Topic: most able to complete a grand slam

[SerenaSlam06]

alright, its been a while since the serena slam, and now adays it seem impossible to win more than 2 majors in a season, but who has the best skills and abilities to complete the calendar grand slam?

[Tennis4you]

I still think Serena would have the best chance if she were healthy.  Always an "if" though.

[NJtennis11]

I picked Mary Pierce.  Her results this year have been astoundingily outstanding.  With finals appearances at the US Open and Roland Garros and a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon to Venus, I think she has the best shot.

Edit: I don't even want to go into Serena, until she recommits to the sport she has abo****ely no shot of winning a grandslam, let alone 4 in the same year.  And truthfully, I'm not so sure Serena or now Venus for that matter want to.  And I defended them for a long time, but I am fed up.

[SerenaSlam06]

Tennis4you, i couldnt have said it better, serena has already proven she can win on all surfaces, now if only she was healthy she could do it, i recall right after the AO and she was looking great again tracy austin wrote an article on fox sports news(u prob can still look at the article ill try to find it) taht serena had an unprecedented opp to complete the slam and if any1 could do it she could... sigh why did serena have to sprain her ankle and get out of shape, if that hadnt happend, imagine her season, to me taht is the biggest wat if this season

[Arcforce]

Everyone, fans & players included, know that Venus & Serena can dominate if they'd like to. All it takes is a good 90% commitment from them and they could very easily be back on top. But when you've had it all, I guess you begin to hunger for something more...a different satisfaction. No one even expected them to make it in tennis, nevermind DOMINATING the sport like no one has in quite a while. They went above and beyond and I guess they've lost interest. If they wanted to get their head back in, I have no doubt that they could BOTH OWN hard/grass courts as well as the hard/grass slams -- Roland Garros and the clay court season would probably take a lot more commitment to conquer but I have no doubt thye can do it. Serena proved she can w. her championship & semifinal shows at Roland Garros while Venus has been in one RG final and (I believe) had the second highest winning % on clay as of 2004.

Tennis is nothing for them. Commitment is anothe story.

[Chris1987]

I stayed loyal on this one.

[Pacer]

I can't see it being anyone other than Serena. Venus has a chance but she tends to play better in the second half of the year than she does the first. Kim also could do it but I'm not sure the heart is there. Justine of old could have done it but the new Justine doesn't look up to it. Sharapova,Davenport and Mary just don't have the athleticism to dominant on all surfaces. So I can only see a fit Serena being able to complete the grandslam.

[wilsonboy]

I would say that Venus is probably the one that is most likely to do it right now. Serena has to be 100% fit if she's gonna have one next year.

[BitterBlueBong]

Right about now I'd give Venus and Serena an equal chance to do it --- which is to say, not likely at all. We've already seen what Serena can do when she's playing well but she's not there at the moment. Venus reached all four finals consecutively, but as Pacer said, she tends to play better from Wimbledon on. Everyone else doesn't stand a chance (mostly because I can't see one of the Belgians winning Wimbledon).

[kittens25]

I think Maria could do it if she improves on clay, which she has started doing.    She has some chance at the other 3 slams.   Venus or Serena conceivably could.    I could not see Kim, Justine, or Mary, ever winning Wimbledon.    Could not see Davenport winning the French.

[BitterBlueBong]

I think Maria could do it if she improves on clay, which she has started doing.    She has some chance at the other 3 slams.   Venus or Serena conceivably could.    I could not see Kim, Justine, or Mary, ever winning Wimbledon.    Could not see Davenport winning the French.

You can't see Davenport winning the French but you think Maria can? I guess anything is possible.

[Anonymous]

why is Ana Ivanovic on this poll???

[SerenaSlam06]

i put ana on as a wildcard of sorts bc in my opinion she is the best new young player right now

[Arcforce]

Best new player I'd say Ivanovic seems to have the most potential while Vaidisova has proved herself as the most accomplished newcomer. Tho I still think Ana has more untapped potential than Nicole, Vaidisova has come into her game quicker.

