Talk About Tennis 2.0

I'd say we should look at players who got close multiple times but never won.

Marcelo Rios is my pick for the male player who never won a title.

I really have to think about a female player and that says more about me than about the WTA.

Rios for the men, and Safina or Jankovic for the women. Keys could also end up in this category

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 8:18 pm I'd say we should look at players who got close multiple times but never won.

Cedric Pioline, then. Always forgotten, yet, one USO Final, one W final. Both losses to Pete, but still, quite an accomplishment.

Pioline was good, but I never considered him to be a 'top player'.

Mecir made 2 Major Finals, as well - Australia and U.S. Open -, losing to Lendl both times. He also lost in the Semis at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. And to me, Mecir was a better player than was Pioline.

A couple of people have mentioned Safina for the women... This surprises me somewhat, as, when Safina was #1 in the world, everyone and their grandmother (and Serena) were ridiculing that, saying that she's the most undeserving #1 player in history.
Yes, she reached 3 Major Finals... but she never struck me as being a true force in tennis.
Of course, she had to deal with the inevitable comparisons to her brother, as well, which surely was not easy.

True forces did win majors. So we're necessarily talking here about the 2nd tier.

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:30 pm True forces did win majors. So we're necessarily talking here about the 2nd tier.

I suppose...
But we're also trying to determine the BEST of the second tier - which I would think is pretty close to being considered a true force over a period of time.

So far I've seen Aga Radwanska, Dinara Safina, Jelena Jankovic, Sukova, Shriver (Never a great singles player IMO) and I know I'm leaving some players out for the Best of the Rest category. Is there a poll coming up?

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:47 pm So far I've seen Aga Radwanska, Dinara Safina, Jelena Jankovic, Sukova, Shriver (Never a great singles player IMO) and I know I'm leaving some players out for the Best of the Rest category. Is there a poll coming up?

If there's a poll, wouldn't Radwanska automatically be declared the winner?

I wouldn't vote for her. Never cared for her style and never thought she was strong enough physically to win a Slam.

ti-amie wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:59 pm I wouldn't vote for her. Never cared for her style and never thought she was strong enough physically to win a Slam.

I wouldn't necessarily vote for her, either - but I maintain that if there's a poll, she would automatically win.

(Just a little play on words here - I guess it would work better orally than it does in writing )

Tony Roche, Gene Mayer, David Ferrer, Nalbandian..are also candidates..Roche was about par with Newcombe but Newcombe did much better eventually..

Yikes, forgot that Roche did win RG once. But I would agree Safina is probably the one who came closest..

Suliso wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:30 pm True forces did win majors. So we're necessarily talking here about the 2nd tier.

Mostly true...of course though I think Dementieva, Safina and Radwanska were better than some who did win...