[Chokeoria]

As we all know, in the history of tennis, a Slam is a Slam.

However, here on MTF I've been hearing people talking about harder-fought slam title wins and easier/fluke ones.(depending on various circumstances)

If we are to look at the entire picture starting from 2000 till today, which was the hardest road to a slam title the winner had to face? How about the easiest?

Please, only post constructively and bring arguments for your picks.

My pick for the most deserved slam title: 2011 FO - Rafael Nadal(W) def Federer in the final.
Arguments: he had to defeat the undisputed GOAT in the final and his nemesis Robin Soderling in the quarters.

Still thinking about the most fluke win, there are quite a few.

 

[finishingmove]

A Slam with a walkover in the final, such as RG 2011, cannot possibly be considered for this category, sorry.

 

[Chokeoria]

A Slam with a walkover in the final, such as RG 2011, cannot possibly be considered for this category, sorry.

How does this answer my question?

 

[Sendou]

Gustavo Kuerten. FO 1997.

 

[92738]

Del Potro US Open 2009.

Def. Cilic in the QF who routined Murray in 3 sets. Defeated Nadal in SF and Roger in F to win his first and only Major.

Not the toughest draw from R1 to F. Not the most sets lost for a winner, but a great effort and one I'll always remember.

 

[Litotes]

Juan Martin Del Potro, US Open 2009, looks the best in paper. He beat three people who have won the US Open title and a fourth finalist. Plus he stopped a 40-match winning streak.

 

[samanosuke]

Ivanisevic beat Moya, Roddick, Rusedski, Safin, Henman and Rafter. Seeds #21, #4, #6, #3, unseeded Roddick and Rusedski. 4 future or past #1 in that moment, add to this grass court experts Rusedski and Henman.

 

[NADALalot]

My pick for the most deserved slam title: 2011 FO - Rafael Nadal(W) def Federer in the final.
Arguments: he had to defeat the undisputed GOAT in the final and his nemesis Robin Soderling in the quarters.

Still thinking about the most fluke win, there are quite a few.

Nadal had already beaten Soderling in straight sets at 2010 Roland Garros, so it could be said that the threat level wasn't so high at 2011 Roland Garros. 2009 Roland Garros looked like an anomaly.
Nadal's 2009 AO, marathon 5-set wins over Verdasco and Federer.
Djokovic's 2012 AO, marathon 5-set wins over Murray and Nadal.

 

[Legend]

I would go with Ivanisevic,due to obvious reasons.

 

[Moonball Pusher]

Easiest paths:
- RG 2016: Lu-Darcis-Bedene-RBA-Berdych-Thiem-Murray LOL
- Wimbledon 2015: Kohlschreiber-Nieminen-Tomic-Kanderson-Cilic-Gasquet-Olderer
- USO 2010: Gabashvili-Istomin-Simon-Lopez-Verdasco-Youzhny (lol) - DFovic
- Wimbledon 2010: Nishikori-Haase-Petzschner-Mathieu-Soderling-Mugray-Berdshyt LOL

 

[blackwell]

Easiest paths:
- RG 2016: Lu-Darcis-Bedene-RBA-Berdych-Thiem-Murray LOL
- Wimbledon 2015: Kohlschreiber-Nieminen-Tomic-Kanderson-Cilic-Gasquet-Olderer
- USO 2010: Gabashvili-Istomin-Simon-Lopez-Verdasco-Youzhny (lol) - DFovic
- Wimbledon 2010: Nishikori-Haase-Petzschner-Mathieu-Soderling-Mugray-Berdshyt LOL

Spot on :yeah:

 

[WinterIsComing]

Gustavo Kuerten. FO 1997.

OP said from 2000 onwards but that was my first thought as well. Insane run!

 

[ali]

Del Potro US Open 2009.

Def. Cilic in the QF who routined Murray in 3 sets. Defeated Nadal in SF and Roger in F to win his first and only Major.

Not the toughest draw from R1 to F. Not the most sets lost for a winner, but a great effort and one I'll always remember.

Juan Martin Del Potro, US Open 2009, looks the best in paper. He beat three people who have won the US Open title and a fourth finalist. Plus he stopped a 40-match winning streak.

Del Potro :hearts:

thanks for the info.​

 

[Supercell]

Djokovic AO 2012 and nothing comes close (at least in recent memory). Almost 11 hours of play in last two rounds.

 

[Lukas15]

Any Federer's GS from the laugh era 2003-2005

 

[SBH Safin]

Easiest paths:
- RG 2016: Lu-Darcis-Bedene-RBA-Berdych-Thiem-Murray LOL
- Wimbledon 2015: Kohlschreiber-Nieminen-Tomic-Kanderson-Cilic-Gasquet-Olderer
- USO 2010: Gabashvili-Istomin-Simon-Lopez-Verdasco-Youzhny (lol) - DFovic
- Wimbledon 2010: Nishikori-Haase-Petzschner-Mathieu-Soderling-Mugray-Berdshyt LOL

Agree with 1st, 3rd and 4th but I think Wimbledon 2015 was actually a little on the hard side.

Kohlschreiber was the highest ranked non-seed draw and is a good grass court player, Tomic can be tricky on grass, Anderson was in the form of his life (coming off Queens Final), Cilic was a previous Queens winner, Gasquet is good on grass and Federer to finish.

Ivanisevic 2001 for me. If only Safin had won the Australian Open in 2004 - that would have been something!

 

[Martin12]

I would probably select Del Potro USO 2009 as the most difficult path and Ivanisevic's Wimbledon 2001 as the "hardest fought". Djokivic AO 2012 is also a contender, but that was IMO too easy in the first half. One should also consider that some of Rafa's draws at RG were quite difficult, even though he made it look easy. For example, 2011, with Isner in the first round, and Ljubicic, Söderling, Murray and Federer in the last four rounds. And look at the amount of talent Federer easily (except for the final, where he lost a set) brushed off at Wimbledon 2006: Gasquet, Henman, Mahut, Berdych, Ancic and Nadal. The weak spot in that draw, of course, was Björkman in the SF ;-)

 

[Abel]

Wimbledon 2013: Becker, Lu, Robredo, Youzhny, Verdasco, Janowicz, Slipovic

Remarkable.

 

[MWW]

Djokovic AO 2012 and nothing comes close (at least in recent memory). Almost 11 hours of play in last two rounds.

People should now spare a thought for Nishikori who played that amount BEFORE the USO 2014 final, two 5 setters over 4 hours and 20 minutes each and a long 3.5 hour 4 set affair with Djokovic. I could only have wished that Djokovic match was the final. If Djokovic had to play one more match after that Nadal one, not sure if he could hold out.

 

[retister]

Easiest paths:
- RG 2016: Lu-Darcis-Bedene-RBA-Berdych-Thiem-Murray LOL
- Wimbledon 2015: Kohlschreiber-Nieminen-Tomic-Kanderson-Cilic-Gasquet-Olderer
- USO 2010: Gabashvili-Istomin-Simon-Lopez-Verdasco-Youzhny (lol) - DFovic
- Wimbledon 2010: Nishikori-Haase-Petzschner-Mathieu-Soderling-Mugray-Berdshyt LOL

Harder than literally every GS Federer won from 2004-2007.
Thanks for bringing it up.