Tennis
Laver: Nadal's 4 for 4 wouldn't be true Grand Slam
Tennis

Laver: Nadal's 4 for 4 wouldn't be true Grand Slam

Published Jan. 13, 2011 10:46 a.m. ET

Tennis great Rod Laver says that if Rafael Nadal wins this month's Australian Open for a fourth major title in a row, it would be ''a great effort'' - but not a Grand Slam.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Laver says: ''He's got three under his belt, and he's playing well. There's a good chance he could pull it off. But it's not a Grand Slam, certainly.''

Nadal is seeded No. 1 at the Australian Open, which begins Monday.

The Spaniard's consecutive championships at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open came in 2010, so if he wins in Australia, his 4 for 4 would stretch over two seasons.

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Laver was the last man to win tennis' four top tournaments consecutively, and he did it in a calendar year in 1962 and 1969.

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