Greatest Indian Women Athlete

[Atithee]

No one would suggest that Yuki's 2 junior GS slams puts him in the same league as Andy Murray or Stan Wawrinka.

LOL. I didn't know Sania is in the Martina or Steffi or Serena league, to whom one might be tempted to compare Yuki to in this context.

[arjun2761]

Perhaps I mispresented the analogy. Serena/Steffi correspond to the Federer/Sampras (GOATs), Murray/Wawrinka were intended to represent players with 1-2 slams rather like a Stosur or Kuznetsova among women. Perhaps, Cilic would have been a clearer analogy since it turns out that Yuki has won only 1 junior GS although he didn't play any junior GS events in his last year of eligibility (i.e., when he was 18).

[suresh]

I voted for Saina -- her sustained excellence at the top won it for me. Sania and PT Usha were the other two that I considered. Sindhu might overtake Saina if she stays at the top for another 4-5 years.

[Atithee]

Perhaps I mispresented the analogy. Serena/Steffi correspond to the Federer/Sampras (GOATs), Murray/Wawrinka were intended to represent players with 1-2 slams rather like a Stosur or Kuznetsova among women. Perhaps, Cilic would have been a clearer analogy since it turns out that Yuki has won only 1 junior GS although he didn't play any junior GS events in his last year of eligibility (i.e., when he was 18).

Sania has won one lowly singles wta singles title ever. Why are we even bringing slam winners into the discussion?

[rajitghosh]

Voted for Saina. By the time, Sindhu ends of career she may surpass Saina's achievements. But as of today, it is Saina all the way. And I guess she has 2 more years of good badminton left in her.
Hope the votes for Dipa Karmakar are not because of the recency factor? Had this been 2010 or 2012 or 2014 when Saina played her best, she would have won easily.

[sameerph]

Then, who voted for Dipa ? She has 5 votes but nobody is coming forward and saying that he voted for Dipa.

[ankit1407]

voted for Saina

[arjun2761]

Perhaps I mispresented the analogy. Serena/Steffi correspond to the Federer/Sampras (GOATs), Murray/Wawrinka were intended to represent players with 1-2 slams rather like a Stosur or Kuznetsova among women. Perhaps, Cilic would have been a clearer analogy since it turns out that Yuki has won only 1 junior GS although he didn't play any junior GS events in his last year of eligibility (i.e., when he was 18).

Sania has won one lowly singles wta singles title ever. Why are we even bringing slam winners into the discussion?

You should answer your own question since you brought in someone who had a junior slam final as her only achievement as someone who should enter the discussion on our women's tennis greats. Btw, Sania does have 6 GS slam titles in doubles....

[vatsal323]

It is much much tougher to make it in tennis than badminton. Period!

[PKBasu]

Also, didn't PKB post about a lady who actually won some titles or did much better at slams in the 50s?

Rita Davar made the Wimbledon junior singles final in 1952 (losing a 3-setter). She also qualified into the main draw of singles twice, and made R3 of Mixed Doubles once.

I think that only highlights Sania's achievement even more starkly. Apart from Rita Davar, the only other Indian women to have played Slam singles at all are Nirupama Vaidyanathan (once), Shikha Uberoi (once) and NRI Laxmi Poruri (3-4 times). Sunitha Rao reached the final round of qualifying at 4 Slams. For Sania to have been in the top-30 in a sport where no other Indian woman has ever been ranked in the top-120 (the highest being NRI Shikha's rank of 122) is truly extraordinary. Plus she has six Slam titles (MxD and women's doubles). We easily downplay doubles in tennis because we have had so much success -- but where are the doubles greats from India in badminton or table-tennis?

[Prashant]

5 votes for Dipa and still no one willing to stand up & claim them. I smell a rat.

[Atithee]

You should answer your own question since you brought in someone who had a junior slam final as her only achievement as someone who should enter the discussion on our women's tennis greats. Btw, Sania does have 6 GS slam titles in doubles....

Huh? You misunderstood the context where I was saying that usually people focus on contemporary players rather than all time. I further clarified by giving the Miss World example in a later mail. I never brought in junior slams in the discussion. You did. I merely mentioned an older achievement by an Indian woman tennis player, which turned out to be a junior slam. It's another story that Rita also had some success at senior level.

[prasen9]

Junior slams are useless. It may only mean that you can make top-70 or so in seniors.

[Varma]

5 votes for Dipa and still no one willing to stand up & claim them. I smell a rat.

One of them was mine, Prashant . Prasen pretty much summed up most of the reasons that made me vote for Dipa. I will try to add a couple of more points, probably later today.

- Varma

[Saniapower]

Why PT Usha is the best Indian athlete ever...