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**P1international** · 08-06-2008, 11:04 PM

Other will post here too, Nels. Let us rant too:
RF needs a French Open title less than RG needs him to win there. Just look at the list of great ones never to have won there, and it is impressive to say the least. And it is not only Americans, pardon me. Names like Becker, Edberg, Newcombe and now Federer are missing. Yet, the illustrious names of Gaudio, Costa, Ferrero, Muster, Moya, Gomez, Chang and many more (all fine players, I agree, but a different level) pepper the victory list at RG like bird droppings on an otherwise perfect snowy scene.
RG must be worried about this. I think that the last number one seed to win there was Jim Courier in 1993. The last RG champion to be number one at year's end was Guga (2000). In the same way that Wimbledon slowed down the courts to avoid serves from being the only requisite to win there (which, BTW, it wasn't), RG must do something to allow for attacking players to have a say in the results at the French.
I admit I do not see Roger winning it. With the fresh memory of Rafa's performance, right now I have no clue who will beat Nadal there, ever.
But Roger dead? In 2002, Rusedski said, after losing to Pete at the USO, that if he kept playing that way, Pete would not go one more round. I agreed. Pete didn't, and he didn't. And he won his final USO.
I learned to eat crow that day. And I will not write Roger dead until he retires, on his own terms.
Pete's record is there, still achievable. The second best clay court player in the world THREE YEARS IN THE RUN knows it. That's enough motivation.

08-06-2008, 11:04 PM	#2
P1international Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 643 Senior Member	Other will post here too, Nels. Let us rant too: RF needs a French Open title less than RG needs him to win there. Just look at the list of great ones never to have won there, and it is impressive to say the least. And it is not only Americans, pardon me. Names like Becker, Edberg, Newcombe and now Federer are missing. Yet, the illustrious names of Gaudio, Costa, Ferrero, Muster, Moya, Gomez, Chang and many more (all fine players, I agree, but a different level) pepper the victory list at RG like bird droppings on an otherwise perfect snowy scene. RG must be worried about this. I think that the last number one seed to win there was Jim Courier in 1993. The last RG champion to be number one at year's end was Guga (2000). In the same way that Wimbledon slowed down the courts to avoid serves from being the only requisite to win there (which, BTW, it wasn't), RG must do something to allow for attacking players to have a say in the results at the French. I admit I do not see Roger winning it. With the fresh memory of Rafa's performance, right now I have no clue who will beat Nadal there, ever. But Roger dead? In 2002, Rusedski said, after losing to Pete at the USO, that if he kept playing that way, Pete would not go one more round. I agreed. Pete didn't, and he didn't. And he won his final USO. I learned to eat crow that day. And I will not write Roger dead until he retires, on his own terms. Pete's record is there, still achievable. The second best clay court player in the world THREE YEARS IN THE RUN knows it. That's enough motivation.
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