[SerenaSlam06]

i think nicole ahs proved her self, unfortunately not at majors, only at tier V IV and IIIs

[kittens25]

You can't see Davenport winning the French but you think Maria can? I guess anything is possible.

Well Maria is alot younger than Lindsay so she can improve more, especially on a surface she isnt that comfortable on.    I thought her play at the French Open this year was fairly impressive, she might have won the title had Henin-Hardenne had an off day in the quarters.
She seems to have a better attitude about playing on clay than Lindsay, who looks like she doesnt even want to be out there IMHO.

[wilsonboy]

That's true but, the FRENCH!! The other WTA players that have been on the tour for a while have still not mastered the clay courts [a few exceptions of course].

[kittens25]

That's true but, the FRENCH!! The other WTA players that have been on the tour for a while have still not mastered the clay courts [a few exceptions of course].

Serena Williams has won a French Open, possably nearly won a second the next year.   Venus Williams dominated the regular clay court season in 99 with a full field, and in 2004 albeit with a depleted field due to injuries(although it is common nowadays for only 1 big gun to play for several months), and reached a French Open final in 2002.     Capriati has won a French Open, possably nearly won a second the next year when she barely lost to Serena in the semis, and won the Olympics in 92 on clay with her only ever win over Graf in the final.   Henin it is her best surface and she has 2 titles to show for it, and Clijsters her 2nd best after hard courts and she has reached 2 finals there, so it goes without saying both have mastered it.     Mauresmo has more tier 1 titles on clay than any other surface.    Myskina has her lone(forever probably)slam on the surface.    Kuznetsova had match points on the eventual champion two years in a row.    Dementieva reached a final at the French, and won her first ever tour title at a tier 1 event on clay.    Pierce has reached 3 of her 6 slam finals at the French.

I would say quite the opposite, that it seems most of the top women do master clay to some extent.     The exceptions are those few that dont ever, like Davenport.

[BitterBlueBong]

Interesting points, Kittens. On the women's side, surface isn't quite the equalizer (dubious term, I know) that it is on the men's side. It's funny because even though you think of many top players on both sides doing worse on clay, it still means a variety of winners. However, it seems like every woman has one that she wouldn't win. I couldn't see Lindsay or Maria winning the French, I couldn't see Kim or Justine winning Wimbledon, etc. But with the right draw and a couple injuries, who knows. Lindsay has reached the semis at the French and Justine has reached the finals at Wimbledon.

FYI, Since 2000, this is how many different women have won each slam:

Australian: 4
French: 5
Wimbledon: 3
USO: 5

[Anonymous]

Interesting points, Kittens. On the women's side, surface isn't quite the equalizer (dubious term, I know) that it is on the men's side. It's funny because even though you think of many top players on both sides doing worse on clay, it still means a variety of winners. However, it seems like every woman has one that she wouldn't win. I couldn't see Lindsay or Maria winning the French, I couldn't see Kim or Justine winning Wimbledon, etc. But with the right draw and a couple injuries, who knows. Lindsay has reached the semis at the French and Justine has reached the finals at Wimbledon.

FYI, Since 2000, this is how many different women have won each slam:

Australian: 4
French: 5
Wimbledon: 3
USO: 5

Your points are very good.    In womens tennis surface is not the equalizier it is on the mens side.    The main reason for that is the elite woman are so superior to the rest of the pack by such an enormous margin they still clearly form the leading group of players no matter the surface.    Like you said it also seems alot of them tend to not prefer clay, compared to other surfaces, and I think that is another reason things arent that different on clay being that alot of the top women these days have similar surface preferences.     Justine is the only top player that probably prefers clay to other surfaces.

I suppose it is early to tell on Maria's potential on clay, I think she shows alot more potential on clay than say Nadal on grass so far, but again that is probably more due to the less specialized nature of womens tennis making it harder for Nadal on grass than Maria on clay.
You are right in saying that Justine and Kim will probably need some breaks to win Wimbledon, and it will take some luck for Lindsay or Maria to win the French.    As we know though, crazier things have happened in womens tennis the last few years.   I dont think any of those would be more unlikely than Myskina winning a slam, or Dementieva with a worse serve than she has now reaching 2 slam finals in the same year.