"Can I have a career do over?"

[Omair]

Would love to see Marcos Baghdatis do a career do over. He reached a career high ranking of 8 at just 21 years, I wonder what his career would have been like had it not been for nagging injuries.

Another player I would like to see is Gael Monfils. He is too talented to end his career without a grand slam title.

I don't think Baghdatis's career was derailed due to injuries (although he had his fair
share of injuries). The main problem was that he became a party animal and let his
career go down the drain.

Gael Monfils surely had lot of injuries that disrupted his career almost routinely, but
being a clown also played a role there.

Agreed. Their work ethic and commitment is where they lacked. Monfils specially, he had a real chance at U.S Open this year, but suffered a heart breaking loss to Federer (not that I complain about it, I am a Federer fan )

 

[Kieran]

It's interesting to wonder of the younger players now, which ones will we be asking this question of in future? Nick (oh brother, where art thou?), Grigor, Cough Drop?

 

[the AntiPusher]

Safin, Nalby and rios.. Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa).. Nalby should have won a few Non Fed Slams (slams that Roger didnt gobble up). Rios.. should have won a RG or an AO..I saw someone mention Haas..even when healthy , Tommy never had it deep in the guts to win a GS..

 

[brokenshoelace]

Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa)..

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

 

[DarthFed]

Safin, Nalby and rios.. Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa).. Nalby should have won a few Non Fed Slams (slams that Roger didnt gobble up). Rios.. should have won a RG or an AO..I saw someone mention Haas..even when healthy , Tommy never had it deep in the guts to win a GS..

Safin is definitely on a short list when it comes to most talented players. Even with Fed and a young Rafa in the way he should have been very much in the mix but the biggest missed opportunities were from 2000 - 2003. There were no dominant players during that time and Safin should have won more than just 1 USO in those 4 years.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

To me Safin given his size and height was a great mover and his bhand was just a treat to watch when it was 'on'...his lack of focus and mental attitude was his downfall

He had a great dry sense of humor which I adored.

One of my favorite comments from him was at Wimbledon in 2008,when he told the officials 'thanks for slowing down the grass for me',he said that with a blank expression,only Marat could get away with that one.

 

[El Dude]

It's interesting to wonder of the younger players now, which ones will we be asking this question of in future? Nick (oh brother, where art thou?), Grigor, Cough Drop?

Don't give up on Nick Kyrgios - he's only 19, after all.

Bernard Tomic and Ryan Harrison come to mind, but neither are really talented enough to qualify.

I think Grigor is 50-50. I could see him slipping in two or three Slams over the next few years, or I could see him going Slamless and being another Rios.

 

[Kieran]

I won't give up on Nick yet, but the fact that he's taken three months to sleep off a couple of tennis matches when he could be trying to further himself suggests he could be more a slacker than a champ. But fortunately he's still young and can benefit from a kick in the wotsits to wake him up.

Grigor wouldn't even be a Rios. Rios made his own space in the sport, he had a reputation and a singular talent. What's Grigor best known as? Baby Fed, or Mr Masha... :nono

 

[TsarMatt]

Can I be a bit of a smart arse and say Tomic? Seriously, if this guy worked on his act before his breakthrough at 11' Wimbledon, then he could have easily been where Dimitrov or Nishikori is now.

 

[Front242]

^ Unfortunately for Tomic, bilateral hip surgery at such a young age doesn't bode too well.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa)..

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

 

[Tennis Miller]

Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa)..

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

And the USO final vs Sampras. Wow

Cheers
TM

 

[the AntiPusher]

Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa)..

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

And the USO final vs Sampras. Wow

Cheers
TM

Hey.. That was impressive however, that was a a very jaded Pete Sampras.. Pete returned the butt whipping the next season at the USO..

2001 US OpenNY, U.S.A. Hard S Sampras, Pete
6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 Stats

 

[shawnbm]

Lots of talk about Safin, naturally, and it is fitting. He was really something when he was firing--scary good. I don't know if you can find a higher quality match than Safin-Federer in the 2005 AO. It was simply astounding hard court tennis. Roger did some hotdoggin' on match point and ended up paying for it in the end, but he was a young number one way back then. Safin showed how brutally great he could be against Sampras, in particular. He beat Nole at Wimbledon years later in 2007 or 2008--can't remember which one it was--when Novak has stated he idolized Marat. I wish someone could post the famed Safin-Federer match on our video vault. I would love to watch that again, and then Safin-Sampras at the US Open five years earlier.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Safin had more natural raw talent than any tennis player that ever lived..(yes even more than Roger and Rafa)..

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

Go back and read my above post, and you'll know what I think about Safin's talent cause I already mentioned it: He's the most talented big man in tennis history. How is that not thinking highly of his talent?

But if I'm supposed to think he's more talented than Federer because he beat him once, I'll ask you to through your tennis archives and see all the times Fed made him look like an amateur, including once in a slam final.

Safin is a rare, RARE talent. Absolutely breathtaking and can do it all. But he's no Federer because nobody is.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Eh, I don't know about that. He was however, the most talented big man I've ever seen, by quite a wide margin.

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

And the USO final vs Sampras. Wow

Cheers
TM

Hey.. That was impressive however, that was a a very jaded Pete Sampras.. Pete returned the butt whipping the next season at the USO..

2001 US OpenNY, U.S.A. Hard S Sampras, Pete
6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 Stats

Apply the same logic and argument to all the times Fed whipped Safin's butt. You're showing hints of bias here, A-P

 

[the AntiPusher]

Go back through your tennis archives, watch the semi final Fed vs Safin.. then tell me your thoughts about Safin's talent..

And the USO final vs Sampras. Wow

Cheers
TM

Hey.. That was impressive however, that was a a very jaded Pete Sampras.. Pete returned the butt whipping the next season at the USO..

2001 US OpenNY, U.S.A. Hard S Sampras, Pete
6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 Stats

Apply the same logic and argument to all the times Fed whipped Safin's butt. You're showing hints of bias here, A-P

Nah..Nah. my friend.. I am not knocking the Big man's talent.. he gave pete the worst butt whipping ever.. However, Fed was on his A game that match.. the Big Man just prevailed.. Safin would make an excellent James Bond villian

 

[Kieran]

If safin had Sampras mentality, he'd have shared the limelight with Fed before Rafa came along, no problm...

 

[the AntiPusher]

If safin had Sampras mentality, he'd have shared the limelight with Fed before Rafa came along, no problm...

Is Safin had Sampras mentality, there would never been a Fed, just plain ole Roger

 

[DarthFed]

Roger would have still reigned supreme over Marat no problem, but Marat may have stolen more than one on hard courts.