@Dayokanu
Whaaaaaaat?? How dare you compare those Champions in the Sampras era to the chumps in the Federer era. If you say this at Oke odo or Oyingbo market they would stone you to death!!! That was when male tennis was the ish! not these buncha amputees Federer keeps facing! Infact based on the quality of opposition Sampras had to face i would not give the G.O.A.T to Federer. Just check the roll call of people Sampras had to contend with

Boris 'Boom Boom' Becker (6 time GS winner)
Michael Stich (1 GS)
Stefan Edberg (6 time GS winner)
Michael Chang (1GS)
Thomas Muster (1GS)
Andre Agassi (8 time GS winner)
Richard Kraijcek (1GS)
Pat Rafter (1GS)
Gustavo Kuerten (3 time GS winner)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2 GS's)
Goran Ivanisevic (1 GS)

Shall i continue?? These guys i listed have almost 30GS's between them but what do we have in the Federer era? One hit wonders like Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick. Infact if we add up the total GS's of the top 100 in the ATP rankings aside Fed we would not get 15GS's so don't ever compare both eras! They are light years apart

@rasputinn, no probs. i no vex again.

I felt pitty for poor Murray when he started crying

A-40:

@Dayokanu
Whaaaaaaat?? How dare you compare those Champions in the Sampras era to the chumps in the Federer era. If you say this at Oke odo or Oyingbo market they would stone you to death!!! That was when male tennis was the ish! not these buncha amputees Federer keeps facing! Infact based on the quality of opposition Sampras had to face i would not give the G.O.A.T to Federer. Just check the roll call of people Sampras had to contend with

Boris 'Boom Boom' Becker (6 time GS winner)
Michael Stich (1 GS)
Stefan Edberg (6 time GS winner)
Michael Chang (1GS)
Thomas Muster (1GS)
Andre Agassi (8 time GS winner)
Richard Kraijcek (1GS)
Pat Rafter (1GS)
Gustavo Kuerten (3 time GS winner)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2 GS's)
Goran Ivanisevic (1 GS)

Shall i continue?? These guys i listed have almost 30GS's between them but what do we have in the Federer era? One hit wonders like Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick. Infact if we add up the total GS's of the top 100 in the ATP rankings aside Fed we would not get 15GS's so don't ever compare both eras! They are light years apart

Yes true the quality of players in this era is not as good as then but have you thought that they perhaps look so weak because Federer is THAT good? Hewitt, Roddick and co woulda had 3-4 themselves had Federer had a bad major showing here and there. Perhaps it is infact a testament to his greatness? not an indictment on an entire generation of players?

JeSoul:

Yes true the quality of players in this era is not as good as then but have you thought that they perhaps look so weak because Federer is THAT good? Hewitt, Roddick and co woulda had 3-4 themselves had Federer had a bad major showing here and there. Perhaps it is infact a testament to his greatness? not an indictment on an entire generation of players?

Hahaha. I laugh in Papa Wemba

So you want me to compare Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick to a Boris Becker and a Stefan Edberg?. Its a big indictment on his greatness if you look at the fact that he and Nadal played 4 straight Wimbledon Finals, 3 straight French Open's and about the same number of US Open's. Lets face it their competition is straight up gar-barge!!

@Dayokanu
Whaaaaaaat?? How dare you compare those Champions in the Sampras era to the chumps in the Federer era. If you say this at Oke odo or Oyingbo market they would stone you to death!!! That was when male tennis was the ish! not these buncha amputees Federer keeps facing! Infact based on the quality of opposition Sampras had to face i would not give the G.O.A.T to Federer. Just check the roll call of people Sampras had to contend with

Boris 'Boom Boom' Becker (6 time GS winner)
Michael Stich (1 GS)
Stefan Edberg (6 time GS winner)
Michael Chang (1GS)
Thomas Muster (1GS)
Andre Agassi (8 time GS winner)
Richard Kraijcek (1GS)
Pat Rafter (1GS)
Gustavo Kuerten (3 time GS winner)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2 GS's)
Goran Ivanisevic (1 GS)

Shall i continue?? These guys i listed have almost 30GS's between them but what do we have in the Federer era? One hit wonders like Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick. Infact if we add up the total GS's of the top 100 in the ATP rankings aside Fed we would not get 15GS's so don't ever compare both eras! They are light years apart

Most of those you mentioned were World class plonkers and I would list them out. Winning GS was an evidence that Sampras was not good enough to dominate his era.

Of those you mentioned only Agassi, Becker and Edberg can be said to be top players the others were flukes.

