Ultimate Mythical matchups

I thought it might be fun to consider if we could bring great champions from the past in their primes forward to duke it out with today's greats. I know it could never happen, but what player matchups would you like to see between past stars and the stars of today. Now in my scenario, I would have a time machine that goes back and brings a great champion forward. So the match is played with modern racquets, strings, and so on. To be fair assume that the guy from the past has a good amount of time to train with modern racquets, techniques, and strings.

Here are some matchups past v. today I would like to see, one of them actually hapened:

Nadal v. Borg, at RG centre court: Two of the greatest athletes the tour have ever seen duking it out to prove who is the all time king. Borg had the better first serve, backhand, and volleys. Fitness, speed and mental toughness are pretty equal. Rafa the edge in the forehand and second serve. I think Rafa wins 62.5 percent of the time. Rafa is Borg 2.0 with the heavy hitting and speed game. I just think he is better at it than Borg.

Sampras v. Fed, wimbeldon center court: Ok fed fans I know this match happened and Fed won in a classic. But I would really like to see Pete Circa 94-97 v. FEd 05 and 06. In their real matchup Fed was still a bit before his prime and pete was way passed his prime. Here the surface conditions and balls would play a huge role, but bringing Pete foreward into today's era might hurt him some respects. But the luxilons and bigger balls might help his backhand. One thing that I have seen a real scientific study on is that the new balls actually aid in serving accuracy. I actually think BB produced the study on the old 606. This one is a tough one. On today's conditions and tech, I still think pete holds his own but I go Roger winning 52% of the matchups.

Nadal v. Kuerten, RG: I think all tennis fans miss this matchup. Guga maybe is the only clay courter after Borg that could handle Nadal on clay and match him. Tall with good movement and a magical one handed backhand Guga prior to his horrific injury was the best clay courter in the world. It would have been so great if Guga didn't get hurt for him to still be a round when Nadal made his push. If the Nadal 2010 played Guga 2000 what would happen. In this matchup I still see Nadal having the edge 65 percent of the time. Guga would certainly get his wins on Nadal but Rafa holds the edge.

Djokovic v. Agassi, Laver court Australia: The two have combined for 7 Australian titles. Agassi got 4 on rebound ace, Djoko has 3 on plexicushion. The two surfaces are both slow, high bouncing hard courts so still somewhat similar. I think this would be an intriguing matchup of two of my all time favorites and maybe the two best baseliners of all time. (Apologies to Nadal, Fed, and lendl) What I like about this matchup is the mirror similarity in the two men's games in certain respects. Both had great forehands and backhands especially up the line. Both used aggressive court positioning and uncanny and unrivaled ability to change direction off both wings to move their opponent around and beat them into submission. Still while I think Andre could get Novak's serve, the same can be said of Novak getting to Agassi's underrated serve. Andre 95 v. Novak 2011-12. Both were also physical specimens of fitness at the time. I think speed kills in this matchup, I think Novak's sprinter like speed gives him the edge with the modern conditions and he wins this matchup 60 percent of the time.

I know this is a bit of trip down fantasy lane here but I thought it would be fun to see what mythical matchups people would have loved to see if the laws of physics and nature didn't slow us down.

I would suggest some other ones...

Vilas vs Nadal - RG

Muster vs Nadal - RG

Pancho Gonzalez vs Federer - W

Borg vs Emerson - W

Tilden vs Federer - USO

Laver vs Federer - W

Lendl vs Nadal -USO

Laver vs Sampras - W

Borg vs Sampras - W

McEnroe vs Federer - W

Safin vs Connors - USO

Budge vs Federer - USO

I do not know where Perry, Kramer, Crawford, Trabert and Hoad would fit. (and I am not that old )

Also, you have chosen to bring the past champions forward in time, how about the reverse, sending the players back in time?

I thought about that one laverfan, and here is my logic of why I bring forward as opposed to going back in time. I think it is easier to adjust from wood racquets to the bigger head modern racquet as opposed to the other way around. My first racquet was wood and when I switched after a year and half to a graphite boom instant improvement. While I think playing your whole life with composite modern racquets and going back to wood is the harder more difficult transition.

Mac and Fed is a good suggestion laverfan, would love to see it at wimby. I would love to see that matchup. Only one problem I have with your choices you don't give an opinion on who you think would win. Half the fun is in the conjecture.

