Comments on: UNCLE TONI: RAFAEL NADAL IS TWO LEVELS BELOW FEDERER

By: Maxpin1

Maxpin1 — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:36:00 +0000

Rafa is great but it remains to be seen whether and to what extent he can cope with Djoko and Potro. Remember that Borg achieved a lot at a young age and then just disappeared.

As for Sampras’s exclusion from the first group of Uncle Toni, Sampras did not do much on clay.
When you consider Agassi’s injury problems during the latter part of his career and his accomplishments during that part of his career you may wish to include him in the second group, or will the “meth problem” disqualify him?

By: Benjiwantzme

Benjiwantzme — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:32:00 +0000

I have a HUGE crush on uncle Toni!!!!

By: leo

leo — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:40:30 +0000

i agree with Uncle Toni regarding Sampras. I do also believe freakyfrites is into something when he note that the europeans might not see Sampras as great as the american as used to see him. After all, Sampras was an average player in clay. And most of his career he was flat out a bad player on clay.
The GOAT is not someone who just cannot play on an specific surface.
That would make Sampras the Greatest fast court specialist, but not by any means the GOAT.
Besides, there is a more important number.
52. The number of Slams it took Sampras to make it to 14.
Federer is far below that number. And if you remember Borg, he took 11 Slams and went to the finals in 4 more in half the attempts it took Sampras to reach his record.
The numbers Sampras accumulated are impressive, but, then again, he kept playing way past his prime. When he won his last Slam, he did it in a afterthought. He was completely removed from his heyday.

For me, it is shame that Agassi did not have an Uncle Toni handling him while he was young. Agassi was more talented than Sampras and even with this disorganized life he was able to hang in there. He is an example of an athlete who wasted his prime.

As a prove of Agassi extraordinary level we can see that he was able to come back at 29 and basically being the top dog or stay at the top tier level for 2 or 3 years until Federer started his dominance.

So, I agree with Uncle Toni when he leaves Sampras on a second Tier, but i agree with freakyfrites when he remembers us about Agassi.

By: jibi

jibi — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 09:21:21 +0000

I think if nadal had come to the big picture a few years earlier…
Roger would have taken him down not with ease but still he would have done it, but now i am tentative, but we cant write him off with our comments, Coz he is the GREAT not us…for him impossible is nothing….

By: NANNY PIERAS

NANNY PIERAS — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 01:58:59 +0000

COME ON WORLD… NADAL HAS TOTALLY EARNED THE #1 SPOT IN TENNIS AND IT IS ABOUT TIME HE IS GIVEN THE RESPECT HE DESERVES….EXTREMELY GIFTED, EXCITING,DOWN TO EARTH,AND ,OF COURSE, EASY ON THE EYES AS IS UNCLE TONI……..GOOD LUCK AND CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE BEST TENNIS EVER…

By: freakyfrites

freakyfrites — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:27:36 +0000

Hey Izzie! Well Rafa’s only one or two away from tying Roger’s Masters Series titles, so he’s really nipping at his heels in more ways than one! I really do think (even as a Fed fan) that Rafa’s going to be one of the all time greats.

I know history will admire both players equally for their unique abilities and talents – obviously in the midst of the rivalry everyone feels the needs to take sides. Allez Roger! Vamos Nadal! It makes it more fun, anyway

I’m just hoping Roger can perk up a bit and turn this into a rivalry again.

By: Izzie

Izzie — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:24:39 +0000

Interesting, definitely. As a Rafa fan, I think that his potential is unfilled, and that as he continues to hopefully win slams and such, he will be regarded as one of the greatest players-I don’t know if he will always remain below Federer but each of them are so, so different that it’s really hard to compare.

By: freakyfrites

freakyfrites — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:21:21 +0000

Yeah, really interesting that Sampras is one step below. . .I wonder if Pete’s achievements are slightly less impressive to Europeans – or maybe Uncle Toni just wanted to talk up Federer a bit by putting him higher than Sampras. Toni can be a little over generous in his praise of Fed, sometimes, but maybe that’s my paranoia talking.

Yep, Rafa’s definitely nipping at the heels of greatness. . .maybe his Uncle will invent a new tier for him.

By: MarK

MarK — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:43:46 +0000

For the most part, Uncle Toni’s “rankings” make sense except that he seems to have a bit of an anti-American bias. A fair observer would definitely move Sampras up to the first group (his unequaled among male players 14 Major championships alone should qualify) and would add Agassi – whose achievements, including career Golden Slam and championships on four different surfaces, are unique among male players – to the second group. As for Nadal, by the end of this year he may already be worthy of inclusion into this second group. No one except Borg (among male players of course) – not even Federer – achieved as much at such a young age. If Rafa can stay healthy for two or three more years, he has a good chance of reaching the very top tier.

By: freakyfrites

freakyfrites — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:08:20 +0000

Hi Eve!

No, I totally understand. As a huge Fed fan, I too, want Roger to be anointed the God of Tennis for ever and ever with nobody even coming close to his records.
(Although at some point he will retire and then I’ll have to be obsessed with another player, so I don’t know how I’ll feel then.)

I just think it feels better to acknowledge Rafa’s achievements and to be excited about what he’s capable of doing – otherwise, it’s like trying to keep a genie in a bottle! And it’s good for tennis to have a champion like him, as well as Roger.

And I try to see it as a test for Roger instead of a threat from Nadal. If Roger’s as good as we all believe he is, he’ll find a way to beat Nadal and Murray when it counts. And if he doesn’t. . . .well, I’ll still love him anyway

By: Eve

Eve — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:44:16 +0000

I don’t know how I place them anymore. I suppose I always assumed that despite Rafa leading the H2H, Roger would still be regarded as the better player when all’s said and done. Obviously now I’m not so sure. And that’s a little upsetting. Because when it comes down to it I’m a Roger fan, and I don’t particularly want to see Rafa win the Grand Slam, or 15+ majors. I don’t want to see all of Roger’s records and achievements completely eclipsed before they’ve even had the chance to stand by themselves a while. But hey, I didn’t want Rafa to beat him in major finals on all three surfaces, or lead their H2H by an embarrassing amount, so I guess I can’t be too picky.

Sorry, I might be having a bad day. Or maybe I’m just pissed at how everything in 09 seems to have sucked so far