Originally posted by: LikeLinus
Originally posted by: Pacfanweb
Sampras. Federer has no competition. Sampras had plenty, and still dominated.
How can you take aways something from a guy that he has no control over??
What makes you so sure that you couldn't beat the competition that Sampras faced?
It's a weak argument for someone who doesn't know anything about tennis. You're not using examples of their game as a whole. Using something that is out of the control of both men is lame.
So if Federer had played back then and Sampras now....
It's all speculative and subjective.
You don't have to know anything about any sport to know there's no competition. There were other great players when Sampras was playing. Agassi. Becker. Courier. McEnroe. Lendl. All won major tournaments.
Until you have someone challenge Federer, you can't say he's as great as Sampras.
Who, other than Federer...TODAY....is considered great? There aren't even any older players past their prime that can still play at the top level occasionally.
Federer is certainly awesome, but there is also no competition....and no, he can't help that, but that's just unfortunate for him. He dominates against nobodies.
Sampras played against all-time greats on their way out, all-time greats that were at their peak before he was, all-time greats who were at their peak at the same time he was, and then....who did he play that was an up-and-coming all-time great when he was past his prime? Federer is the only one that I can think of.
The competition DOES matter. Until Federer gets some, I don't see how he can be considered better.
Byron Nelson is one of the greatest golfer of all time, and he holds the longest winning streak in PGA history....but there is one problem with that: It was during World War II, when many of the best golfers were participating in the war and not playing golf.
So yeah, he won a lot of tournaments, but the overwhelming odds say it was because of the lack of quality competition.
BTW, I personally think that Borg is really the greatest of all time.