OK so to continue with my look at the top 10 men's tennis matches of the year and without any further ado let's get take a look.....
5. US Open final, Novak Djokovic d. Roger Federer 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
And at No.5 we have the last grand slam final of the season which saw the World's No.1 and 2 players go at it at Flushing Meadows, New York at the US Open. The match promised as what you would usually expect from these two and given their head to head, which is so close, Novak lead it 3-2 this season so far having come off a loss in Cincinnati to Roger just a few weeks prior to the final. However Novak was a different proposition for Roger this time as the World No.1 was right ontop of his game from the start but he stil came up against some stern resistance from the Swiss Maestro in this highly entertaining and high quality clash.
The match itself started with a few breaks of serve with Rog going a break up, then Novak and eventually it was Novak that closed out the opening set. In the 2nd set there were more breaks of serve but this time it was Roger who finally managed to put the squeeze on Novak's seemingly inpenetrable defensives and he broke Nole in his 5-6 service game to level the match. In the 3rd set Roger had his chances to break Novak but the Serb hung tough and managed to scrape his way out of trouble and yet again he broke Roger to take a two sets to one lead. And in the 4th set Roger blinked not once but twice on his serve but he still managed to retrieve one of the breaks back and he pushed Novak to close it out for a second time as he pushed the World No.1 to duece a few times before the Serb showed his steely nerve and sealed the win in four sets to claim his 10th grand slam title.
Well its safe to say when these two usually play you will get a top quality match and this one proved to be no different as both men were almost equally matched throughout and the level of tennis they played was at times out of this world. Rog also had an incredible 23 break points against Novak but he was only able to convert four of them which shows just what a level that the Serb can really play at as he showed that with his unreal defensive skills and his ability to repeatedly get the ball back into play. But in the end it was a very fine match indeed which concluded that Novak really was and still is the undisputed No.1 player in the world.
4. ATP World Tour Finals round robin stage, Roger Federer d. Kei Nishikori, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
At No. 4 is what I think would be fair to say was the match of the tournament this year at the ATP world tour finals from the o2 arena in London. And this match saw things hang in the balance for Kei Nishikori who was in danger of facing the door in exiting the tournament as he took on Roger Federer in a thrilling three set scrapathon. The first set itself was pretty close but Rog went up a break early on before Kei broke back to go 5-5 and here he blinked to hand Roger the first set. In the 2nd set however after Kei went a break down again and with Roger in the driving seat, the tables turned again as the Japanese player broke Fed again to level the scores. And at this stage Roger started to blink himself on serve as he dropped serve and the 2nd set with it. And in the 3rd set Roger went up a break again but yet again Kei defied him and broke back to go 4-4 but as Kei tried to serve to go 5-5 he finally capitulated on serve and exited the tournament as Roger sealed his place in the semi finals of the event.
The ATP WTF this year was a bit better than last year's event but it has to be said this match was still the best one of the tournament and both players played some terrific tennis for the full capacity 17,800 crowd at the o2. And Nishikori deserves alot of credit for putting up such a spirited fight against Roger and he has proven once again to be a difficult customer for him as Kei had already beaten Rog twice before in their previous career meetings. It was a pity Nishikori exited the tournament at this point but it did at least see him exit it in fine style and he put a great fight that more than worthy of its place on the list.
3. French Open final, Stan Wawrinka d. Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
So at No.3 we have the French Open final between two heavyweights of the game who slugged it out on Court Philippe Chatrier to try and win their maiden titles at Roland Garros. Novak however was the overwhelming favourite in this match given the form he had shown going into this match as he was on a 28 match winning streak, whereas Stan went into this match with a bit of a question mark over his head as he had shown good form in the tournament so far in beating Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarters and semis respectively.
