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| Rod Laver: ‘We were pretty darn good – but today’s level is different’ | Rod Laver: ‘We were pretty darn good – but today’s level is different’ |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| As Wimbledon descended into further chaos this week, with the established elite fighting for their reputations on several fronts, a venerable voice from the past lent some perspective to the debate about the state of the game, long ago, and moving into what looks like a new era. | As Wimbledon descended into further chaos this week, with the established elite fighting for their reputations on several fronts, a venerable voice from the past lent some perspective to the debate about the state of the game, long ago, and moving into what looks like a new era. |
| Most contemporary discussions about who is the greatest tennis player of all time settle on a handful of candidates: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Rod Laver. Of the five, Laver is the only one who grew to greatness in the amateur era – and the only one who has done the Grand Slam twice: unpaid, then several years later as a professional when the game went open. It is often said that the five years he was excluded from competing for a major cost him several important titles, and probably even another Grand Slam. | Most contemporary discussions about who is the greatest tennis player of all time settle on a handful of candidates: Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Rod Laver. Of the five, Laver is the only one who grew to greatness in the amateur era – and the only one who has done the Grand Slam twice: unpaid, then several years later as a professional when the game went open. It is often said that the five years he was excluded from competing for a major cost him several important titles, and probably even another Grand Slam. |
| It doesn’t much bother him. To get the revered Australian to venture an opinion about where he should be on the above list is to risk the raising of a ginger eyebrow. What he has always said is Federer is the greatest; and, plastered across the cover of Laver’s new autobiography is Federer’s description in response: “The greatest champion our sport has known.” | It doesn’t much bother him. To get the revered Australian to venture an opinion about where he should be on the above list is to risk the raising of a ginger eyebrow. What he has always said is Federer is the greatest; and, plastered across the cover of Laver’s new autobiography is Federer’s description in response: “The greatest champion our sport has known.” |
| However, as Laver reminisces in the quiet surrounds of a big house in Wimbledon that Adidas has reserved as its championships headquarters, he offers an updated assessment of the Swiss, who turns 33 next month and has not won a slam in two years. | However, as Laver reminisces in the quiet surrounds of a big house in Wimbledon that Adidas has reserved as its championships headquarters, he offers an updated assessment of the Swiss, who turns 33 next month and has not won a slam in two years. |
| “It’s amazing how good he is,” Laver says. “Off the court he’s great with people and enjoys that side of the game of tennis. In Australia, they’re all in love with him. He can do no wrong. At the same time he’s had some downfalls, and everybody suffers with him because he’s such a nice individual. | “It’s amazing how good he is,” Laver says. “Off the court he’s great with people and enjoys that side of the game of tennis. In Australia, they’re all in love with him. He can do no wrong. At the same time he’s had some downfalls, and everybody suffers with him because he’s such a nice individual. |
| “Can he win another slam? Yeah. He’s an outside ringer here, because he’s playing well. I think it probably gets frustrating for him [not winning majors], knowing he’s won 17 grand slam titles, a pretty good record. But I don’t think he’s going to play beyond his ability. If his ability starts to drop because of injuries or something else is lacking, I think he’ll probably slow right down and, in a couple of years, he’s maybe going to find himself saying, ‘This is enough. I’ve had a good career.’ | “Can he win another slam? Yeah. He’s an outside ringer here, because he’s playing well. I think it probably gets frustrating for him [not winning majors], knowing he’s won 17 grand slam titles, a pretty good record. But I don’t think he’s going to play beyond his ability. If his ability starts to drop because of injuries or something else is lacking, I think he’ll probably slow right down and, in a couple of years, he’s maybe going to find himself saying, ‘This is enough. I’ve had a good career.’ |
| “He’s got four children, a couple of sets of twins. He’s got a lot of other things he can do.” | “He’s got four children, a couple of sets of twins. He’s got a lot of other things he can do.” |
