Rafa - Calendar Grand Slam - 2014?

[Kieran]

Let's not forget Agassi's "super career slam", since he is the only guy that has achieved it. Career "golden slam" plus WTF.

Come on, we're allowing a lot of secondary tourneys to be associated with the word "slam". We have four grand slams, no gold medal slams or WTF slams.

Four majors - the cream of the sport!

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Let's not forget Agassi's "super career slam", since he is the only guy that has achieved it. Career "golden slam" plus WTF.

Come on, we're allowing a lot of secondary tourneys to be associated with the word "slam". We have four grand slams, no gold medal slams or WTF slams.

Four majors - the cream of the sport!

I know brother..just giving the guy props for achieving something that is unique to him.

 

[Front242]

Don't forget Nalbandian's tequila slam.

 

[Kieran]

Don't forget Nalbandian's tequila slam.

And Prince's Glam Slam, thank you ma'am, you really made my day! :snigger

 

[Fiero425]

Let's not forget Agassi's "super career slam", since he is the only guy that has achieved it. Career "golden slam" plus WTF.

Come on, we're allowing a lot of secondary tourneys to be associated with the word "slam". We have four grand slams, no gold medal slams or WTF slams.

Four majors - the cream of the sport!

The tennis powers-that-be have been trying to create a 5th slam or major for over 20 years! First it was the Masters, then Miami having the same major format with both women and men! Indian Wells was thought of as the next biggest venue in the world a few years ago! Silly IMO! It's just another tournament with great accomodations; period! It doesn't have the history or even full support when The Williams' have decided never to attend due to problems from over 10 years ago? Even though I'm not from Europe, you have to give more props and all due respect for old tourneys like Rome! It's had spotty attendance in the past, but it's still huge IMO!

 

[Kieran]

Even though I'm not from Europe, you have to give more props and all due respect for old tourneys like Rome! It's had spotty attendance in the past, but it's still huge IMO!

That's true, buddy, and Rome was once considered the Fifth Slam, by the media. I think they like to tinker with things, hype them up a little. We had a lot of huge big giant events that were to challenge the status of the slams, but even when Oz fell into disfavour with the top lads, there was never a suggestion of down-grading it.

Shows how special the Four are, really. I certainly wouldn't like to see a fifth slam seriously considered by whatever powers that be at the time...

 

[Front242]

If there were 5 slams there would simply be way too many injured players out there. 4 is more than enough. With too much mileage on their legs we'd all be missing our favourite players as they sat at home or hobbled along on crutches.

 

[Fiero425]

Even though I'm not from Europe, you have to give more props and all due respect for old tourneys like Rome! It's had spotty attendance in the past, but it's still huge IMO!

That's true, buddy, and Rome was once considered the Fifth Slam, by the media. I think they like to tinker with things, hype them up a little. We had a lot of huge big giant events that were to challenge the status of the slams, but even when Oz fell into disfavour with the top lads, there was never a suggestion of down-grading it.

Shows how special the Four are, really. I certainly wouldn't like to see a fifth slam seriously considered by whatever powers that be at the time...

You're very young; just guessing! I was around back in the 70's when players like Johan Kriek (2 titles), Brian Teacher, and Mark Edmondson won the Aussie for the men and women winners were led by Barbara Jordan, Chris O'Neil, & Kerry Melville-Reid! Top players didn't want to be bothered with the flight, the lousy conditions with wind and bugs, so believe me, OZ was being down-graded; hense their rush to create a new venue with an elevation in the winner's check!

 

[Kieran]

I'm neither young nor old, so I'll take it as a compliment! :blush:

I remember all those players, but when I say about Oz being downgraded, I meant there was never any serious suggestion it should become an ex-slam, and be replaced by Rome, or somewhere else. But I might not have the memory of it you have, and perhaps you're right, that there were suggestions and that's what put the flame under Oz to get their act together...

