[alfajeffster]

"Kournikova (when she was good)"

a little question, did you see this match?

Yes, the only one of Graf's last 4 matches they didn't televise was the Davenport match. I thought Kournikova played well- as well as I ever saw her play on clay.

 

[irma]

Yes, the only one of Graf's last 4 matches they didn't televise was the Davenport match. I thought Kournikova played well- as well as I ever saw her play on clay.

you know what heinz gunthardt said afterwards? this title is steffi's since it's impossible to play worse then this

 

[tennisjam]

Navratilova and Seles were way better...

Graf was a very lucky player and very "lucky loser" if looking closer to her career facts...

Seles is "unlucky winner"...

And as for Navratilova, no need to discuss why she is the best so far...

even short Martina's career is more impressive in few ways than the Steffi's one...

still for obvious reasons and qualities she had, she is one of the best, no doubt...

 

[irma]

anna played well in the last game till 3 setpoints then it was crappy again and steffi won

well french open 99 was not her best level by far but it proves to me that she always had been the best clayplayer if only she had believed herself at certain periods

but that's life

 

[DA FOREHAND]

Graf was outplayed at French final '99 and she didn't seem tired at all but upset by clever Martina's tactical choices...and it was one of the best Steffi's matches of the year...

Martina didn't play solid enough at the end of the second set to simply close up that match as she should...and it can be said that "conditions" rather favoured Graf

...and Graf was surely good, but not "that" good

Yes Graf was being outplayed, changed her strategy, and outplayed Hingis when it mattered most.


She was simply that GREAT!

 

[irma]

Navratilova and Seles were way better...

Graf was a very lucky player and very "lucky loser" if looking closer to her career facts...

Seles is "unlucky winner"...

And as for Navratilova, no need to discuss why she is the best so far...

even short Martina's career is more impressive in few ways than the Steffi's one...

still for obvious reasons and qualities she had, she is one of the best, no doubt...

martina retired at 22, steffi had 10, martina 5

see the difference?

 

[irma]

steffi won slams 10 years in a row, martina 3 (and she didn't retire in 99)

enough said

 

[DA FOREHAND]

The Grand Slam

 

[tennisjam]

:lol:

you are so "Grafocholic" that it makes you already blind...

Martina is better tennis player and to me it appears so obvious that I don't even feel the need to discuss over it...

 

[alfajeffster]

Navratilova and Seles were way better...

Graf was a very lucky player and very "lucky loser" if looking closer to her career facts...

Seles is "unlucky winner"...

And as for Navratilova, no need to discuss why she is the best so far...

even short Martina's career is more impressive in few ways than the Steffi's one...

still for obvious reasons and qualities she had, she is one of the best, no doubt...

I'd have to agree that Seles was better on clay, and missed out on probably a couple more French Open titles. She wouldn't have beaten Graf anywhere else except the slow Rebound Ace rubber in Australia.

"Steffi Graf is the greatest singles player of all time"- Billie Jean King

 

[irma]

:lol:

you are so "Grafocholic" that it makes you already blind...

Martina is better tennis player and to me it appears so obvious that I don't even feel the need to discuss over it...

congrats stay with what you believe

 

[irma]

I'd have to agree that Seles was better on clay, and missed out on probably a couple more French Open titles. She wouldn't have beaten Graf anywhere else except the slow Rebound Ace rubber in Australia.

"Steffi Graf is the greatest singles player of all time"- Billie Jean King

as said I can't agree with the monica better on clay clay story. I will refuse to believe it forever

 

[tennisjam]

she should be thankfull Martina wasn't born 10 years earlier...

although she still had to leave her spot to another "enfant terrible" at a time but with Martina, it would have happened even earlier...

that old lucky Steffi...

 

[tennisjam]

I just saw '87 US open final on ESPN classics...I don't recommand it to you...

 

[irma]

maybe she was unlucky she wasn't born in the 19th century

 

[tennisjam]

 

[M2k]

Graf was outplayed at French final '99 and she didn't seem tired at all but upset by clever Martina's tactical choices...and it was one of the best Steffi's matches of the year...

Martina didn't play solid enough at the end of the second set to simply close up that match as she should...and it can be said that "conditions" rather favoured Graf

...and Graf was surely good, but not "that" good

In 1999 Graf was way over her prime and still was good enough to take on Hingis, Venus, Serena, Anna, and the rest. Sorry she was that good.

 

[tennisjam]

yeah, she was sooooo over her prime...like Nathalie Tauziat at the end of her career...

I'd say she was make understood that her game was over it's prime

 

[alfajeffster]

as said I can't agree with the monica better on clay clay story. I will refuse to believe it forever

I think it's possible- not a given, mind you, but possible that had Seles not been stabbed, she would have gone on to dominate at the French for a few years- until she grew up into her body and became a slower player. Clay is the last surface a slower player can win on- the rest require much more quickness.

That said- it is also entirely possible that Graf would have won the French in 95 and 96 anyway. It's not like she never beat Seles on clay, and their matches were so close, there's really no telling.

One thing's for sure- Serena Williams will never equal either of their records on clay. She's just not a natural on the stuff, and the competition just got tougher recently.

 

[irma]

yeah, she was sooooo over her prime...like Nathalie Tauziat at the end of her career...

I'd say she was make understood that her game was over it's prime

when did tauziat miss a year of competition?