And the first set appeared to indicate that Novak remained the heavy favourite as he broke Stan who was dogged in trying to break Nole's serve but ultimately the Serb took the opener as he was just a third of the way towards achieveing his career grand slam. But Stan soon found his range in the match as he started to boss the World No.1 with his powerful groundstrokes and his ferocious backhand and he levelled the match a set all. And in the 3rd set Stan continued to put in a powerhouse performance and broke Novak again to seize a two sets to one lead. In the 4th set however the tables seemed to turn again with Novak going an early break up it looked like he would level the match and take it to a 5th. But Stan yet again broke Nole's serve and got back on serve and at 4-4 with Novak's serving, Stan did the near unthinkable and broke serve yet again to serve for the championship. And in the final tense 6 minute game, Stan finally got the win as he ripped an incredible backhand winner down the line to claim his 2nd grand slam title and deny Novak once again a chance to claim that elusive French open major.
Well there is not much doubt this was a really high class match with some great points and rallies from both men and despite Novak being the hot favourite to win this one, it was Stan that went in and defied the odds to claim victory for himself. In a way it was a pity that Novak lost as during the trophy presentation he fought back the tears as he receieved a standing ovation for his efforts. But you couldn't take away from Stan's stunning performance in this match as he blasted 60 winners past Novak to claim the title and with it he also proved he was no one-hit wonder and a multiple grand slam winner with surely more than one slam still in him. So there it sits at No.3.
2. Rogers cup final, Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
OK this might be more a match I've put up this high for personal reasons (as a Murray fan!;-)) but its still for me one of the best matches of the year, which was between yet again Andy and Novak. This was their 5th meeting of the year and at this point Andy was on the receiving end of 8 straight losses to his old rival so surely this had to be a must-win match.
And the match itself did not disappoint as it turned out to be a thrilling contest between two of the world's best players which saw Andy get off to a quicker start for once against his old foe Nole and he broke the Serb to move ahead in the match and grab the vital first set (as Andy has never beaten Novak from a set down in any of their meetings!). In the 2nd set however Andy's serve started to go walkabout as Novak got himself back into the match and broke the British No.1 to level proceedings. And in the 3rd set with the danger of yet another loss looming over Andy's head, he defied expectation for once and save break points on his own serve and broke Novak's by playing very aggressively and gave himself a winning chance for a change. And in a thrilling final game it was Andy who finally after 9 goes and two years, finaly managed to beat his old nemesis in three highly entertaining and nail biting sets to claim his 11th Masters 1000 series title and with it the World No.2 spot overtaking Roger Federer.
Well for me there isn't much doubt this was the best three set ATP tour match of the season and both men produced a match that was of a very high class with some great rallies and points throughout. And for Andy it was an important psychological victory as he finally managed to get a win over Novak for the first time since the Wimbledon final two years ago which saw his loss counter set back to zero. Since then Novak has started the wins again as he has beaten Andy twice since in Shanghai and Paris but let's hope he won't have to wait another two years before he get's another chance again. But regardless of any of that its still a great match and that's why its on here at the No.2 spot.
And at No.1 is...............
1. Davis cup world group first round, Great Britain vs USA: James Ward d. John Isner 6-7, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6, 15-13.
Soooooo this is my pick for the best match of the year as for a couple of reasons: one it was simply an amazing match and two, I was at it!
Yes this match was played in Glasgow at the Emirates Arena and with Great Britain taking on the USA it seemed likely that a defeat could be looming given that their team had the giant John Isner on their side and also the Bryan brothers for the doubles. And on paper this match seemed like a bit of a no brainer given that Isner is a much higher ranked player than Ward was (and is). And at the start of the match it seemed to go the way that you would expect as Isner took a two sets to love lead leaving Ward trailing and staring defeat in the face. However things turned in the 3rd set as Ward finally managed to get a break of the Isner serve and from here he managed to hold and serve out for the set to keep himself alive in the match. And in the 4th set things went to a tiebreak and Ward started to defy the odds as he took the breaker 7-3 to level the match. And from here the match went into a thrilling, nailbiting decider which went on and on (so long that I had to leave the match to go for a dinner!). And as Ward had various match points at different games he finally after nearly five hours sealed the deal and broke Isner's massive serve to close out the biggest win of his career and what turned out to be a defining moment for the Great Britain Davis cup team this year.
