I consider her one of the first women to really inject power into the women's game. From January 1988 through January 1990, she reach 9 straight grand slam finals, winning 8 of them... the most dominant stretch in the history of the game. How do you think 'that' Steffi Graf have done against today's Williams sisters, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, et al.?
2007-07-18 10:06:16 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Tennis
Steffi was a very smart players. I don't believe she would be as successful as she was but I do believe she would have won a few slams still. Steffi is the kind of player that would frustrate a lot of top players because of her touch and placement.
2007-07-18 10:20:13 · answer #1 · answered by ME M 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I agree with Vincent K that Steffi would certainly be able to give the current women's top 10 a good run for their money. Look at Steffi's last French Open win in 1999 when she came from behind to beat an in-her-prime Martina Hingis. Martina was over confident in that match and underestimated Steffi as a player but much more so as a competitor. Graf is easily the best competitor I've seen play the game on the women's side (I've been watching tennis since the 1970s). Give her the slightest opening, let up for just a moment and she's got you. Take note of Graf's 1989 victory over Martina Navratilova in the US Open final. Martina was killing Steffi in that match. She was up a set and a break. Serving at 4-2 in the second set Martina got a visible attack of nerves and made 2 double faults. That was all Steffi needed to seize control of the match and run away with it. In the current group of top 10 women , Sharapova is probably the best competitor out there (perhaps tying with Serena). But in my opinion Graf was a better competitor than both of them. That mental ability can win you a lot of matches and would help her in challenging (but not dominating) the current top 10.
Recall at Wimbledon in 1999 Graf reached the final beating Venus Williams and Mirjana Lucic in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively (whatever happened to Lucic anyway?). But she lost to Lindsey Davenport in the final. Davenport's hard, flat shots were tailor-made for grass and she was able to overpower Graf (no easy task). Given that Steffi was not able to beat Davenport, despite Davenport's lack of mobility, there is reason to think that she would have been overpowered by both Serena and Venus Williams (who move much better than Davenport) when the two of them dominated women's tennis in the first 4 years of this decade.
2007-07-18 18:12:52 · answer #2 · answered by thomas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Steffi Graf can still be No.1.
Her latest Grand Slam was 1999 French Open and that prove that she isn't outdated player.
Williams sisters became pro in 1995 and they didn't win Grand Slam until Serena in 1999 and Venus in 2000.
If you look at the time line, you can see how great Steffi really was.
2007-07-18 10:23:16 · answer #3 · answered by SpinUpSide 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
She would have been in top 3 even in todays women tennis.
I also think that she would have continued to win many more grand slams and the William sisters, Henin, Sharapova would
be struggling to beat her....May be on clay, Stefi would have trouble, and other than that I would say she would be still on the top, just like Federer is doing on the men side.
In her days, she dominated Capriati, Seles, Sanchez, Sabitini etc...She was he one who had excellent overall game
2007-07-18 11:16:00 · answer #4 · answered by JustDoit 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
well she would most certainly give the womens top 10 players a run for their money...
graf was amongst the first few women players to actually hit with power and incredible placement...even her slice return backhand was a point-getter in itself...
her game style very much like hingis resorts to more thinking then actually hitting with power...thinking players are at any time more dangerous then any power player...look at fedex...enough said...
graf is already a living legend in tennis...being married to one of the greatest tennis icons of the 80's and 90's andre agassi...but looking at records...and accomplishments...graf has way more compared to agassi...she wears the brass baby
graf may find it hard to compete on power play with todays ladies...but in terms of technical play...she would still be better...she can from an era of technical and less power...
it would be great to see back on court someday...
2007-07-18 13:02:40 · answer #5 · answered by Vincent K 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think she could still be in the Top Ten, toward the end of her career she had some great matches aganist venus, and davenport she could stay with them in the power category, she just couldn't sustain it for two or three sets which i think is why she decided to retire.
2007-07-18 19:21:32 · answer #6 · answered by scboy18 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats an easy one// if graff could have kept playing and was still around she would be number1 today henin and sharapova would never had been and the williams would be dropping fries at micky ds with 7 years seniority// amen to dat//
2007-07-18 12:09:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
She'd dominate. Graf was amazing.
I'd have liked to see her stomp all over the Williams sisters.
2007-07-18 11:09:42 · answer #8 · answered by Vegetable Soup (I'm baaaack) 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think she would still be in the top.
2007-07-18 21:59:16 · answer #9 · answered by aikyoo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she would rock today
2007-07-18 19:14:05 · answer #10 · answered by john 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