| Coming from a different time, with different values and demands, Laver can see the game from an historical as well as immediate vantage point. When he beat the American Chuck McKinley to win Wimbledon in 1961, for instance, swapping ends without sitting at the changeover and hitting winners at every opportunity, a stopwatch that Fred Perry had to hand showed the ball was in play for only 12 minutes. Laver smiles when he recalls winning in three sets, the first, 6-3, taking only 13 minutes, a remarkable statistic. It was all over inside an hour, unthinkably short in the modern game. | Coming from a different time, with different values and demands, Laver can see the game from an historical as well as immediate vantage point. When he beat the American Chuck McKinley to win Wimbledon in 1961, for instance, swapping ends without sitting at the changeover and hitting winners at every opportunity, a stopwatch that Fred Perry had to hand showed the ball was in play for only 12 minutes. Laver smiles when he recalls winning in three sets, the first, 6-3, taking only 13 minutes, a remarkable statistic. It was all over inside an hour, unthinkably short in the modern game. |
| Laver says he could not afford to bring his parents over from Australia for that final, and they listened to the match on the radio “at three in the morning, with Fred Perry on commentary”. Echoes of Nick Kyrgios and how he had leave his mother back in Canberra this year while he campaigned at Wimbledon. | Laver says he could not afford to bring his parents over from Australia for that final, and they listened to the match on the radio “at three in the morning, with Fred Perry on commentary”. Echoes of Nick Kyrgios and how he had leave his mother back in Canberra this year while he campaigned at Wimbledon. |
| Laver respects Kyrgios and his game, but will not get carried away about the teenager’s prospects just yet: “I saw Kyrgios down in Australia. He played some very good tennis, won two or three matches and has done the same here at Wimbledon. I think Australia’s got a good prospect in Kyrgios. | Laver respects Kyrgios and his game, but will not get carried away about the teenager’s prospects just yet: “I saw Kyrgios down in Australia. He played some very good tennis, won two or three matches and has done the same here at Wimbledon. I think Australia’s got a good prospect in Kyrgios. |
| “It’s been a long time coming. The last person we had was Lleyton Hewitt, and he pretty much came through on his own, apart from [Mark] Philippoussis. He won Wimbledon in ’02. We’ve had a void. When you look at Australian careers and the various tournaments we’ve won – you go quite a way back, Adrian Quist and John Bromwich and Harry Hopman, then Frank Sedgman, Merv Rose, then [Lew] Hoad and [Ken] Rosewall. There’s always been a group that has come through, not just one player. So I hope Kyrgios is not just going to be the one player.” | “It’s been a long time coming. The last person we had was Lleyton Hewitt, and he pretty much came through on his own, apart from [Mark] Philippoussis. He won Wimbledon in ’02. We’ve had a void. When you look at Australian careers and the various tournaments we’ve won – you go quite a way back, Adrian Quist and John Bromwich and Harry Hopman, then Frank Sedgman, Merv Rose, then [Lew] Hoad and [Ken] Rosewall. There’s always been a group that has come through, not just one player. So I hope Kyrgios is not just going to be the one player.” |
| Laver adds: “Talking to John Newcombe and Tony Roche here at Wimbledon, they say there’s quite a few guys coming through who look like they’re going to keep going – not going to get to a plateau, good junior, and stop – but have a good chance to win at Wimbledon, say.” | Laver adds: “Talking to John Newcombe and Tony Roche here at Wimbledon, they say there’s quite a few guys coming through who look like they’re going to keep going – not going to get to a plateau, good junior, and stop – but have a good chance to win at Wimbledon, say.” |
| One player Laver admires greatly is Andy Murray. Speaking before Murray’s defeat to Grigor Dimitrov, he spoke about the appointment of Amélie Mauresmo as you might expect someone of his generation to do: respectfully but with caution born of experience. “I don’t know much about Mauresmo apart from the fact she played great tennis,” he remarks. “Is she a good technician? I don’t know those parameters. It’s interesting. If Murray is happy with that type of programme, great. | One player Laver admires greatly is Andy Murray. Speaking before Murray’s defeat to Grigor Dimitrov, he spoke about the appointment of Amélie Mauresmo as you might expect someone of his generation to do: respectfully but with caution born of experience. “I don’t know much about Mauresmo apart from the fact she played great tennis,” he remarks. “Is she a good technician? I don’t know those parameters. It’s interesting. If Murray is happy with that type of programme, great. |