Well I think I've just about said it all as this match really was a stunning experience from start to finish and it was great to witness and be in such an amazing atmosphere at Emirates Arena in Glasgow. And from the third set on Ward hardly put a foot wrong as he served and returned brilliantly and in the end he succeeded in wearing his big opponent down. And it indeed turned out to be the key match to Great Britain's eventual success in the Davis cup final this year as they simply could not have done it without James Ward's victory right here as it could easily have went the other way.
And there is no doubt whatsoever that James Ward deserves all the credit for this match and what so far has been the biggest win of his career by beating a top 20 player in John Isner. And quite often Davis cup has brought out the very best in James Ward and it did so here yet again so much so that Davis cup US captain, Jim Courier said that if he can improve on that form during the tour level matches he will be an even better player and finished by saying "but I just wish he would stop playing like that against us!".
So this for me is the best tennis match of the year!
Anyway so that's it for my list and I will be back again probably early next year on this blog to do a preview of my picks for the Australian open.
So until then its bye for now and hope you all have a Merry Christmas and see you in the new year!
Friday 4 December 2015
Top 10 Men's tennis matches of 2015 Part 1: No's 10-6
Right OK since the 2015 tennis has finally ended (having said that the next season will start in four weeks time!) I thought this would be an opportune time to do a countdown of my top 10 favourite matches of the year.
So let's get that racquet, step on court and give these muthas a look....
10. 2015 Australian open 4th round, Andy Murray d. Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.
OK to start off is this excellent match between the British No1, Andy Murray who took on Grigor Dimitrov in another match after they faced off each other in Wimbledon last year where Dimitrov took Andy apart. So revenge was surely on Andy's mind with this match and right enough he got off to the stronger start and he broke Dimi to take the 1st set. The second was a closer affair which saw play go to a tiebreak where Dimitrov evened the scores at a set all, leaving Andy infuriated with himself. In the 3rd set Andy wrestled back control to take the two sets to one lead but in the 4th set Dimitrov wasn't finished as he broken Andy to move up yet again 5-2 to within touching distance of the set. However Andy in the end showed his determination by breaking the Bulgarian once more and went on to get a break of his own as he got his revenge over Dimitrov to reach the quarter finals of the Aussie open in four sets.
This was a highly entertaining match overall and both men played some tremendous points for the crowd and it was great to see both players play great at the same time. Revenge was obviously on Andy's mind in this match and he made sure that he got it this time round and as he grabbed the final break in the 4th set it left Dimitrov raging as he spectacularly smashed his racquet as it split in two! Now this guy could sure teach Djokovic a thing or two about how to break a racquet! But anyway this was a quality match from start to finish and as such it really deserves it place on here.
9. Swiss indoors Basel final, Roger Federer d. Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Well this is literally the only match you will find between these two on here and the reason why is because this was their only meeting in 2015 and it sure turned out to be a very good one. Rafa however has endured a horrible 2015 and played some of his worst tennis this year, having lost numerous matches (20 in all, same as Andy Murray last year funnily enough!) and also for the first time in ten years he failed to win a grand slam not to mention Novak Djokovic finally ended Rafa's unbeaten run at Roland Garros this year.
However as the season was reaching it close, Rafa started to find some form again and he brought that form into this match also as he took on his old rival, Roger Federer on the Swiss's home turf in Basel on Rafa's least favourite surface: indoor hardcourt. And Rog made the faster start as he broke Rafa twice in the first set and took the opener to take the lead. In the 2nd however Rafa fought back as he managed to break Roger at 5-5 in the 2nd set, stunning the crowd into silence he went on to grab the second set to level. And in the final set both men played a tense decider where it came down to a few break points here and there but Roger made his breakthrough and got the decisive break and after a tense close final game, he closed out the win and got his first victory over Rafa for three and a half years to claim his 7th title in Basel.
