2013 US Open Thread

[Sarcastic]

Game has slowed down? If you mean that serve-and-volley is dying, sure, but that's because the game has sped up.
Players got so strong and racquets got so effective that they don't need to take the risk to charge the net, when they can simply launch bombs from the baseline to win points... that's it.
And you didn't have returners like Nole or Murray until some years ago.

The surfaces have been slowed down, especially at Wimbledon. Nadal would never have won in the 1980s or 1990s with the low cut grass they used to play on.

[Jasi]

The surfaces have been slowed down, especially at Wimbledon. Nadal would never have won in the 1980s or 1990s with the low cut grass they used to play on.

Yes, there was a time some ten years ago when the game had sped up too much in terms of serves, and aces were too frequent (the days of Krajicek, Philippoussis, Ivanisevic, Rusedski), matches too short and less varied for the people to enjoy.
So yes, surfaces (and serves) have been slowing down.
But overall the game is dramatically more powerful and faster than before (especially compared to the '80s and early '90s).
Just compare a baseline exchange of the '80s with one of today, it's not even close.

[Carbine]

I don't understand how no matter how many titles Nadal wins, he will never be a better tennis player than Federer.

Um, they have played against one another....and Nadal owns a 8-2 record. Nadal has a winning record against every ranked player! In probably the deepest and most talented pool of players of all time.

Nadal has no Nadal to his Federer.

Seems like an illogical view point to have, IMO.

[Sarcastic]

I don't understand how no matter how many titles Nadal wins, he will never be a better tennis player than Federer.

Um, they have played against one another....and Nadal owns a 8-2 record. Nadal has a winning record against every ranked player! In probably the deepest and most talented pool of players of all time.

Nadal has no Nadal to his Federer.

Seems like an illogical view point to have, IMO.

I agree with you about Nadal. I disagree with you about the deepest field of all time. It's the most top heavy of all time. The same 4 guys win every tournament.

[b1imtf]

I think Sampras would have trouble nowadays because the surfaces have changed and the game has "slowed down". Sampras is like the best serve and volleyerererer ever. But no one plays that style nowadays.

But still.....

Sampras > Lebron

Anyone's posts> yours

[Carbine]

I agree with you about Nadal. I disagree with you about the deepest field of all time. It's the most top heavy of all time. The same 4 guys win every tournament.

What era had a more deep, talented pool of players?

[Jasi]

It is too difficult to compare wide pools of players from different eras.

First half the '90s was quite deep anyways.

You had Becker, Edberg, Agassi, Sampras, Courier in the top tier. Late McEnroe too.
And then guys like Chang, Muster, Chesnokov, Mecir, Emilio Sanchez, Brad Gilbert, Novacek, Magnus Larsson, Richard Fromberg, Jonas Svensson, Guy Forget, Ivanisevic, Bruguera, Stich, Krajicek, Berasategui, Korda, Kafelnikov, Medvedev...

I can't say why they stand out to me as a better pool than the current one, but they do.

[gigantes]

it's the racquets. those are without a doubt in my mind, the single biggest thing that's changed over the decades.

the speed of the courts, the enlargement of the talent pool, the general technique of the game, the training and nutrition... all push the sport forward, but are still in the rear view mirror to the main thing.


racquets are dramatically lighter, more powerful, with bigger sweet spots, spinnier, and with more options and tweaks available than ever before. this opens WIDE the possibilities for advanced technique and for stronger and more athletic players to take advantage of.

honorable mention: the strings.