The International Tennis Hall of Fame is hosting its annual 25o level event on the ATP tour. It is the only grass court event held on US soil. It is also the only grass court ATP tour event held after Wimbledon concludes. I attended the tournament in 1999 and watched Chris Woodruff win the title. …
Tag: Tennis History
Federer Facts
Earlier today I was running through some of Roger Federer’s records and standings in my mind. I was trying to wrap my head around these gaudy numbers. I figured it makes sense to post these records and then revise them as they change or a different record occurs to me or you. Why should I…
Federer’s 7 and 17
Roger Federer is Back on Top Roger Federer won a 7th Wimbledon title and a record extending 17th major title. He has returned to the #1 ranking. Federer has now tied Sampras’ records for 7 Wimbledon titles and for total weeks at #1. In one week, Roger will be the sole owner of the record…
Wimbledon Has Been Stingy Over the Past 20 Years
Historical Context In a real numbers sense, 20 titles have been handed out at each of the Grand Slams over a 20 year period of time. Of course, the Australian Open was held twice in 1977 and was not held in 1986. In 1967, Wimbledon held a professional tournament 2 weeks after the amateur event…
Tennis History: Nadal and Sharapova
A Trip Inside my Unofficial Historical Tennis Rankings The 2012 French Open is in the books. Sadly, the quick transition to grass rarely allows for the full impact of this event to be appreciated until later in the year. Still, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova made a great deal of history. Here is a quick…
2012 Men’s French Open Final: #1 Novak Djokovic versus #2 Rafael Nadal – Can Godzilla Be Stopped?
This match is what every tennis fan has been wanting since the conclusion of the 2012 Australian Open. Nadal pushed Djokovic for nearly 6 hours (6 hours!) in Melbourne. Can Rafa reverse the tide of 3 consecutive Grand Slam final losses to Novak? If Monte Carlo and Rome’s results are to be taken seriously,…
Roger and Serena Make History
Roger’s The One Roger Federer’s four set win today gives him sole possession of holding the most men’s Grand Slam singles match wins in the open era. His first round match allowed Federer to tie Jimmy Connors for the honor. I would not make too much of this record. Many players routinely skipped the Australian…
The Pyrenees Are No More – Spain’s Domination of Roland Garros
Louis XIV once said, “The Pyrenees are no more.” This sparked military conflict as the prospect of Spain and France being ruled by the same person was intolerable for the rest of Europe. Starting in 1993, Spain reversed King Louis’ notions and erased the Pyrenees in favor of Spanish rule. Wertheim’s Mailbag Jon Wertheim’s mailbag…
Turn Back the Clock: Federer vs. Ferrero 2004
Roger Federer’s 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 win over Juan Carlos Ferrero got me thinking about an earlier match between the two in which far more was at stake 2004 Federer vs. Ferrero in Melbourne It is easy to forget how well Juan Carlos Ferrero played in 2003. At the end of the 2003 season, a split…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 