History Roger Federer’s career has been marked by a lot of record setting. Yet, his head-to-head deficit versus Rafa Nadal has been the source of a lot of debate. Roger won their first 5-set major final by taking the 2007 Wimbledon final in an epic fashion. The 2008 Wimbledon final was a sequel that surpassed…
Category: Tennis History
Australian Open 1992 – My Favorite Final of the 1990s
I have been pressed for time quite a bit in recent weeks, but with the Australian Open starting next week I thankfully do again have more time to devote to tennis. My favorite Australian Open final ever was the 2012 marathon between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. This match also stands out to me because…
Tennis Abides: 2016 Year End Awards
Women’s Player of the Year: Angelique Kerber Kerber’s award is built upon two tent poles, namely her Australian and US Open titles. Yet, her Wimbledon runner-up finish and silver medal in Rio demonstrated Kerber’s capacity to sting together multiple quality results. That is a key for being number one. Her Cincinnati and Tour Championship runner-up…
The Impact of 2016 on Hall of Fame Candidacies
Already In Entering 2016 Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, and Maria Sharapova entered 2016 with the status that only something devastating could prevent their eventual enshrinement. Novak’s Nole Slam & Masters 1000 hauls, Serena’s 22nd major, Rafa’s gold medal in doubles, and Venus’ silver medal in mixed doubles all added…
Tennis History: Andy Murray is the 26th Man to be Ranked #1 since 1973
Andy #Murray is World No.1 #HistoryMaker pic.twitter.com/bi8LqjjdrY — British Tennis (@BritishTennis) November 5, 2016 I will write more about the tug-of-war between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray over the #1 ranking after the Paris Indoor ends. I do think it is amazing that only 26 men have had this distinction in a period the encompasses…
Angelique Kerber’s Stellar 2016 Emerged from Steady Play
Angelique Kerber is the number one player in women’s tennis and will finish 2016 as number one. It will be interesting to see if she can win the WTA Championships to cap off her great season, but she has had the best season in 2016. Here is a non-sequential look at Kerber’s 2016 season not…
Grand Slam Winning Points
My series looking into the origins of the tennis we see and love today has helped me to come across many videos of former greats claiming major titles. I thought I would share a few of these with you here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z5oplNnBiw Borg’s 11 McEnroe’s 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZeDuj0wELE Lendl’s 8 Edberg’s 6 I have a feeling I…
On the Origin of Contemporary Tennis – Part 3: Moving Away from Wooden Racquets
Billie Jean King won the US Championships, now the US Open, in 1967 using a Wilson T-2000 racquet. This was the first time someone won a major singles title using a non-wooden racquet. In 1974, Jimmy Connors went undefeated in Grand Slam play and dominated the men’s tour using the T-2000. It is odd to…
On the Origin of Contemporary Tennis – Part 2: The Inside-Out Forehand
The inside-out forehand is one of tennis’ biggest weapons. Many players use the shot to end a point out right or to take control of a point that will end shortly. This shot did not emerge out of thin air. Nick Bollettieri products who emerged in the 1980s tended to have big forehands that included…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 