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Vika's loss to Serena got me thinking: which players in tennis history, men's or women's, had their career most impacted by one single other player? Whose greatness was dimmed and might have been considered much greater if that other player had never been?
The first name that comes to mind is Andy Roddick. If you take Roger Federer away, Andy might have won 4 or 5 Slams and been in the category of Vilas, Courier, and Ashe. Andy wasn't a truly great player - his game was too narrow in dimension - but in the otherwise weakish field of the first half of the 2000s, he probably would have won more, and maybe even one or two after Nadal and then Djokovic came on the scene.
Of course there's Roger and Rafa. Roger might have 22+ Slams by now if it weren't for Rafa.
Agassi and Sampras come to mind as well. Agassi would have probably won a few more.
Borg and McEnroe is intriguing. If Johnny Mac hadn't come along and supplanted Bjorn as the greatest in the world, would Bjorn have tired? Or would he have cruised for a few more years of dominance and ended with 15-20 Slams?
In women's tennis it is difficult to say, but oddly enough Serena and Venus come to mind. How many times did Serena beat Venus in a Slam? Venus would have won at least a few more if it hadn't been for her younger sister.
What do you think?
(Cali's going to bring up Nalbandian and Federer, I presume!)
The first name that comes to mind is Andy Roddick. If you take Roger Federer away, Andy might have won 4 or 5 Slams and been in the category of Vilas, Courier, and Ashe. Andy wasn't a truly great player - his game was too narrow in dimension - but in the otherwise weakish field of the first half of the 2000s, he probably would have won more, and maybe even one or two after Nadal and then Djokovic came on the scene.
Of course there's Roger and Rafa. Roger might have 22+ Slams by now if it weren't for Rafa.
Agassi and Sampras come to mind as well. Agassi would have probably won a few more.
Borg and McEnroe is intriguing. If Johnny Mac hadn't come along and supplanted Bjorn as the greatest in the world, would Bjorn have tired? Or would he have cruised for a few more years of dominance and ended with 15-20 Slams?
In women's tennis it is difficult to say, but oddly enough Serena and Venus come to mind. How many times did Serena beat Venus in a Slam? Venus would have won at least a few more if it hadn't been for her younger sister.
What do you think?
(Cali's going to bring up Nalbandian and Federer, I presume!)