Marion Bartoli, Wimbledon Champion 2007...

[DBBN]

...would be The Most Unexpected Winner of Any Tournament Ever, correct?

I mean, we had some shitty Australian winners who are now "Grand Slam champions," but those were like Tier IVAs -- any Greta Arn can roll a few dumbkov wins and take them home when your top seed is *cough* Marion Bartoli *cough*

This...THIS? Everyone played! And Marion Bartoli triumphs!

Come on. Inconceivable.

[Grarliner]

I voted for option three, because I ACTUALLY INVENTED TIER IVA!!!

Yes, this would be the biggest surprise ever. I'm trying to think about who might be close ... Myskina at the French in '04? I know she was top ten, but she sucked so harshly on clay, who gave her a shot?

No. Nothing is close, actually.

The 'there's no depth in women's tennis' folks have sure gone quite silent ...

[sasha]

I'd still argue that it's more "top players suck a lot" than depth.

As for Most Surprising Winner ever, it would still have to go to Carretero. I know, he's Spanish, and they're all good at clay, and Hamburg's draw kinda sucked... but, he was a total nobody before and after Hamburg '96.

As for the women... can't think of any. Myskina '04 RG is a good one. Daniela's first IW win is kinda similar to this, as she was the 18th seed as well, but the draw was worse obviously. Also, have to mention '94 LA, which was probably the weirdest tourney back in the day of no upsets.

[The Chloe]

Was Carretero worse than Portas?

[lexpretend]

Carretero's win is the only comparable one, really. Hantuchova was unexpected but she'd already been flagged up as an up-and-comer and future top 10 player. Myskina was a top 5 player. Marion merely getting to the final is far weirder than either of those winning! Because, despite the stellar junior career (which was years ago), she'd settled into being a player who hung around the top 30, and who wasn't expected to go further.

[lexpretend]

Also, Olga Poutchkova nearly owned us all: www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=978