1) Goran Ivanisevic won the Wimbledon as a wild card ranked number 125 in the world. How can a wild card win the mens game when this is not Serena vs Safina. A blow to Sampras

2) Richard Kraijcek: Coming to Wimbledon in 1996, Krajicek had never previously progressed beyond the fourth round, and had lost in the first round in the two previous years He never played any finals before or after this. FLUKE

3) Thomas Muster, Michael Chang: Have you noticed the odd players who win the French open? Why didnt they win in other surface?
No wonder Guga would come from the beach of Rio de janeiro to win the Roland Garros. Have you asked why unknown Argentines win it for fun? Gaston gaudio, Guilermo Coria and Mariano Puerta come to mind easily

4) Yevgeny Kafelnikov - I kid you not, Nikolai Davidenko is way better than Kafelnikov. Its the brilliance and dominance of Federer that retired or made dormant Lleyton Hewwitt, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, Andy Murray, David Nalbandian, Tommy Haas, Djokovic, Tsonga are made to look piss poor by the Federer Express

@Dayokanu
If you insist they are duds then drop and gimme 4 players now that are as good as Edberg, Agassi & Becker

1) That shows unpredictability and the competitiveness of that era! Not these chumps that would lose to Federer even if he crip-walked on a landmine and lost a limb. Fed is very beatable! Nadal brought out the biatch in him and Del Potro also exhausted a can of whoopass on his derrierre

2) This also shows unpredictability. Anybody could beat anybody at anytime

3) Why have Lleyton Hewitt & Andy Roddick not won on other surfaces? FLUKE! Especially when you factor they where both hometown faves

4) Dayokanu dey compare Davidenko to Kafelnikov (one of the best servers in the game ever!) Its not hard to spot those that just started watching tennis after Federer overtook Sampras and that statement just gave you away! If you said this in the medieval times the Aztec priests would have offered you to the gods they worshipped in Volcanos

I personally think its an insult to compare those guys to the over rated average Joes in the Federer era. I am offended on their behalf

dayokanu:


So who is the greatest ever?

Definitely not Smapras who only managed a Roland Garros semi final once in his career :owhen ordinary Gustavo Kuerten was winning like childs play.

Roger makes his opponents look like idiots. If FEDEX played in Sampras time he would have sent Pete, Agassi and Rafter to look for careers in table soccer.

I don't think any one person is the greatest ever period. Federer is the best of his era like Sampras was,like Borg was and like Rod Laver was.

JeSoul:

Yes true the quality of players in this era is not as good as then but have you thought that they perhaps look so weak because Federer is THAT good? Hewitt, Roddick and co woulda had 3-4 themselves had Federer had a bad major showing here and there. Perhaps it is infact a testament to his greatness? not an indictment on an entire generation of players?

I beg to differ. Bar Nadal, this generation has produced only good players not great ones.

Its always not entirely correct to compare players from different generations in any sport. Its not exclusive to tennis.
Sampras and co would argue they were not afforded the luxury of modern state-of-the-art training facilities, not forgetting technology (Hawk-Eye)

~Borat~:

Its always not entirely correct to compare players from different generations in any sport. Its not exclusive to tennis.
Sampras and co would argue they were not afforded the luxury of modern state-of-the-art training facilities, not forgetting technology (Hawk-Eye)

This is very very true.

chic2pimp:
I beg to differ. Bar Nadal, this generation has produced only good players not great ones.

I agree in general this newer era has not produced competition like in previous ones, but I don't think the distinction is a damming one, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Would you say this generation of golfers sucks because Woods has dominated? or is it for the most part an indication of the greatness of Woods? If he were lesser, they would in turn be "greater" and I think its the same with Federer and his generation. It's not a one way street and neither is it completely 2way either.

JeSoul:


I agree in general this newer era has not produced competition like in previous ones, but I don't think the distinction is a damming one, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Would you say this generation of golfers sucks because Woods has dominated? or is it for the most part an indication of the greatness of Woods? If he were lesser, they would in turn be "greater" and I think its the same with Federer and his generation. It's not a one way street and neither is it completely 2way either.

I wouldn't say they suck per say, I'll rather call them 'Choke Artists'

I agree with you in that it is not a one way street. We all know Roger is a legendary player and anyone who says otherwise needs his/her head examined. However it is this 'Greatest Ever' debate that gets my goat.