 

[Fiero425]

I'm neither young nor old, so I'll take it as a compliment! :blush:

I remember all those players, but when I say about Oz being downgraded, I meant there was never any serious suggestion it should become an ex-slam, and be replaced by Rome, or somewhere else. But I might not have the memory of it you have, and perhaps you're right, that there were suggestions and that's what put the flame under Oz to get their act together...

They certainly did get their act together making it the most popular major out there really! It used to be the French Open with how they pampered and chauffeured the players around along with a nice check for the winner! It all changed with a huge upgrade "down under!" Outside of the majors, Miami was thought to be the best, but I think the title now resides with Indian Wells! I don't watch as much as I used to, but that's what I remember!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

 

[Fiero425]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

Is that anything like "The Old World" triple; Rome, Paris, London? Borg did in '78 IIRC!

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

Is that anything like "The Old World" triple; Rome, Paris, London? Borg did in '78 IIRC!

No, you have to make it up yourself. I have not heard of it before.

However, there is a CLAY slam. This is sweeping all clay masters events and
French Open in the same year. Rafa did it in one year. However, it is noteworthy
that even Rafa could pull it off only in one year.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

Is that anything like "The Old World" triple; Rome, Paris, London? Borg did in '78 IIRC!

No, you have to make it up yourself. I have not heard of it before.

However, there is a CLAY slam. This is sweeping all clay masters events and
French Open in the same year. Rafa did it in one year. However, it is noteworthy
that even Rafa could pull it off only in one year.

Muster in 1995 did the clay slam too, no? He won like 40 matches on clay, 6-7 tournamnets in a row .

 

[Kieran]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

And Laver! Rod achieved this twice...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

And Laver! Rod achieved this twice...

Bad phrasing by me again. As noted in the original posting on this topic,
all seven career grand slam winners (not just Rod Laver) automatically also
have won career channel slam. When you look at people who have not
won career grand slam, only Borg has achieved channel slam. When you
look at folks other than above, there seems to be many, at least 5,
who have achieved career channel slam.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

May be we should collect all these records and put in a designated place in tennis frontier
so that we do not have to rediscover them again. I know there are many web sites already
that have various records in them. But many of them are fan based trying to project their guy.
It would be nice to have one place where all sorts (both ordinary and esoteric) records can
be found.

I don't have the energy to do it. Perhaps, some interested organizers of this forum
and/or statistical contributors like Dude might want to take up the project.

Just a thought.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There are at least 5 other players besides Roger, Rafa and Borg who have achieved
career channel slam. I don't remember all their names. But, I do remember seeing
Manuel Santana, Jack Crawford and Henri Cochet among them. I give up for now
on compiling a complete list for this category; may be some other time.

However, only Roger, Rafa and Borg were able to do channel slam.

Is that anything like "The Old World" triple; Rome, Paris, London? Borg did in '78 IIRC!

No, you have to make it up yourself. I have not heard of it before.

However, there is a CLAY slam. This is sweeping all clay masters events and
French Open in the same year. Rafa did it in one year. However, it is noteworthy
that even Rafa could pull it off only in one year.

Muster in 1995 did the clay slam too, no? He won like 40 matches on clay, 6-7 tournamnets in a row .

I looked it up. He won Monte Carlo, Rome and FO that year. He did not win Hamburg
Masters. Most probably, he did not even play, as allegedly he did not lose any match on
clay from feb to june of that year. At any rate, it does not count as clay slam as he is
missing one masters.

You need to win all three clay masters (or ATP 1000 in modern terminology) and
the FO, to be designated as having won CLAY SLAM.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^Cool...I do remember him sweeping the clay court season that year, I just did not remember him not playing hamburg.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Uncle Toni wants Rafa to win AO. See article below. But, he wrongly says
Laver is the only one who did the career grand slam twice. Roy emerson also
did the career grand slam twice. If Rafa does it, he would be the third person
to do so.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2013/11/toni-nadal-rafa-chasing-lavers-achievement/49857/#.UpapwWB3uM8