Also would like to add to the list Becker v. Djokovic. Very intriguing stylistic differences. Boris wasn't just a serve and volleyer he had some game from the back of the court. Again, I go with Djokovic. The modern conditions will favor him and he is so good at returning and defending while Boris would be a little slow compared to him. Although Boris could rush and attack Djokovic. On grass I would take Becker however on the strength of the howitzer serve. On clay and Hardcourt I would take Novak.

Dolgopolov vs Laver - AO

Vilas vs Isner - FO

Panatta vs Nadal - FO

Becker vs Djokovic - Wimb

social1976

My favourite mythical matchup hasn't yet become "mythical" although I'm sure that it will eventually.

If you throw two names together from different eras the match up would not have its own history and significance. Two players who are still fighting for their own place in history and still fighting to prove something against each other is far more interesting.

Thats why IMO the best match ups come in pairs and cannot just be thrown together randomly. We are all lucky enough to be witnessing with Federer and Nadal one of the best match ups in tennis history. Putting either with a name from the past would be boring in comparison

I disagree hawkeye, I mean I know it is a trip down fantasy lane. But stylisitically we would get to think about some interesting games and personalities and what the match could have looked like. I agree Fed and Nadal is probably the best rivalry we have seen in the sport. But it is also a good way to remember some of the best from the past. And I didn't just throw names together from the past. I think it is fun to think of what would happen if the two best grasscourters played each other in their primes or the two best clay courters of all time. Fed and Nadal is great and there are other great matchups today, but what would happen in the matchup of hypothetical greats.

I would like to see a Djokovic Lendl as well as Djokovic Borg match.
Also Laver McEnroe and Connors Nadal.

I'd like to see Federer DHBH v Nadal and Djoko.

Even better. I woudl like to see Federer v Nadal and Djoko SHBH.

Federer woudl have close to 30 slams.

Tenez wrote:I'd like to see Federer DHBH v Nadal and Djoko.

Even better. I woudl like to see Federer v Nadal and Djoko SHBH.

Federer woudl have close to 30 slams.

Federer's backhand isn't that weak.

How about Federer vs a right-handed Nadal

Nadal is right handed. He just plays tennis with this left.

amritia3ee wrote:Nadal is right handed. He just plays tennis with this left.

I think we all know that.

Good just checking

Prime Tim Henman vs prime Andy Murray.

Prime Boggo vs prime Marko Djokovic
Clash of the wild cards titans ....

Prime 06 Federer vs an off-form Elena Baltacha.

Henman playing Sampras 100 times consecutively in Wimbledon semi finals.

At the end of the fortnight he might just have been able to win one. Forget the final - he'd have been in worse shape than John Isner but at least he'd have made one!

It's hugely hypothetical, but...

Going back I'd like to see Nadal, Federer, and Djoko take it in turns to be the opponents of

a. McEnroe in the Wimbledon 1984 Final and

b. Sampras in the Wimbledon 1999 Final

Going forward, I'd like to see Borg, Kuerten, and Muster facing Nadal in the 2008 RG final.

Those are probably the three most dominating final victories I have ever seen between top-class opponents - benchmarks for masterpiece domination in the particular conditions. Were it possible I'd love to see how other greats would fare in such circumstances.

I don;t see final a) being the same as final b (Sampras v Agassi).

McEnroe was in complete harmony with his surrounding in that final and Connors coudl do nothing. In teh Pete/ANdre final I see it more as Agassi having teh upper hand and then being completely mentally discouraged after failing to covert 3 BPs.

Another complete domination was Edberg v Courier at the USO. Amazing tennis from Edberg who completely demolished Courier with a bagel on teh way....if I remember. That was in my view more a master display than the Sampras one...who frankly had an opponent who had given up early in teh match.

Nadal 60/40 Borg
Sampras 60/40 Federer - 2001 Court Speed
Nadal 80/20 Kuerten
Djokovic 60/40 Agassi

Sampras 99 was the most complete performance I've ever seen. On that court speed Nadal at his best would have lost, Federer even playing at his very best 50/50.

noleisthebest wrote:I would like to see a Djokovic Lendl as well as Djokovic Borg match.
Also Laver McEnroe and Connors Nadal.

