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Unimaginably shocking things that have happened in pro tennis
29 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Articles, Scoop
My dear friend and associate Dan does not like Big John Isner’s chances to win a major. He is far from the only cynic who has his doubts about Isner’s capacity to go all the way at a major.
But let Dan be reminded that some unimaginable, astonishing things can and do happen in tennis…
Here are a few I can think of, feel free to add to the list…
Djokovic beating Rafa in eight straight finals.
Isner vs. Mahut at Wimbledon.
Victor Estrella Burgos becoming the oldest man to enter the ATP top hundred for the first time at age 33, then winning his first ATP singles title this year at 34.
Nicolas Massu winning the Olympic gold in singles and doubles in Athens.
Gaston Gaudio winning the French Open from two sets down in the final to Guillermo Coria, a result John McEnroe called the biggest miracle he’d ever seen in tennis.
The comeback stories of Alex Bogomolov, Brian Barker, Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic, Kimiko Date Krumm, Mirjana Lucic, Vince Spadea, etc.
Goran Ivanisevic winning Wimbledon as a wildcard.
A seventeen year old Rafa Nadal beating ATP world number one Roger Federer 63 63.
A fourteen year old Rafa Nadal beating Pat Cash in three sets in an exhibition in Mallorca.
Monica Seles being stabbed on the court by a deranged Steffi Graf fan in Hamburg, Germany.
Unknown Ivo Karlovic beating defending Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt in the first round at Wimbledon.
Robin Soderling beating Rafa Nadal at the French Open.
Lukas Rosol beating Nadal at Wimbledon.
Alternates Sekou Bangoura and Vahid Mirzadeh got into the main draw in Delray Beach last year and upset Australian Open finalists Eric Butorac and Raven Klassen.
Vince Spadea beating the likes of Sampras, Agassi, Nadal and even Federer, who he gave a bagel to.
See, Dan, miracles can and do happen in tennis. So it would be folly to count out Big John Isner from winning a major title.
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Dan Markowitz · May 11, 2015 at 1:12 pm
Spadea only beat Sampras in Indy when Sampras retired after losing first set. And he beat Nadal and Fed when they were both 18 so it wasn’t a miracle and we all know Agassi was being beaten by a lot of players not in Vince’s league during parts of his career.
None of these so called miracles you’ve listed are really all that big. In modern times, in slams, what’s been the biggest miracle? Cilic winning US Open so dominantly last year. Tomas Johansson or Korda winning Aussie Open? Gaudio had a great game on clay. I’d probably pick the 17 year old Michael Chang winning the French as the biggest miracle in modern times tennis.
Dan Markowitz · May 11, 2015 at 1:13 pm
Or the Djoko-Nadal finals decimation. But we’ve seen now how good Djoko can be.
Guga Beluga · May 11, 2015 at 2:00 pm
ollie rochus is another miracle candidate (hello’vah BH)
Gaurang · May 11, 2015 at 5:35 pm
Nice I like all the ones you’ve listed Scoop.
Except for this one: “Alternates Sekou Bangoura and Vahid Mirzadeh got into the main draw in Delray Beach last year and upset Australian Open finalists Eric Butorac and Raven Klassen.”
These crazy stuff makes tennis exciting.
EddietheEagle · May 11, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Breaking into the ATP top 50 during your twilight years is far more likely due to medical science than miracles.
Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 8:49 pm
Chang definitely part of this discussion. Miraculous fortnight by Chang as a mere kid, undersized kid to boot. Chang’s French Open should be the subject of a feature documentary on 30-30.
Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 8:55 pm
Rochus’ long and steady and successful career is definitely miraculous. He came in with Federer and lasted over a decade and a half. Santoro lasting almost two decades was another miracle. I remember in the Biofile Fabrice told me when he turned pro he wasn’t even sure he could last one year in the ATP. He lasted over seventeen.
Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 8:57 pm
Why don’t you like that one Gaurang? Those guys were alternates, lost in qualies as WCs, and got into main draw when Lu pulled out with bac injury and then upset the team who just got to the Aussie Open final. On center court too. It was a Rocky Balboa tennis moment. I saw this match.
Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 8:58 pm
Speaking of what Eddie is alluding to, what happened to Fish’s comeback? One close match loss to Harrison in IW and he’s been MIA ever since.
