Both mace and Palpatine sensed Anakin approaching... Since Palpatine was clearly excellent at manipulation i have a feeling that he lost purposefully to turn Anakin fully.
It makes more sense than Mace defeating him. Also it ties in better with the story...
Perhaps you werent paying as much attention as you should?
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GL stated very clearly that it was his intention to show Mace as a "bad mucha****a" able to kill Sidious.
If he bested Sidious and Yoda not, that means he apparently was a better swordsman than Yoda.
Official novelization edited by George Lucas, described how Mace outsmarted
Palps by combining his vaapad and shatterpoint abilities to revert Dark Lord's incredible speed and power against himself.
I think that pretty much ends the discussion. Mace and Kenobi owns everyone else. Mace lost becouse of unexpected instrusion, while Obi was unable to finish his beloved apprentice. But the fact is, that they bested their enemies in one-on-one duels. Yoda, Dooku and Palps are old, tired men while Ani is just a jumping jerk who gets spanked. Get used to it children.