Those are some great matchups Nitb, particularly Novak and Lendl. Two very similar players, lendl had the better serve, Novak the speed edge. On hardcourt and grass I take Novak. On clay it is a tough call but got to give a slight edge to lendl. Connors and his in your face take the ball early style would be a pretty good stylistic match with Nadal's big swings and spin. Also it would be funny for Connors to get in Nadal's face a little which you know he would do.

Barrystar have to agree Sampras 1999 wimby would be too good for Rafa on the grass. I am sure pete would like to have nothing to do with Rafa on clay however. I think it would frankly be tough on fast conditions in the US for Nadal, Fed, or Novak to get the better of Pete at either of his two home courts. (wimby center court and especially arthur ashe).

Pete had real trouple handling Chang even on carpet. I doubt he woudl have stood a chance versus Nadal.

But regardless old strings v new strings, fast grass v slow grass and old training regime v new ones. Those are the real matchups.

socal1976 wrote:

noleisthebest wrote:I would like to see a Djokovic Lendl as well as Djokovic Borg match.
Also Laver McEnroe and Connors Nadal.

Those are some great matchups Nitb, particularly Novak and Lendl. Two very similar players, lendl had the better serve, Novak the speed edge. On hardcourt and grass I take Novak. On clay it is a tough call but got to give a slight edge to lendl. Connors and his in your face take the ball early style would be a pretty good stylistic match with Nadal's big swings and spin. Also it would be funny for Connors to get in Nadal's face a little which you know he would do.

Ha ha. I hadn't really thought of players from the past with their confrontational personalities when I was a bit dismissive of this topic...

But now that you mention it. As far as Conners "getting in Nadals face" unlike others I'm not sure that this would be an easy thing to do. Nadal is too in a bubble and has very good levels of concentration. Same goes for Federer. But it would be scary interesting to be able to see Connors play Djokovic or better still Murray. Or to see McEnroe in full brat mode play Djokovic or Murray. Again I don't think McEnroe would "try it on" against Federer or Nadal as they're not the sort of players that tactics like that can be used on

It would be really exiting to see those other match ups though. If only it could be arranged...

Mac never tried it on with Borg, so you may be right Hawkeye.

barrystar wrote:Mac never tried it on with Borg, so you may be right Hawkeye.

That's because he was in awe of him.

Mac is also in awe of Federer and Nadal.

hawkeye wrote:Mac is also in awe of Federer and Nadal.

Spot the difference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Q_z0iLIc8&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=kAc2p69IzgM

Mac was more directed towards the officials, he didn't often get into to it with the other player. Connors on the other hand was a me against the world type of guy. And i think he definetly would have gotten under the skin of any modern player who isn't used to being in a fight with connors. Nowadays the players are used to mutual respect and a kindler gentler tour. Now if you put Jimmy at a night match during the USO open at Arthur Ashe stadium now you are really in for a fight because he will get all the half drunk yahoos in that place on your back as well.

I think the Sampras v Federer match-up could be close, although on a faster court I would lean towards Sampras and on a slower court Federer.

I think Djokovic and Nadal crush Borg and Keurten. I think it would be closer with Agassi, but ultimately both Djokovic and Nadal beat Agassi in four sets.

noleisthebest wrote:

hawkeye wrote:Mac is also in awe of Federer and Nadal.

Spot the difference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Q_z0iLIc8&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=kAc2p69IzgM

I think those video's show that Mac is in awe of both Federer and Nadal. He looks and sounds like a crazy fan rather than a past champion. There is no way he would mess with either on the tennis court. In fact he might be in danger of giving a few points away due to nerves... Saying that I wouldn't be surprised if he wonders how he would do if souch a match up were possible.

Both interviews were emotional. But the first one particualarly so. Federer looks like he might cry and you can see Nadal watching from the side looking like he is worried Federer might cry. Considering what happened a few months later at the AO it's not surprising he looked worried...

Thanks for posting them I enjoyed watching.

Nore Staat wrote:I think the Sampras v Federer match-up could be close, although on a faster court I would lean towards Sampras and on a slower court Federer.

I think Djokovic and Nadal crush Borg and Keurten. I think it would be closer with Agassi, but ultimately both Djokovic and Nadal beat Agassi in four sets.

I think Agassi circa 1995 would give Nadal fits on a fast hardcourt. He would get killed on clay. But I think at the USO I would take Agassi in his peak over Nadal. Novak, I don't know it is a tougher one to tell. I think it would come down to the guy who serves better as both guys would jump onto any type of bad serving by the opposition to bury their opponent.