Ashoke Ganguli · May 12, 2015 at 10:40 am
Hi Scoop,
Great insight into the game of tennis by you.That’s what makes this game so fascinating.Hope you are playing a lot of tennis.!Be well
Dan Markowitz · May 12, 2015 at 11:10 am
Here I think is the most surprising/miraculous tennis feat in the history of the men’s game:
Federer reached an all-time men’s record ten consecutive Grand Slam finals (2005 WM – 2007 US), breaking the previous men’s record of seven set by Jack Crawford in 1934 and won eight of them (except 2006 & 2007 FR, both to Nadal).[13][14] The previous open era record was four consecutive grand slams finals, shared by Laver (1969 AO to USO) and Agassi (1999 FR to 2000 AO).
To get to 10 consecutive slam finals and to win 8 of them. That’s amazing.
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2015 at 11:26 am
Thanks Ashoke ) Two days in a row, always nice to just hit. Will you go to Newport this year? They have the new site and the new Federer hologram.
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2015 at 11:27 am
Agree Dan, so easy to forget some of Feds most outrageous records, because there are so many of them, they almost overshadow each other.
Hartt · May 12, 2015 at 12:04 pm
One of my favourites took place last year. Sock and Pospisil playing doubles together for the first time (and that was up in the air until very late because of Pospisil’s back problems) at Wimbledon. Then beating several very good doubles teams, culminating in winning the title against the Bryan Brothers. Neither guy was a top player and although each had some success in doubles, they seemed to come out of nowhere to accomplish this.
Scoop Malinowski · May 12, 2015 at 12:26 pm
Hartt, I never saw that epic shock win by Sockpop, it was the best final of Wimbledon but ESPN showed only the match point. That was a shocker. Which reminds me of another doubles shocker – Dolgopolov and Malisse won like four match tiebreaks to get to the doubles final in IW where they beat Fedrinka. Also, Massu and Gonzalez were down 2-6 in the fourth set of the OLY doubles final to Scheuttler/Kiefer – FOUR GOLD MEDAL POINTS and they won that tiebreaker and then won the fifth set. Beyond shocking. That’s tennis. Anything is possible.
Guga Beluga · May 12, 2015 at 12:30 pm
sorry speculate that tennis’ popularity is gona tank straight to hell when federer-express and raging bull hang theirs up..
unbelievable what these 2 dopers have acheived ! (uh oh – did i just accuse fed and rafa of PEDS….u betcha !! haha)
Gaurang · May 12, 2015 at 10:29 pm
Scoop, for me personally the doubles thing you mentioned just does not appear to be that shocking. Just my personal opinion, so take it with a pinch of salt. 🙂 I also generally am out of loop on doubles since I dont follow it.
But the team of Klaasen-Butorac is not a very known pair, atleast to me. I see they are very low in the rankings AFAIK. I am not sure how many grand slams they have won (None?). I am not sure they can be considered such a strong team that they cannot loose in early rounds in an unimportant tourney like Delray (ATP250). Also, I have generally seen that in doubles, consistency is not a given. Good teams also loose (since there are two players, more chance that one of them is not playing well on a given day), unless they are the Bryan Brothers. So overall this does not appear to be that much of a big deal to be included in this list. I think since you watched it yourself you appreciated it more. 🙂
Btw, I would also include Novak’s 2011 season in this list. Novak started 2011 as #3, having always played in the shadow of Roger and Rafa. Suddenly, he moved the sky. He won Aus Open winning against Berdych, Roger and Murray, all in straight sets. Won Dubai. Won Indian. Won Miami. Won Belgrade. Won Madrid. Won Miami. Lost in RG SF in a very, very close match against Roger (lost 2 tiebreaks at 5, split the other two sets). Won Wimbledon. Won Toronto. Lost in Cincinati Finals by retirement. Won US Open. After this he just got tired of winning. Lost 3 sitter matches in his last 3 tournaments, which he wouldnt have lost if he werent tired.
But his record of 70-6 (in real it was 70-4, since 2 he lost by retirement), 10 titles, 3 slams, 5 masters, 6-0 against Nadal, 4-1 against Roger, dozens of bagels and breadsticks, 43 straight wins, etc stands out as one of the highest achievements in the sport of tennis. Definitely belongs to this list!
Scoop Malinowski · May 13, 2015 at 7:40 am
Gaurang, I hear you, and yes Klassen and Butorac are not an elite team though they did make the Aus Open finals, but the other thing that stood out about Bangoura and Mirzadeh is that it was there first ATP main draw match. After years of journeyman struggles in Futures and Challengers. Alternates very rarely win matches. I knew a guy from NY who somehow earned a couple of ATP points by winning a match at the Binghamton doubles a few years ago, and he used to travel around to other ATP tournaments and be on the waiting list to try to get in as an alternate. He got into Newport luckily one year but lost badly like one and one. ATP Alternates are like the lowest caliber of player and when they get in to a main draw and win a match it’s very very rare. Agree about Djokovic’s year four years ago. But this year might outdo that.
