Top 5 Wimbledon Early Upsets - Men's Singles

How the mighty fall... sometimes. Here's a selection of the biggest early upsets in the men's draw.

1. George Bastl d. Pete Sampras, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 2nd round, 2002

Who was George Bastl? The answer to that, as far as tennis history goes, is solely in this match result. Ranked 145 in the world at the time, the unknown player knocked out the record-equaling 7 times champion. Bastl never won another match at Wimbledon. Sampras never played another. The great one did, however, reportedly seek medical imaging of his brain following the match, which may have helped him make his last match be a US Open victory.

And where are they now?

2. Peter Doohan d. Boris Becker, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 2nd Round, 1987

Boom Boom Becker was the two time defending champion made the earliest exit for a trophy holder for over 20 years. He had also crushed a man by the name of Peter Doohan just weeks earlier at Queens. But Doohan - a career battler with a win-loss record balanced heavily towards the losses - had Boom Boom right where he wanted him, catching him complacent, sending the young superstar home without goldware, silverware, or even wear on his shoes.

3. Sergiy Stakhovsky d. Roger Federer, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5), 2nd Round, 2013

Ok, Rog is getting on a bit. But these top guys just don't lose in the early rounds. This is a guy with 17 grand slams, 23 consecutive semi finals, and was on a streak of 36 quarter final grand slam appearances. This guy just doesn't lose this early in a grand slam. Especially not at Wimbledon. Especially not after winning the first set. And especially not to S Stakhovsky. 

4. Richard Krajicek d. Pete Sampras, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, QF, 1996

Ok, so a quarter final isn't so bad, and Krajicek is much more than an ordinary player. But consider that Krajicek is to Sampras what Robin Soderling is to Nadal at the French Open. In eight CHampionships, Krajicek was the only player to defeat Sampras. He did so convincingly too, and deservedly won the trophy.

Both are classic players suited to grass. But before you bemoan the loss of such grass court style, consider as well that ace-fests are a bit rarer in the final rounds. 

5. Roger Taylor d. Rod Laver, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1, 4th Round, 1970

This is going back a bit. Like Krajicek, Taylor was an excellent player. But any victory over Rocket Rod at this stage was an upset. He had won the last four Wimbledons in which he had played, and he had taken out his second grand slam - note, that is grand slam, and not just grand slam title - the previous year. 

Alas, Youtube was not forecast in 1970!

Best 5 Tips for Hitting a Slice Backhand

The slice backhand can be a consistent shot, add variety, and expose those players who forget to bend their knees. See the great tips below that will help you improve this shot.

1. How the shot works

Nothing like public broadcasting dollars going towards the public good. This BBC guide gives a good introduction to the shot. The pictures are instructive because they show that the slice backhand is not a defensive shot. On the contrary, it is a tactical shot, and an attacking shot.

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2. Variety is the slice of life?

This site shows that there are different types of slice backhands - the attacking slice, the defensive slice, and the normal rallying slice. It's important to practice each of these, as they all add something constructive to your tennis repertoire.

But with anything in tennis, the attacking shot is usually the one that pays in the long term. Think of the shot as an attacking weapon first.

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3. Let's see how it's done

Federer isn't usually the greatest example, mainly because he makes difficult shots look easy. But the slice is a shot that does entail ease and finesse rather than force. This video shows the different uses of the slice, including when stretched wide, to maneuvering, to attacking the net.

 

4. Make the slice a weapon

Fortune favors the brave. It generally does not favor those who use the slice merely to keep in a point, nor to retrieve. Here are some useful tips on turning the slice into a weapon. Like anything in tennis, whether we are defensive or attacking is a state of mind. Change your thinking about the slice - make it bite.

5. A Drill for the Slice Backhand

The slice backhand is there for variety as much as anything else. This simple drill forces one side to play solely slice backhands during practice points. This will ensure that they can use it in all situations, whether it's defending, attacking, or just playing a different shot against an opponent's topspin strokes.

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Best 7 GOAT Opinions - Men's Tennis

Who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)? Let's hear what the pros think.

1. Pete Sampras' view: Federer... maybe

Ten years ago, Pistol Pete was a chapter heading in the GOAT book. Now he gets passing references and footnotes. So it must be tough when people ask him who outranks him.

"I think if you look at the numbers, you have to look at Roger, what he's been able to do: 17 majors, been No.1," said Pistol in January 2014.

"Roger's had a tough record against Rafa. He lost some of those matches on clay, which is Rafa's best surface, but there is that argument - Rafa has won all the majors, he's been No.1. You could argue that he's well up there."

And then there's the difficulty of comparing generations.

"You can talk about it for 20 minutes on the different comparisons. What Rod (Laver) did back in the '60s - five years he didn't play any majors when he was in his prime, so he could have had over 20 majors. I feel like every decade there's the guy."

You're one of those guys, Pistol.

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2. McEnroe's view: Nadal

‘If he stays healthy, he can easily win four or five more slams, no question about it. To me, he’s better than ever,’ said McEnroe in September 2013.

‘It’s amazing how badly he wants it. Let’s hope he stays healthy because it will be great for our sport.’

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3. Becker's view: Nadal, inevitably

"If you'd asked me that a few years ago, I'd have said no. But this year he (Nadal) has returned to his top form and now has 13 titles to his credit," Becker said. "He's 27 and doesn't intend to stop there. He's capable of getting more"

Asking Becker now though? My guess is that he'd go with Novak.

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4. Laver: Federer

"When I look at Federer, with what he's accomplished, against the competition that he's accomplished it with, I'd have to say I would think that Roger is the greatest player," said Laver in October 2013.

You can't choose yourself, right?

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5. Agassi: Nadal

"I'd put Nadal No. 1, Federer No. 2," said Agassi in May 2014. "It's just remarkable to me what he has done, and he has done it all during Federer's prime. Nadal had to deal with Federer, (Novak) Djokovic, (Andy) Murray in the golden age of tennis. He has done what he has done and he's not done yet."

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6. Nadal: Federer or Laver

In declaring Federer the GOAT, despite pounding him time and again, is the humble Spanish bull dog whistling? Doesn't matter - you can't choose yourself.

“I believe it is 100 percent fair that people say [Federer is the best] because he is today, and it will be very difficult for any player to improve his numbers,” said Nadal in November 2014.

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7. Federer: ???

So there we have it - 3 for Nadal, 3 for Federer. I guess the casting vote comes down to the Swiss maestro himself. Too often, however, he has avoided the question. Perhaps as the humble Spanish bull closes in on him, he'll speak out more vociferously.