oberyn3 wrote:Hmm. You play who's in front of you. I don't any slam wins should have some imaginary asterisk next to them. Now, I've seen some draws part like the Red Sea, but it's not the fault of the player that ends up winning. In this situation, if Djokovic hadn't played well enough to make the final, why would that have diminished the achievement? I've never understood this one. In 2009, when Federer won Roland Garros it was not his problem that Nadal lost early.
I agree. But I'm looking at how the media (and bloggers) will report this. Like it or not, the media shapes reality for others (not for real tennis fans, but for the mainstream), and records history. Nadal beating a guy who hasn't won a set in slam finals vs Nadal beating the guy who dominated 2011? I know which one I'd take, for the sake of Nadal's legacy. And even astute tennis commentators like John McEnroe continue to bring up the lack of a Fedal meeting at Roland Garros 2009 when they speak of Federer winning it. They don't bring it up in an offensive way, but they note 'Of course that was the French Open Nadal lost early in'....