As far as i am concerned its not enough to just win titles you have to do it against quality opposition and this is why Mohammad Ali, Micheal Jordan, Michael Schumacher remain marquee sportsmen! They where the best of the best

Mohammad Ali had to deal with George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier e.t.c

M.J made sure basketball greats like Karl Malone, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Shawn Kemp, Pat Ewing, Charles Barkley retired ringless! Shaq had to run to the West, David Robinson needed Duncan's help and M.J's retirement Hakeem waited for M.J to temporarily retire and Gary Payton needed Wade to get a ring. All 10 cats i listed are surefire HOF's yet M.J dominated em all

Schumacher raced with Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna (R.I.P), Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen e.t.c and was still dominant

In essence i am not moved by a gazillion title wins i am more impressed by the quality of competition you mastered in that era which is why Fed would not get my vote as the G.O.A.T even though he has to be in the discussion cos he's genius

@Dayokanu
If you insist they are duds then drop and gimme 4 players now that are as good as Edberg, Agassi & Becker

1) That shows unpredictability and the competitiveness of that era! Not these chumps that would lose to Federer even if he crip-walked on a landmine and lost a limb. Fed is very beatable! Nadal brought out the biatch in him and Del Potro also exhausted a can of whoopass on his derrierre

The unpredictability that makes a wildcard to win? That sounds more like mediocrity on the part of contenders.
This is not female Tennis haba

2) This also shows unpredictability. Anybody could beat anybody at anytime

This is more like a nobody beating everybody. Shame on the big players of the time.

3) Why have Lleyton Hewitt & Andy Roddick not won on other surfaces? FLUKE! Especially when you factor they where both hometown faves

Because they faced a greater power the force of a moving train. Roger Federer Express

4) Dayokanu dey compare Davidenko to Kafelnikov (one of the best servers in the game ever!) Its not hard to spot those that just started watching tennis after Federer overtook Sampras and that statement just gave you away! If you said this in the medieval times the Aztec priests would have offered you to the gods they worshipped in Volcanos

See your mouth like rotten pawpaw. I almost missed my WAEC exam watching Richard Kraijcek take apart Sampr[b]ass[/b] and co

I personally think its an insult to compare those guys to the over rated average Joes in the Federer era. I am offended on their behalf

Who are the great guys? The Philipousis, Richard Kraijcek, or Ivanisevic

@Dayokanu
You are still yet to tell me the present players in this era as good as the Edberg's Becker's and Agassi's

I am also awaiting your explanation as to why Fedex was crying like a biatch when Rafa Nadal double penetrated him without prophylactics?

Your comparison of Nikolai Davidenko to Yevgeny Kafelnikov is not only enough to make me question your knowledge of tennis but your sanity as well! Davidenko ko Oleg Salenko ni. Mschewwww

Mr 'I just started watching tennis when Federer overtook Sampras' what do you want to tell me about tennis? From the Agassi's, Edberg, Courier, Becker, Stich days to the supreme rivalry between Monica Seles and ma childhood crush Steffi Graf to Navratilova in her twilight to Jenny Capriati, Davenport, Maria Sabbatini, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario e.t.c i don tey for this tennis thing pass Schnapp and Colecovision

@Dayokanu
You are still yet to tell me the present players in this era as good as the Edberg's Becker's and Agassi's

I am also awaiting your explanation as to why Fedex was crying like a biatch when Rafa Nadal double penetrated him without prophylactics?

Your comparison of Nikolai Davidenko to Yevgeny Kafelnikov is not only enough to make me question your knowledge of tennis but your sanity as well! Davidenko ko Oleg Salenko ni. Mschewwww

Mr 'I just started watching tennis when Federer overtook Sampras' what do you want to tell me about tennis? From the Agassi's, Edberg, Courier, Becker, Stich days to the supreme rivalry between Monica Seles and ma childhood crush Steffi Graf to Navratilova in her twilight to Jenny Capriati, Davenport, Maria Sabbatini, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario e.t.c i don tey for this tennis thing pass Schnapp and Colecovision

Nadal is on the same level with both Agassi and Edberg.

All these insinuation go beyond what you read on the Internet. Of all Russian Tennis players Safin was the best and Kafelnikov was nowhere near the top.

Davidenko is better than Kafelnikov, you can take that to the bank anyday

@Dayokanu
You still dont want to tell me why Fed was crying like a biatch? Ok fair enuff

When Nadal wins more than one title outside the French Open then get back to me with your comparison. I am still waiting for the other three

Safin the best Russian player ever? Hehe Dayokanu don turn Papi Aluwe for NL! I should pay ya for this free laffs. . . Maybe you mean best inconsistent player to ever come from Russia. Davidenko better than Kafelnikov? Maybe in ya wet dreams