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Less than a decade after he won all 4 of tennis" vital championships in 1969 to finish a single-season Grand Slam, Rod Laver was assured that an healthy child by the name of Bjorn Borg would compare the feat.
Later, Laver saw Boris Becker arise and was assured once again: OK, this man is going to do it.
Well, here we are, some-more than 40 years later, and no man has been means to next to Lavers accomplishment. Not Borg or Becker. Not John McEnroe or Jimmy Connors. Not Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi. Not even Roger Federer, who won the Australian Open in January, and so can go on to aspire to a loyal Grand Slam when the years second vital tournament, the French Open, starts May 23.
"Its startling no one has utterly pulled it off. I thought there were people who might," Laver pronounced in a write talk with "But all it takes is one bad match, anywhere along the total year. You"ve got to stay fit. Cant have damage or illness. Cant have a bad draw."
Undeniably great as Federer is — he owns a jot down sixteen vital titles, at slightest one each from the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — the calendar-year Grand Slam has eluded him. Theres no contrition in that, of course. Consider: Only dual men in the story of tennis have managed to do it, Don Budge in 1938, and Laver in 1962 and "69. Three women have won loyal Grand Slams; the majority new was Steffi Graf in 1988.
"They"ve been articulate about it for most years: "Laver was the last one; may be someone can do it." But all the great players have been perplexing to do it, and so far, no one has," Borg told the AP. "If theres any one who can do that, the Federer. Hes kind of an artistthe court. He has no weaknesses. He creates unimaginable shots. He can playall kind of opposite surfaces."
Indeed, Federer has come utterly close.
He won 3 of the 4 vital tournaments in 2004, 2006 and 2007, descending short at the French Open each year. In 2006 and 2007, Federer lost to Rafael Nadal in four-set finals at Roland Garros, definition he was a small dual sets bashful of finishing the Grand Slam.
Since 1969, dual alternative men additionally have won three-fourths of a Grand Slam: Connors in 1974 (he was barred from competing at the French Open that year given he sealed to fool around in World Team Tennis), and Mats Wilander in 1988 (he lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon).
In a postmatch headlines discussion after Federer won this years Australian Open, the 28-year-old from Switzerland was asked about the probability of chasing the ever-elusive milestone.
"I wouldnt only put the complete monthly monthly calendar only around perplexing to win the monthly monthly calendar Grand Slam. I mean, the something if it happens, it does, the great; but the not something that"s, like, my No. 1 goal. Not at all," Federer said. "Its the same as I havent put a numberhow most (major titles) I wish to try to win. Whatever happens, happens."
Why hasnt it happened — for him or any alternative man — given Laver?
"I put it down to the competition. Thats one big reason no ones won a Grand Slam," Laver said. "Not that there werent a lot of great players when I played, but you"re seeking at only so most some-more players in the world, either it be from Argentina or Serbia or France or Spain. Theres only a total new epoch of young, gifted players popping up all the time."
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In explaining because he thinks a Grand Slam is "quite improbable" these days, International Tennis Federation boss Francesco Ricci Bitti additionally points to the abyss in the mens diversion and records that "the deteriorate is most some-more taxing."
Plus, in Lavers time, the 4 vital championships all were contestedeither weed or clay. More flexibility is compulsory now: Wimbledon is playedgrass, the French Openclay, and the Australian Open and U.S. Open make use of opposite sorts of tough courts. There are players who excela sure surface, tailoring their games and focusing their efforts, and thus can benefaction obstacles at a sold place.
: Williams already achieved "Serena Slam"1 | 2| _______________________ |
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