Pete Sampras

[Flying Tiger]

I don't watch much tennis, but I just saw him get beat by a 19-year-old. That's gotta suck. I've never heard of the guy, but that doesn't mean anything. I know Murphy watches tennis. What's yalls take on the match?

[djb]

I think it's pretty incredible how the guy's 56-2 in Wimbledon since 1993! I'm not a big fan of his though..Agassi's the man!

[Murphy3]

i'm not a huge sampras fan, but i'm tired of everyone bashing the guy because he's a good person, has morals...what the hells that all about? i'm all for a good time but give the guy some credit for being who he is and sticking to his guns.
pete sampras might be the most dominating men's tennis player ever...

but, i'm with you, Andre Agassi's the man..i love watching him play....

[Flying Tiger]

If I had a favorite tennis it would probably be Andre.

[Murphy3]

andre and martina hingis

[Flying Tiger]

Andre and Anna (I'm not even going to try to spell her last name)

[Murphy3]

Kournikova

[Flying Tiger]

Thanks...she's a babe.

[Murphy3]

oh yeah, definitely..but i still like hingis better

[Flying Tiger]

...whatever

[Fidel]

Agassi sucks.
Boris Becker was the best.
Capriati sucks, she´s on steroids (I hope she loses to Serena Williams today, who is on steroids too).
Sampras is old now and will retire soon, but he was the finest player in tennis in the 90´s.
Justine Henin and Leyton Hewitt are the up and coming stars (Hewitt is out though in Wimbledon). Marat Safin isn´t bad either.
I hope Ivanisevic wins it all this year, but the chances are slim.
And Gustavo Kuerten is the King of Paris.

[Murphy3]

you suck, and your post sucks.
you suck more than anyone's ever sucked before,. in the history of ever.

go suck somewhere else

[Murphy3]

just giving you a hard time.
but, if agassi sucks, and he's a definite to be in the tennis hall of fame, then..how many people in the history of tennis don't suck? ..
?
3, 4, 5?

just curious

[LonestarROB]

Tennis? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

[Fidel]

Misunderstanding there Murph,
Agassi doesn´t suck as a player, he´s probably the best right now. I just don´t like him. Well I guess that´s a difference, but I didn´t think it would be as important on a tennis thread.
But there are some players I would rate higher than Agassi. Sampras, Rod Laver, Borg, Mc Enroe, Connors, Lendl.
Becker pretty much accomplished the same when it comes to winning majors, but he wasn´t Nr. 1 for a long time because of injuries.
Wilander, Edberg were also good but I´d rate them behind Agassi.
Had Agassi been dating Steffi Graf ten years earlier he could have been the gratest ever, cause since they are a couple he´s a force. I guess Graf kicks his butt like she used to kick her own (just what made her the gratest woman ever in tennis).

[Murphy3]

nah fidel, i was just giving you a hard time.
i know agassi isn't the best ever.
however, he may be the best ever from the baseline..and maybe the best service returner of all time...
but, i think he's a top 5 to 7 player..

his game, when he's on, he's almost unstoppable, but it's harder to be on as often from the baseline. it's simply an easier game when you can serve and volley, and that's never been agassi's strong point

[Fidel]

Good call Murph,
but another problem of Agassi was mental toughness. That has changed dramatically since he´s with Steffi.
And not to the advantage of tennis, serve and volley seems to die. Just because it´s harder to master. When you are good at it (like Sampras) you have an advantage. But it´s pretty tough to become a good, high percentage serve and volley player. Just look at the womans circuit. Venus Williams is tall, has a good serve, but yet she plays the same baseline power tennis everyone plays.
On the mens circuit there are only two players left that can really dominate with serve and volley. Sampras and Rafter. All of the young guys like Hewitt, Safin, Federer, Ferrero play baseline tennis.

[Murphy3]

once you're good at serve and volley..it's easier to consistently be a good serve and volley guy than a guy that pounds away from the baseline..
you have to be so precise from the baseline (especially against a serve and volley guy).

women's tennis is different, i've only watched it to see martina hingis and chris evert because they're hot.

no offense, but alot of the serve and volley crap is boring
those types of players, it's usually serve, return, volley..end of ralley.
or it's serve, end of point,...or service winner, end of point. that gets old.
it's better for the game to have more baseline players..makes for more entertaining rallies and matches

[Fidel]

One dimensional tennis is boring to me.
Rusedski is a one dimensional serve and volley player, cause he hasn´t got any baseline game. Edberg was the same.
I like allround players like Sampras. Or like Becker later in his career.
That all around kind of tennis is dying, cause it´s so hard to master every aspect of the game. A lot of players seem to decide between baseline and volley play these days, and they pick baseline tennis. Cause todays tennis is so quick that it´s very hard to survive as a pure serve and volley player.
I just wish there would be some more allround players like Sampras, but I guess in todays tennis, it would take a tremendous talent to master a style like this.
Between one dimensional baseline and serve&volley players I´m with you though. I´d pick baseline over serve&volley any day.

[Big Boy Laroux]

all i have to say... capriati!

[Murphy3]

agassi is actually a much improved volleyer..

yeah, there's nothing wrong with a guy that can hit from the baseline and serve and volley..but, ..i prefer the guys that hit from the baseline but will serve and volley on occasion

[Flying Tiger]

AH...dj, please lock this thread so they will stop all the tennis talk! I know I started it, but they've taken it too far.