I've been trying to find some stats for this but can't really find any records.

To start off with, slams without dropping a set:

-Navratilova did it 6 times: Wimbledon '83, '84, '86, '90 USO '83, '87
-Steffi has done it 5 times: AO '88, '89, '94 FO '88 USO '96. Amazingly she never won Wimbledon without dropping a set. Although she won quite a few slams only dropping one set.
-Chris Evert did it 5 times: FO: '74 Wimbledon '81 USO '76, '77, '78
-Lindsay has done it at all her slams: US0 '98, Wimbledon '99, AO '00
-Serena has done it twice: Wimbledon '02, USO '02
-Martina Hingis has done it twice: AO '97, USO '97
-Seles only did it once :o USO '92
-Justine has done it once: FO '05

So my real question is, who has dropped the least games en route to winning a slam?

The best examples I could find: Chris Evert only dropped 13 games in taking the 1976 USO this was playing only 6 matches though, Martina N only dropping 19 games in the 1983 USO and Steffi only dropped 20 games in taking the FO in 88.

Other notables: Serena only dropped 29 games in the 2002 USO, 29 games lost for Steffi when she won the 1988 AO, Monica only dropped 27 in the 1992 USO, Evert only dropped 26 games in 1981 Wimbledon and 1977; Navratilova only 25 games in the 1983 Wimbledon and 29 in 1990, and finally Hingis only dropped 28 games in the 1997 USO.

It seems the USO is where most of the demolition jobs go on ;)

Does anyone know anymore about this? Like the actual records for example?

It seems that the FO has been won the least amount of times in straight sets, which is unsurprising I suppose.

In 1994, Pierce reached her first Grand Slam final at the French Open. She became first player to reach the championship's fourth round while dropping only two games. :o She conceded just 10 games during her route to the final, which included a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of World No. 1 Steffi Graf in the semifinals. In the final, Pierce lost 6-4, 6-4 to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario. Surely if she had thrashed ASV in that final she would hold the record

Thanks for that, I never realised :ok:

Also I just realised I forgot one, Mary won the AO in 1995 in straights :doh:
She dropped only 30 games as well. Go Mary :D

10 games on route to the final though :o surely thats a record in itself

I expect so :D

It's funny how things like that happen and then Mary lost :doh: In 2000 Serena got to the semis of Wimbledon dropping the least games since Chris Evert in 1981 or something like, only to get stuffed by Venus :rolleyes: So I guess the moral is: sometimes it's better to be match hardened...

roflmao roflmao lol good theory :ok: Lets hope Serena drops a few sets at RG then ;)

I remember this well. Pierce was on fire throughout the tournament. She was playing as if she was possessed and with amazing groundstroke power it was unbelievable (from what I remember, correct me if I am wrong Liam). But in the final she just wasn't at the races.

As SW19 says, she wasn't really match hardened.... And Sanchez Vicario was a force on clay.

Yes, she was a bag of nerves on the day of the final and instead of relying on what got her there in the first place place, she was hitting some horrendous moonballs, which earned her the nickname 'moonball Mary'!!!! Still, as my fave 2 ever players, it was a dream final for me :D

The WTA/ATP media guide has the records listed for each slam but I think the overall is Navratilova's 19 games at the 1983 US Open.

It doesn't list the Evert 1976 US Open but that's presumably because it was only 6 matches.

I'll have a look at it tonight - from what I remember it also gives records for the least games dropped in smaller tournaments.

Navratilova should definately be a candidate somewhere in there....

given her sheer tenacity and longevity.. it is even a surprise she doesn't hold many strange and unthinkable records...

She does hold quite a few!

Season best win/loss records

Fewer than 10 losses, minimum 50 matches won.

1. Martina Navratilova: 86-1 98.9% 1983
2. Steffi Graf: 86-2 97.7% 1989
3. Navratilova: 78-2 97.5% 1984
4. Graf: 75-2 97.4% 1987
5. Navratilova: 90-3 96.8% 1982
6. Navratilova: 89-3 96.7% 1986
7. Graf 72-3 96% 1988
8. Margaret Court 102-5 95.3% 1973
9. Chris Evert 56-3 94.9% 1978
10. Court 109-6 94.8% 1970
11. Evert 70-4 94.5% 1977
12. Navratilova 84-5 94.4% 1985
13. Court 96-6 94.1% 1969
14. Court 63-4 94% 1971
15. Evert 92-6 93.8% 1975
16. Evert 75-5 93.7% 1976
Martina Hingis 75-5 93.7% 1997
18. Graf 72-5 93.5% 1990
19. Evert 100-7 93.4% 1974
20. Monica Seles 70-5 93.3% 1992
21. Graf 54-4 93.1% 1996
22. Graf 76-6 92.6% 1993
23. Evert 75-6 92.6% 1982
24. Seles 74-6 92.5% 1991
25. Evert 73-6 92.4% 1981
26. Serena Williams 56-5 91.8% 2002
27. Tracey Austin 88-8 91.6% 1980
28. Court 74-7 91.4% 1968
29. Graf 64-6 91.4% 1986


