missing for a while, and has a big end of the year to finish 4, a very good performance, but not consistent.

this year he played 4 matches, winning only 1 against a 17 year old who was playing his first grand slam, losing to Haas, Coria and a very woeful Davide Sanguinetti, all in all id ber susprised if he reaches as far as a 4th round haas showdown...

 

[Simon]

I didn't say anthing like he could win another slam, I was just refuting Marc's comment that he is only good on clay.

and i was making everyone aware of the fact i believe he cant win another grand slam...

 

[Pratters]

haas' ranking wont be accurate until around the middle of April, then he would have had the full 12 months of ranking points that safin has, again ill play the IF game, if he goes out in the 4th round to Safin and safin then goes out in the semis to federer haas ranking would then go up to about 10, while safins would drop to about 8, add to that 3 months of "free" points to gain and he would almost certainly jump him, unless marat has an extrodinary period...

i dont think its safe to say safin has improved on consistency, remember back in 200, before wimbledon he was ranked around 30, in a few months he played great tennis, won a masters series, won the US open and got his ranking up to 3. theres no denying he has periods of blistering tennis and then periods of very poor tennis. last year was the same, made the Aus open final, went missing for a while, and has a big end of the year to finish 4, a very good performance, but not consistent.

this year he played 4 matches, winning only 1 against a 17 year old who was playing his first grand slam, losing to Haas, Coria and a very woeful Davide Sanguinetti, all in all id ber susprised if he reaches as far as a 4th round haas showdown...

Safin was disappointing after he won the US Open in the sense he never reached much notable heights after that.

Safin played well for a longer period in the ending of last year. He plays some of the best tennis and I hope he hs gone throuh the inconsistent phase. Earlier tournament performances of the year would mean nothing if Safin performs well in this tournament which I hope he can do. I am not confident of him because of his career in the past.

Haas, I like him play but hasnt been in the big matches enough where it really counts. He has the potential and I hope he does well. With regards to his match vs Safin, Safin is a tournament favourite to reach the semis despite his pre tournament form. Haas remains an underdog because of being a huge under achiever till now despite having a good head to head.

 

[Simon]

Safin was disappointing after he won the US Open in the sense he never reached much notable heights after that.

Safin played well for a longer period in the ending of last year. He plays some of the best tennis and I hope he hs gone throuh the inconsistent phase. Earlier tournament performances of the year would mean nothing if Safin performs well in this tournament which I hope he can do. I am not confident of him because of his career in the past.

Haas, I like him play but hasnt been in the big matches enough where it really counts. He has the potential and I hope he does well. With regards to his match vs Safin, Safin is a tournament favourite to reach the semis despite his pre tournament form. Haas remains an underdog because of being a huge under achiever till now despite having a good head to head.

before he got his groin injury (which he is 100% over) haas was 7th favourite for the open, seems the bookmakers still have faith in him to prodice something....
i still cant understand how u can call haas a huge underachiever, theres only 4 grand slams a year to win, its impossible for anyone else in the Sampras/federer era to win wimbledon, with the exception of a couple of years where good players were in great form, hes not gonna win the french open, ill concede that, but hes showed good form on the hard courts, so when u consider that grand slam winners are usually in the mid to late twenties, and hes spent most of that time injured, hes not really under achieved at all, i like to look at it in the view hes had a solid platform to what could be a very good career, maybe he wont win a slam, but i wouldnt be saying hes underachieved just yet....

 

[Pratters]

but i wouldnt be saying hes underachieved just yet....

How many grand slams has he appeared in and what has his performance been? Enlighten me on this please.

 

[Mister Wright]

How many grand slams has he appeared in and what has his performance been? Enlighten me on this please.

Haas' career

Not much of a player off the hardcourts, at least not in Grand Slams.

 

[Simon]

How many grand slams has he appeared in and what has his performance been? Enlighten me on this please.

Year Australian Open Roland Garros Wimbledon US Open

1996 - - - 1ST
1997 - - 2ND 3RD
1998 1ST 1ST 3RD 2ND
1999 SF 3RD 3RD 4TH
2000 2ND 3RD 3RD 2ND
2001 2ND 2ND 1ST 4TH
2002 SF 4TH - 4TH
2004 - 1ST 2ND QF

since he turned 22 hes been pretty solid in the slams, last year he got ferrero in the first round of the french, so that was a tough draw, i thought he was a good thing in the 2002 US open, got beaten by Sampras when he was having that magic run, a lot of people thought haas would have beaten him, but oh well... so since wimbledon 2001 hes been quite good in the grand slams...

