Players Who Just "Click" Against Certain Players?

[Fiero425]

Or Borg over Connors, 15-5.

Borg-Connors was a little bit similar to Federer-Nadal. Connors kept it respectable early on, but he was already 26 and 27 when Borg really turned it on. You got the feeling that it would have been much closer if Connors was closer to his physical peak a few years earlier. After Connors hit 29, I don't think he won another game against Bjorn, the physical difference just made too much of an impact in the scoreline.

Borg always kept a few more balls in play, and had the more consistent baseline game, and it seemed that Connors had to play beyond himself to win. Then there was the height problem.. Connors was a little too small to really play against Borg's heavy spin.

It balanced out in the majors though! Borg personally stopped Connors from winning 4 or 5 Wimbledons and Jimmy returned the favor at the USO on clay and HC! Bjorn was just real unlucky at Forest Hills and Flushing Meadows; a couple injuries with his shoulder and thumb where he couldn't even hold onto his racket smacking it to the ground after a few serves!

 

[britbox]

Or Borg over Connors, 15-5.

Borg-Connors was a little bit similar to Federer-Nadal. Connors kept it respectable early on, but he was already 26 and 27 when Borg really turned it on. You got the feeling that it would have been much closer if Connors was closer to his physical peak a few years earlier. After Connors hit 29, I don't think he won another game against Bjorn, the physical difference just made too much of an impact in the scoreline.

Borg always kept a few more balls in play, and had the more consistent baseline game, and it seemed that Connors had to play beyond himself to win. Then there was the height problem.. Connors was a little too small to really play against Borg's heavy spin.

Connors did beat Borg regularly after Bjorn had retired in some pretty big money matches, and Borg was beating Mac at the same time in a few of them also. Admittedly he had retired, but this was pretty much happening straight after he'd quit, not when he returned as a shell years later. I guess that small edge made a lot of difference.

 

[Denis]

Good thread.

Krajicek v Sampras comes to mind. I still recall that magical QF in 1996. Krajicek always played well against the pistol.

Also, more generally, Nadal v Spain. Nadal does everything better and has that forehand. I wonder what his h2h is overall against his countrymen.

 

[brokenshoelace]

As for replying to the OP, I would have to say that Nalbandian playing well against anyone is the best example of a player I can think of who just "clicks" against the competition. I know this isn't too specific, but then again it is - because it meets the requirements of the question in a very significant way. Nalbandian does just "click" against anyone and everyone when he is playing well.

Nalbandian has a kind of game that isn't especially troubled by a specific type of players. Meaning he might lose because he gets outplayed, lose because he didn't play well, because he shanked balls, etc... but rarely because the opponent's style specifically troubles him. Which is why when he's on his game he looks good pretty much against any type of player, win or lose.

 

[britbox]

Agassi/Becker was another. The stats are misleading as it was only 9-5, but the last 11 it was 9-2 in Andre's favour. He learned to read Becker's serve like a book.

 

[shawnbm]

I will have to check, but I have a hard time believing Connors and Borg only played twenty times. At any rate, Borg turned the tide against Connors starting with the Pepsi Slam in Boca Raton in early 1979--from that point forward (which coincided with Jimbo's marriage to Patti McGuire and falling to #3) Borg won nine or ten straight against Connors. I believe they played a couple of times in 1982 and Connors won them both, but not certain of whether that counts in the H2H. Before 1979, they were largely even against each other--and Connors had a few years are Bjorn too.

 

[Fiero425]

I will have to check, but I have a hard time believing Connors and Borg only played twenty times. At any rate, Borg turned the tide against Connors starting with the Pepsi Slam in Boca Raton in early 1979--from that point forward (which coincided with Jimbo's marriage to Patti McGuire and falling to #3) Borg won nine or ten straight against Connors. I believe they played a couple of times in 1982 and Connors won them both, but not certain of whether that counts in the H2H. Before 1979, they were largely even against each other--and Connors had a few years are Bjorn too.

OMG, you must be as old as me! lol! Those were great events back then before tennis exploded to what it is today; the Pepsi Grand Slam! WOW! That was about the time Borg started owning Connors, even though they competed well up to that point! It was on clay, so that helped Borg! After his loss to Connors at the '76 USO final in Forest Hills, he may not have lost a set on that surface again! IIRC, Jimmy was shocked by Bjorn in their 1st match indoors, then won 7 straight before the Swede evened it out; esp. at Wimbledon several times in semis and finals!