Top 10 Open Era Win Streaks

74 Matches - Martina Navratilova: 1984 (l. to Helena Sukova 16 63 75: Australian Open SF)
66 Matches - Steffi Graf: 1989-90 (l. to Monica Seles 64 63: Berlin Final)
58 Matches - Navratilova: 1986-7 (l. to Hana Mandlikova 75 76(1) Australian Open Final)
57 Matches - Margaret Court: 1972-3 (l. to Billie Jean King 67 76 63: Indianapolis SF)
55 Matches - Chris Evert: 1974 (l. to Evonne Goolagong 60 67 63: US Open SF)
54 Matches - Navratilova: 1983-4 (l. to Hana Mandlikova 76(6) 36 64: Oakland Final)
46 Matches - Graf: 1988 (l. to Pam Shriver 63 76(5): WTA Champs SF)
45 Matches - Graf: 1987 (l. to Navratilova 75 63: Wimbledon Final)
44 Matches - Graf: 1993 (l. to Conchita Martinez: 63 63: Philadelphia Final)

Consecutive Singles Finals reached -

23 - Martina Navratilova (Eastbourne June 1983 - Sydney November 1984)
22 - Steffi Graf (Melbounre January 1989 - Roland Garros June 1990)
21 - Steffi Graf (Tokyo September 1986 - Miami March 1988)

Thanks GS2 I knew you'd know where to look :D

Is the WTA media in the media section of the of the WTA site then? As I can never find anything like that there?

I don't believe so.

They release a combined WTA/ATP Media Guide at the beginning of every year (it's a massive book basically) with profiles of the top 100 or so players. Loads of stats plus last years complete slam draws, all open era slam draws 4th round onwards and all open era tournament results.

The ATP tends to have more info about players and the previous years results, the WTA is better on the stats and results from 1968 onwards.

Some of it I think is on the website but the majority is just in the book.

Dateline: 04/24/00

Mary Pierce has always been one of the most dangerous players on the WTA Tour. Her power makes her capable of beating anyone on a given day, but her history has been a roller coaster of great and dismal performances. What changed for her at this year's Family Circle Cup was her hitting well -- make that spectacularly -- in every match. She dropped only 12 games in the entire tournament, beating Chris Evert's 1985 record of 15.

The final against Arantxa Sanchez Vicario exemplified Pierce's dominance. Arantxa is one of the most tenacious fighters in tennis, but she could hold onto only one game, losing 6-0, 6-1. Pierce used a mixture of hard groundstrokes into the deep corners, serves well over 100 m.p.h., and sharply angled short topspins to put the ball out of Arantxa's reach.

Apparently, she beat Seles 6-1 6-1 in the semis too :)

I've got the semi on DVD. Mary was very good but was she was helped by Seles who was abysmal! Especially in the first set.

Do you know how many games she played in that tournament GS2? And im sorry for steering away from the thread title but this article is all i could find!!!!

R64 BYE

R32 LEON GARCIA, GALA 6-1 6-1

R16 SMASHNOVA, ANNA 6-1 6-2

Q DOKIC, JELENA 6-3 6-1

S SELES, MONICA 6-1 6-1

F SANCHEZ-VICARIO, ARANTXA 6-1 6-0


She lost 12 games.

Least numbers of games lost on the way to winning a title.

16-28 Draw
Evert - 7 - 1981 Lugano
Graf - 8 - 1988 Mahwah
Seles - 8 - 1992

32-58 Draw
Evert - 8 - 1974 Indianapolis
Austin - 10 - 1980 San Diego
Seles - 10 - 1990 Tampa

128 Draw
Graf - 24 - 1989 AO
Graf - 28 - 1994 AO

Graf - 20 - 1988 RG
Navratilova - 30 - 1984 RG

Navratilova - 25 - 1983 Wimbledon
Evert - 26 - 1981 Wimbledon

Navratilova - 19 - 1983 US Open
Graf - 23 - 1988 US Open

So Graf has the record at AO & RG. Navratilova at Wimbledon & US Open.

Graf 1988 RG record isn't quite as good as it looks as she only played one really top class player in the whole thing (Sabatini in the semis who was responsible for 11 of the 20 games Graf dropped in the event!)

I think in the 1988 US Open Graf benefited from a walkover in the semis as well.

Interestingly Wimbledon seemed to be where Graf dropped the most games. It also (just) has the worst overall record for anyone. Even Navratilova's 1983 record was helped by Evert being ill and going out early.

Navratilova 1983 US Open record is pretty incredible. She crushed Evert in the final.

This is how she did it

R128 RAPONI LONGO, EMILSE 6-1 6-0

R64 ALLEN, LOUISE 6-2 6-1

R32 GOMPERT, KATE 6-2 6-2

R16 VASQUEZ, PILAR 6-0 6-1

Q HANIKA, SYLVIA 6-0 6-3

S SHRIVER, PAM 6-2 6-1

F EVERT, CHRIS 6-1 6-3

Shouldn't think you were following it that closely in 94 roflmao

Good effort and thanks :D - but surely you have too much time on your hands :rolleyes:

Thanks for that GS2 :ok:

Its interesting that Wimbledon is where the most games seem to be lost, Navratilova clearly was very dominating there winning it so many times in straight sets but not nearly as many bagels or breadsticks as she served out at the USO.

I still can't believe Steffi never won it in straight sets though :o

I think one of the reasons Wimbledon is like that as it tends to be that the best players play their best there, so it does tend to produce tighter and better matches.

Just my take.