Dan Markowitz · May 13, 2015 at 8:50 am
Lendl’s 8-year span of reaching US Open finals should also be included in list. Can you imagine another player ever reaching USO finals 8 years in a row? Not happening.
Guga Beluga · May 13, 2015 at 11:18 am
btw – how about that rosol / murray bump during a change over…..then murray venting “nobody likes you on tour†and rosol chuckling it off..
what other ‘beefs’ are you familiar with ?
i know about a similar incident with hewitt / nalbandian..
Andrew Miller · May 13, 2015 at 11:39 am
Remember the Mirzadeh bros. Challengers oughta pay more so guys like these keep going.
Harold · May 13, 2015 at 12:52 pm
Fogbini/Dimitrov match. Real interesting. Shows how much playing in front of your home crowd means. Fognini was up a set, got broken at 4-4. Dimi was doew 0-40 serving for the 2nd set, came back and held for the set.
Anywhere else in the world, the Fogger loses the third 6-1, he was throwing his racket around and cursing. But in Rome, he blows Dimi out 6-0 in the 3rd. Fog is the Italian version of Almagro. Lose a tight set and see you later. Tank you very much
Waits for the ” His doubles results have helped his singles crowd”
Scoop Malinowski · May 13, 2015 at 1:39 pm
You are learning, ever so gradually Harold but you are finally learning, how glorious doubles success has enhanced Fognini’s singles haha. Aus Open doubles title – since then two beatings of Rafa in singles and unexpected comeback hard fought wins like today. No, don’t worry Harold, no tuition fees from tennis-prose for our teachings 🙂 Though we are accepting donations 🙂 Great win for Fognini, I think he’s ready and will do damage at Roland Garros, especially if Pennetta sits in the front row. Fognini is one of the more interesting characters to watch, he has some of that Marcelo Rios flair and arrogance.
dan markowitz · May 13, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Fogman when he’s on is a better player than Almagro, the man who wear too little and tight shirts. I mean Fogman was the reason Djoko got canned at the French in 2011 when he defaulted to Djoko in quarters, ruining his rhythm, and then Fed beat Djoko, I believe, in the semis.
What do you make of the new double pat on the stomach the loser gives the winner in men’s tennis when the players like each other? It’s a semi homoerotic touching, almost saying, “You beat me because of your terrific abs.”
Has anyone else noticed this new trend in men’s tennis?
Scoop Malinowski · May 13, 2015 at 7:56 pm
Yes the stomach pats have been going on for a while, not sure who started it, I’d guess Fed?
Guga Beluga · May 14, 2015 at 3:40 pm
scoop / dan, who are known and unknown gays in tennis ?? (not meant to be offensive but as a matter of fact) LOL
Bryan · May 17, 2015 at 10:48 pm
As regulars here may know, Isner is my favorite player. Has been forever. Never before did I feel he’s got as good a chance as he does now. Why?
He’s implemented a strategy of attacking opponents’ serve. It doesn’t work all the time but when it does he turns tie-breakers into 6-4 or 6-3 set wins.
He’s developed a more regular use of drop shots and working angles. It’s not just serve/big forehand opponents must watch.
Also, in addition to his improvements and coaching change, the field is not nearly as dominant as they were last year. Nadal is vulnerable on clay, Djokovic is looking great, others can get upset at any time. Remember John always plays tough against Nadal and Djoker.
The dream is alive. 😉
Bryan · May 17, 2015 at 10:56 pm
“What do you make of the new double pat on the stomach the loser gives the winner in men’s tennis when the players like each other? It’s a semi homoerotic touching, almost saying, “You beat me because of your terrific abs.â€
Has anyone else noticed this new trend in men’s tennis?”
Yes, I’ve noticed this and think it’s very odd. Federer must’ve started it, he does it all the time. It’s oddly affectionate, more than when boxers hug after a grueling bout. Whomever was the first to do that must’ve gotten a WTF look from his opponent.
Scoop Malinowski · May 18, 2015 at 8:34 am
Isner’s dream is alive. If he can get a good draw and some luck, he can do major damage. He’s perfectly positioned mentally and physically to do really well in Paris.