Eurosport - Thu, 23 Apr 18:53:00 2009
Eurosport Yahoo! readers have overwhelmingly voted current world number one Rafael Nadal as the greatest clay court player, according to our latest poll.
The Spaniard, who last week won a record fifth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title, beat former world number one Bjorn Borg for the accolade despite still only being 22.
We asked: Who is the greatest clay court player of all time?
You said:
Bjorn Borg: 23 per cent
Rafael Nadal: 77 per cent
With 4,545 votes cast as of 10:30am UK time on Thursday April 23.
Borg had a formidable record on clay, becoming the youngest winner of the French Open when his first lifted the title at 18 in 1976, a record since lowered - first by fellow Swede Mats Wilander and subsequently Michael Chang.
The 11-times Grand Slam winner, who won a total of 28 clay court titles during his career, still holds the record for number of titles at Roland Garros, lifting the Coupe des Mousquetaires six times.
Only Adriano Panatta managed to beat the Swede at the French Open, with the Italian twice downing Borg - in the fourth round in 1973 and in the quarter-finals in 1976.
Borg also holds third place in the list for most consecutive wins on the red dirt, with 46 victories from 1977-79.
But Nadal has the record, having won 81 consecutive matches between April 2005 and May 2007. The Spaniard has is also fast approaching Borg's total number of clay court tournament wins - with 23 victories already to his name.
Nadal has amassed four successive French Open trophies and, barring injury, is clear favourite to add another to his tally on June 7.
Nadal has lost just twice on clay in the past four years - to Roger Federer at the Hamburg Masters final in 2007 and to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome last year, and is unbeaten at Roland Garros, having won the 2008 title without even dropping a set.
Comment 65 - 84 of 84
Sampras was born to Greek parents. How does that make him American?
#82.
If Djoker was really as great as u keep saying, then he should have finished off Baghdatis in under 2 hours and had more time to rest.
Poor Djoker, always the one to lose out..to the weather , to the organisers, to everything!
BTW, Monica was born to Hungarian parents. How does that make her Serb?
Seles made greatest results under Yugoslavia flag,and she took American passport later (two years before she retire) under strange conditions...
Yeah,but on grand slam you play five set match so you need one day to rest and Novak didnt get it before the semi final of wimbledon 07....
and djokovic is an elite athlete, and i'm right in saying that when he plays in the circuit away from the slams he and the rest of the players play every day so your argument that he wasnt prepared means that he is a rubbish athlete.
seles didnt have a gun to her head when change nation, she changed bacause at the time she was an up coming athlete and yugoslavia couldnt support her in her quest to become the best, that is why she went to the US.
ajpbolton...
Monica Seles was from Serbia too,but she took American passport under pressure,what a poor country America is.....
ajpbolton,...
And do you remember that Novak played almost 5 hours with Bagdatis one day before semi final with Nadal in Wimbledon 07 ??? So,he didnt have 20 hours for rest before semi final and you need to be 100% ready to play on high level against Nadal...That was a big shame for wimbledon organisers....
i remember wimbledon 08, i also remember the year before when the cheat retired in the semis when he was down in the match, he is a joke.
So Novak lost from Safin in Wimbledon 08 who is also great player but his problem (Safin) is that he is not constant, so you never no what to expect from him,something like Berdich....
Novak is high quality player,he prooved that in Monte Carlo final when he play with same quality with Rafa over 2 hours...Of course, Rafa is much stronger, great athlete ,masculine and mentally very strong so he beat Novak in second part of the third set very easy....All credit to Nadal, i wish him the best because he act like true champion, but you cant compare Novak with one dimensional players like Roddick,Karlovic or Ivanisevic because Novak is all round player with great tehnique and his serve is not his main weapon,he dont have such powerfull serve over 200km/h....
Vlada V my sweety, same thing with djoker. take away his serve, hell never get past 2nd round of any event....remember wimbledon 08? go find it in youtube. come back to us and share your view after you watch it.
ajpbolton...
you can't compare Roddick to djokervic..I agree with you,take serve from Roddick and he would not be in first 100, not even the average player..:)))
There is only one tennis player "Don Rafael Nadal"
Too much mediocrity around. I have never seen that before.
It is very bad for tennis, specially on USA where only few people are interested on tennis but they know mediocres do not need to apply.
Nadals just such a wonderful player to watch and a great sportsman, so I really hope he has a successful season all round because of his dedication to turn his game around the way he has outside clay is phenomenal so he deserves it. Go Rafa!!! we all love you!!
you can't compare Roddick to djokervic, Roddick is a sportsman, fights to the end wether he is loosing or winning, djoker will try anything to win, blame the weather when loosing, call the trainer to upset the opponents rythm, then retire when he knows he isnt going to win, that is sly not sportsman like, Roddick is in a different class altogether and its a better class in my view.
Vlada V...U are clearly a moron. Didn't I tell u to start yr own fanclub?
At least Roddick became no 1, was finalist for 2 yrs in Wimbledon etc etc.
Has more career titles and better career record than your wimp a ss Djoker.
The rest of the Serb players are just as rubbish.
sampras isnt greek, his parents were greek imigrants, he was born in washington dc making him american, get it?
Ray V...
It is all clear to my now....So, in USA there is no good players,so you must be Rafa suporter....I dont blame you, who can suport such a worthless players like carpenter Roddick, Fish,Isner....Except James Blake who is great player and big gentleman on court,all of them are just group of pathetic one dimensional lossers..:)
But dont worry,soon or later some great champ from Europe will took American passport (Sampras- country of origin Greece) and you will be happy again,meanwhile you must suport other great players...So,how things going between you and vamos,rafa? What happend after first date? First kiss?:)))
Hello, fans!I'm an amazing girl from UK. I like this team very much. I have a blog on
-- Seekingtall Co m -- I like to share the funny things of the team with other fans,esp handsome guys~~
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account