Best Player not to win Wimbledon

Watching Roddik taking the first set here put me on mind of asking who was the best to miss out?

Rosewall, whose final appearances spanned 20 (TWENTY!) years, missing the years as a pro of course. he made the final in 1974, losing to Jimmy Connors when aged 40. A player often thought of as a relic from pre-history, it should be remembered that outside Wimbledon he beat Vitas Gerulaitis when aged 43 and pushed Connors in the final.

Lendl, who made two finals while dominating the tour, and a few semis too. Stopped by Becker and an inspired Cash.

Roddick, who made three finals but was unlucky to find Federer across the net each time. Lost in 2009 by dropping serve only once, in the last game of a 16-14 epic 5th set.


Feel free to suggest others and I'll add.

It has to be Lendl... But Roddick should have won it....

Rosol

Rosewall.

Henman

Tough one - never saw Rosewall play, so it's hard to judge him. Lendl always looked like he was struggling on grass, whereas Roddick's game was much more suited to it, so I've gone for him.

Sebastien Grosjean was a terrific grass player. I was more than usual when Federer played him.

All good candidates but I'll nominate Nastase. Great to watch although a bit of a loose cannon.

I went with Lendl, can't comment on Rosewall as I wasn't old enough to have watched him play. Include wilander as well 7 grandslams and he won 3 of the 4 slams but wimby. Roddick doesn't belong anywhere on the list. Just doesn't have the grandslam credentials of players like Lendl or Wilander who won so much but couldn't get wimbeldon.

By "best player" I assume you mean best "grass court player". I can't really say as I don't have too much knowledge on the players apart from say Roddick. I certainly think Roddick would have been a worthy champion and maybe at times he played the more exciting riskier attacking tennis than Federer (2009) ??

From players I've seen it has to be Roddick. 3 finals and losing one 14-16 in the final set. It doesn't get much closer.

I think BB meant best grass court player not to win Wimby. Lendl was a better player than Roddick, but on grass I'd certainly pick Roddick over Lendl.

Ambiguity in the OP. C'mon BB, buck up!

It's left open to the responder!

I would of liked to see what Roddick could do lets say on the wimby courts and balls of 99 or 98. Faster courts might have helped Roddick as much or more so than Fed because Roddick really could not use his feet and play long points.

bogbrush wrote:It's left open to the responder!

Don't think that's how MORI do it

JuliusHMarx wrote:

bogbrush wrote:It's left open to the responder!

Don't think that's how MORI do it

That's why their results are boring.

With 8 slams it has to be either Lendl or 7 slams Wilander.

If you mean best grass court player to not win SW19 then Roddick, Henman.

Best on grass - Roddick.

He lost to Fed four times in his best years.

Watching today's match it is clear that Roddick is only half the player he used to be.

His serve has lost around 10mph on average and the FH, which he used to hit hard and flat, is far too loopy. He also stands much further behind the baseline than he used to.

Unfortunately for Roddick, the slowing conditions at W have destroyed his chances.

Fred Stolle

W is really two tournaments rolled into one.

The second week conditions favour a different style of play to the first week.

socal1976 wrote:I went with Lendl, can't comment on Rosewall as I wasn't old enough to have watched him play. Include wilander as well 7 grandslams and he won 3 of the 4 slams but wimby. Roddick doesn't belong anywhere on the list. Just doesn't have the grandslam credentials of players like Lendl or Wilander who won so much but couldn't get wimbeldon.

Best player means who deserved more, certainly its Roddick ahead of Lendl and Wilander doesn't come into picture he didn't make 3 Wimbledon finals.
Wilander would struggle to win Wimbledon in any era, Roddick might have won 1 or 2 in a non-Federer era, so he deserves the title of best player not to have won the Glorious title called Wimbledon.

Stolle made 3 finals and won the US Open when it was Grass.

That for me puts him yards ahead of anyone else mentioned.

Tim tiger Henman

Roddick ahead of Rosewall. Ugh. You guys should read more. Just Rosewall's wikipedia article would do.

Rosewall is all time top 10 at the very least, perhaps top 5. Might have been GOAT with 1 Wimbledon.

Andy Roddick?

Not even his wife will say that about him.

Roddick & Henman, are 2 that I would love to have won W. Murray will eventually get a GS but US/AO, not W.

I also believe Murray will win US or AO, or even both.