Ok now as the men's tour isn't quite over yet I thought I'd leave out the men's hard court season matches in this list for now, but I couldn't resist listing my favs from the other surfaces, clay and grass, and I thought I'd start with clay so here goes....
Number 5: Mutua Madrid Open, 2nd round, Roger Federer d. Feliciano Lopez, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.
This match proved to be quite an incredible encounter between the greatest player of all time and a player showing great form against the Fed express. Right from the get go we saw both Federer and Lopez produce some absolutely terrific tennis for the Spanish crowd, and in the 3rd tiebreak Lopez came within two points of defeating Federer, but at the crucial point he couldn't take it. Regardless of that though, this match was quite extraordinary in a few ways, but the main one was between the two men they served up almost 50 aces! Lopez however despite a great effort, failed to capitalise on his chances against Fedora, and he has struggled to do so since against the top 10 players. But this match was top drawer in its quality, and if you are looking for a match where there is nothing in between both players, then this is the one.
Number 4: French Open, 1st Round, Rafael Nadal d. John Isner, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
The phrase David and Goliath has never been more appropriately been used to refer to a tennis match than it is here (well Rafa and Goliath (well ok big John) as Rafa, the king of clay took on the giant yank, John Isner. On paper it sounded like it would be a straight sets match, but it proved to be anything but as it was a titanic struggle for a struggling Rafa, who after losing to Djokovic four times in a row, found his confidence waining and it showed in this match. Rafa won the first set fairly comfortably, however in the 2nd set, after going a break down, Isner broke back and pushed it to a tiebreak, which he won, and he won the 3rd set tiebreak. Fortunately for Rafa however, he broke Isner early in the 4th set to level the match. In the 5th set, Rafa came under pressure from Isner again but thankfully for the Spaniard, after nearly 4 hours, fatigue and exhaustion set it in for Isner, who finally lost to a mightily relieved Nadal. For a first round match in a grand slam it was quite incredible, and it was also a testament to Rafa's determination that saw him through a brutal match, only to show again his champion qualities. In fact it signalled a tough campaign ahead of Rafa but despite it all he still came through as the champion in the end. Great stuff.
Number 3: Rome Masters semi-final, Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2)
This is a very noteworthy match indeed, not only was it a cracker in its own right, it also saw for probably only the second time in his unbeaten run that Djokovic came under serious threat of his winning streak finally coming to a halt, as Andy Murray laid it on the line in an incredible battle that lasted 3 hours. After being whitewashed in the first set by an imperious Djokovic, Andy fought back and broke Djoko in the 2nd set and soon took it. However in the 3rd set it was all to play as there were breaks aplenty and a match this good had to end on a tiebreak, but once again Djokovic refused to succumb to defeat and prevailed once again as we saw the frustrated Scot try to reach a signature Djoko drop shop only to hit the net, then he swiped the ground angrily with his racquet while Djokovic roared with delight. The high quality play of this match from both players was exceptional, and despite having an opportunity to end Djokovic's run at 5-4 on his serve, Andy dropped the ball and let his chance go. But in that whole tournament where no one could touch him, Andy came the closest, and once again it showed his special talent as a player, to produce some terrific tennis under pressure. Win or lose it was quite a match.
Number 2: Davis Cup Final, Rafael Nadal d. Juan Martin Del Potro, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-6
In what proved to be the very last match of the men's season, it promised to be a thrilling match between two of the world's very best players, and it sure didn't disappoint as Rafa and Delpo provided some incredible tennis for the Spanish crowd in Seville. Despite the scoreline in the first set, again, just like the US Open final, there were plenty of very tight deuce games between Rafa and a very determined Del Potro. It was definitely like a rematch of their excellent match at Wimbledon, as the two men traded some amazing points and great rallies, especially with Delpo hitting so many flat and clean winners. But soon enough, Rafa showed just why he has the mantle of the king of clay, as he fought his way back in the 2nd set and secured a break at 5-4 on Delpo's serve, to make it a set all, and after that, there was no real doubt, despite a thrilling 4th set, which had breaks aplenty, that Rafa would emerge victorious, which he did, and celebrated in traditional style by going flat on his back. The crowd also played their part in the match, providing an amazing atmosphere for both players, and is as usually the case with the Davis cup, it felt more like a football atmosphere, with the Spanish and Argentine fans wearing their football strips. At times play had to be halted due to the fans calling out, even so much that the players themselves had to motion them to calm down. But overall this was one of the best clay matches of the year and a great one to end a great season.
Number 1: French Open, semi final, Roger Federer d. Novak Djokovic, 7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6.
While I consider Djokovic and Nadal's US Open final this year to be greatest match of 2011, this match was undoubtedly the second greatest. In this match Federer played some of his absolute best tennis as he succeeded where everyone else had failed, including Rafa, in ending Djokovic's 41 match winning streak in 2011. Both players in this match produced play of the highest quality you will ever see this year, with Federer in "God" mode who was virtually unstoppable in the first two sets. In the 3rd set however Federer let his level dip, which let Djokovic back in the match as he took the 3rd set, but in the 4th set it was back on even terms as the two men hammered it out, which lead to a nerve shredding tiebreak, in which Fedora sealed Djoko's fate by serving an ace down the T. Throughout the French Open you could see just how well Federer was playing and he confirmed it with an outstanding display in this match. And if you want to scout for the highlights of this match you might as well just watch it all, it was that good, just utterly astounding stuff. In the end it was a pity for Djokovic, who had worked so hard all year up until then to try and win his 2nd grand slam of the year and keep his run going, but all good things sooner or later come to an end.
Sooooo onto Part 2.......
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