 

[Simon]

Haas' career

Not much of a player off the hardcourts, at least not in Grand Slams.

he won houston on the clay in the middle of last year, beating roddick in the final...

 

[Pratters]

I agree his career was hampered in possibly a good phase. But every one goes through ups and downs. He has reached just two grand slam semis in numerous appearances. Compare it with others at 24. Does make him an under achiever despite missing around two crucial years.

 

[Simon]

funnily, haas thinks his best surface is clay, i never thought that until he won houston, but his gameis well suited to it, he has the shots to stay in long points and the touches to finish them off, in the past it was his physical fitness that held him back from winning long 5 setters, but since his come back from injury, his stamina is better than ever....

 

[Simon]

I agree his career was hampered in possibly a good phase. But every one goes through ups and downs. He has reached just two grand slam semis in numerous appearances. Compare it with others at 24. Does make him an under achiever despite missing around two crucial years.

look, my point is, im not sure u can call a guy whos been world number 2 an under achiever, thomas muster was a great player, but had a 4 month period near the end of his career where he won a bunch of tournaments and went world number 1, he was never an under achiever because he was near the top for a period of time...

under achievers are players like Xavier Malisse, Nicholas Lappentti who show(ed) so much promised, yet never become anymore than a dangerous floater in a grand slam draw ranked around 35....

 

[Pratters]

look, my point is, im not sure u can call a guy whos been world number 2 an under achiever, thomas muster was a great player, but had a 4 month period near the end of his career where he won a bunch of tournaments and went world number 1, he was never an under achiever because he was near the top for a period of time...

Thomas Muster had that terrible injury. He came back, dominated French Open and was world number 1 as well as at top 5 of the rankings for a good period.

Haas was number 2 for a brief period and has achieved nothing. He has reached pre quarters of Grand Slams and not even the semis more than once. So he has under achieved at this point.

If he can make an impac any where near Muster did after returning, he would have earned his rightful place among achievers.

 

[Simon]

Thomas Muster had that terrible injury. He came back, dominated French Open and was world number 1 as well as at top 5 of the rankings for a good period.

Haas was number 2 for a brief period and has achieved nothing. He has reached pre quarters of Grand Slams and not even the semis more than once. So he has under achieved at this point.

If he can make an impac any where near Muster did after returning, he would have earned his rightful place among achievers.

achieved nothing? if u tell haas or anyone else that their olympic medal is worthless im sure they will laugh at u, anyway, i still think ur missing the point and im going to bed....

 

[Pratters]

achieved nothing? if u tell haas or anyone else that their olympic medal is worthless im sure they will laugh at u, anyway, i still think ur missing the point and im going to bed....

Did not achieve as much as he should have even without the injuries. Olympic silver is good but even Bruguera won it.

Good night.

 

[marc71178]

I didn't say anthing like he could win another slam, I was just refuting Marc's comment that he is only good on clay.

I was making a joke about the phone networks, nothing about his ability!

 

[Mister Wright]

I was making a joke about the phone networks, nothing about his ability!

Oh, sorry.

 

[Peanutbutterbar]

How old is that fairly good looking aussie chik that played today? The one with a ponytail and a cap on.

 

[Anil]

Year Australian Open Roland Garros Wimbledon US Open

1996 - - - 1ST
1997 - - 2ND 3RD
1998 1ST 1ST 3RD 2ND
1999 SF 3RD 3RD 4TH
2000 2ND 3RD 3RD 2ND
2001 2ND 2ND 1ST 4TH
2002 SF 4TH - 4TH
2004 - 1ST 2ND QF

since he turned 22 hes been pretty solid in the slams, last year he got ferrero in the first round of the french, so that was a tough draw, i thought he was a good thing in the 2002 US open, got beaten by Sampras when he was having that magic run, a lot of people thought haas would have beaten him, but oh well... so since wimbledon 2001 hes been quite good in the grand slams...

but is he really champion material? he is a good player and at one time was touted as a future champion, but has done very little since to support that view, injuries notwithstanding....dangerous player at every tournament he enters....on his day can hold his own with the best....but hasn't shown that he has it in to do it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year....

 

[Simon]

but is he really champion material? he is a good player and at one time was touted as a future champion, but has done very little since to support that view, injuries notwithstanding....dangerous player at every tournament he enters....on his day can hold his own with the best....but hasn't shown that he has it in to do it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year....

go back and read the last page, im sure u will get my feelings then....