| “But Mauresmo has to say ‘Hey, what are you doing out there?’ She will have a feeling of what you’ve got to do against a different opponent. Because she hasn’t been in the men’s game, though, I would say, do you really know enough about the speed that’s on the ball? But all the power to him. If it works, that’s terrific.” | “But Mauresmo has to say ‘Hey, what are you doing out there?’ She will have a feeling of what you’ve got to do against a different opponent. Because she hasn’t been in the men’s game, though, I would say, do you really know enough about the speed that’s on the ball? But all the power to him. If it works, that’s terrific.” |
| Laver might have been on the circuit as a coach had he accepted Boris Becker’s invitation to join him many years ago but he does not regret turning down the offer. While he agrees the basics of tennis have not changed, the method and the implements have – to the point where he is not sure how he would fare today. “It’s really hard to put yourself in that position,” he says. | Laver might have been on the circuit as a coach had he accepted Boris Becker’s invitation to join him many years ago but he does not regret turning down the offer. While he agrees the basics of tennis have not changed, the method and the implements have – to the point where he is not sure how he would fare today. “It’s really hard to put yourself in that position,” he says. |
| “Yes I hit with heavy top-spin but when you look at the little rackets I played with, the Maxply Dunlop, you had to hit the very centre all the time. I had my share of miss-hits. I was accused of hitting them off the wood, winners over their head, drop shots, whatever, and I’d say ‘Well that’s the way it is, guys!’ | “Yes I hit with heavy top-spin but when you look at the little rackets I played with, the Maxply Dunlop, you had to hit the very centre all the time. I had my share of miss-hits. I was accused of hitting them off the wood, winners over their head, drop shots, whatever, and I’d say ‘Well that’s the way it is, guys!’ |
| “At the same time, the tennis is twice as good [today], the points they play. Just watching Murray returning serves at 125 miles an hour the other day, he was just pushing them back all the time. You’ve got to be more of an athlete probably today. We were pretty darn good – fit and ready to play – but today’s level is different. Those ground strokes are ever so much faster, coming back at you at a pretty good speed. Footwork-wise, you’ve got to be ready to hit that next shot. It’s a tough time. Plus, the guys are 6ft 3in to 6ft 6in – and that’s the norm. There are some big differences.” | “At the same time, the tennis is twice as good [today], the points they play. Just watching Murray returning serves at 125 miles an hour the other day, he was just pushing them back all the time. You’ve got to be more of an athlete probably today. We were pretty darn good – fit and ready to play – but today’s level is different. Those ground strokes are ever so much faster, coming back at you at a pretty good speed. Footwork-wise, you’ve got to be ready to hit that next shot. It’s a tough time. Plus, the guys are 6ft 3in to 6ft 6in – and that’s the norm. There are some big differences.” |
| He adds: “But you get one of those big-headed rackets, it’s so easy to play with them. Just beyond the end of my career, I started playing with one of these rackets and I thought ‘Jeez, I can get back on Tour again!’ It was huge. | He adds: “But you get one of those big-headed rackets, it’s so easy to play with them. Just beyond the end of my career, I started playing with one of these rackets and I thought ‘Jeez, I can get back on Tour again!’ It was huge. |
| “If you were smashing, you couldn’t put the ball away with a Dunlop, but these metal and composite rackets, you have so much more speed, easier to volley, get the depth on ground strokes without any effort. And that’s where I see today’s players having an advantage over those of us who used wooden rackets.” | |
| Somehow, getting any advantage over a player who won more titles than anyone in the history of the game – 200 – and was universally recognised as the best player in the world for at least seven years, would seem to be a challenge beyond all but the elite, even as they begin to crumble. And maybe the little man they call Rocket was the very best of them all, anyway. | Somehow, getting any advantage over a player who won more titles than anyone in the history of the game – 200 – and was universally recognised as the best player in the world for at least seven years, would seem to be a challenge beyond all but the elite, even as they begin to crumble. And maybe the little man they call Rocket was the very best of them all, anyway. |