It has to be said its a pleasure whenever we see these two guys play tennis together and even more so when they both play well at the same time, which in this match they certainly did and produced a very fine match for a racuous crowd who was well behind the man from Basel. And Rafa despite his loss showed very encouraging signs in this match as he pushed the World No.2 to the limit and that surely his best was still yet to come in and might indeed still come back again in 2016. So as such its a very enjoyable match and well deserving a place on here at No.9.
8. BNP Paribas Paris Masters quarter final, Stan Wawrinka d. Rafael Nadal, 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (9-7)
At No.8 is another Stan Wawrinka match (yep there might be a few of them on here!) as the Swiss took on Rafa again for the 3rd time that season and this match despite some dips here and there was a great contest to be had here. The first set of the match so both players trade breaks of serve as Stan took the lead but he was soon broken back by Nadal at 5-4 to go 5-5 and from there play went into a nail biting tiebreak which Stan took 10-8. In the 2nd set it was Rafa's turn to take the lead as he went up a break but he appeared to suffer the same jitters that Stan had in the first set as Stan broke him this time to go 5-5. And from here play went on into another thrilling tiebreak which proved decisive as the reigning and former French open champion hammered it out, it was Stan that got the minibreak and closed out another win over Rafa in 2015 to reach the semis of the Paris Masters.
Well despite some dips now and then there isn't much doubt that this was a very high quality match with some terrific points from Rafa and Stan as both of them battled it out in two of the tightest sets you could possibly see in a straight set affair. Rafa clearly had his chances in the match especially in the 2nd set but Stan proved again that he had the mettle to beat the best when he himself is on form. Rafa would rue his missed chances no doubt but it was still an excellent match filled with some great tennis and that's why it deserves it place here at No.7.
7. Wimbledon championships quarter final, Richard Gasquet d. Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
OK so at No.7 is an epic clash between two of the best one-handed backhands in the game as Richard Gasquet took on the recently crowned French Open champion, Stan Wawrinka in a match that had the Court No.1 crowd enthralled and it was quite a contest. The match itself started with Gasquet taking the opening set looking the better of the two at the start but Stan the man soon hit back as he grabbed a two sets to one lead as he appared to be heading towards another showdown with Novak Djokovic in the semi finals. However Gasquet was not quite done as he managed to break Stan to take the 4th set at 5-4 and level the match. And play then went into a thrilling 5th set which had both guys go at it full pelt and Gasquet took the initiative to break Stan to go 5-3 but he couldn't close it out and Stan broke back. And play then went by serve until 10-9 where Stan served to try and make it 10-10 and Stan finally blinked on serve which saw the Frenchman grab a great win in five sets.
Well there is not much doubt that this was the match of the men's tournament at this year's Wimbledon and both Gasquet and Wawrinka put on an epic display of tennis for a thrilled crowd at Wimbledon's second biggest court. And Gasquet particularly deserved the credit for fighting back from a two sets to one deficit before he levelled the match and kept battling until he had won. And I'm sure there would have been one mightily relieved Novak Djokovic awaiting Gasquet in the semis as after his French Open defeat I'm sure he wouldn't wanted to have played Stan again so soon. So this match rightfully deserves its place on here as it was one of the best of the year for sure.
6. French Open semi final, Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1
So at No.6 we have our first Andy and Nole match as these two tennis heavyweights met for the 4th time that year in Paris for another epic clash. And despite a slow start the match itself did not disappoint as it was another full on battle between these two guys as play was split over two days.
The first set however was all Novak as Andy struggled on serve and also with the very windy conditions on court not to mention the World No.1 was also in imperious form and this continued into the 2nd set as Andy suffered another service break and dropped two sets. And in the 3rd set, the British No.1 looked to be over a barrel as Novak threatened Andy's serve again at 3-3 but Andy just managed to hold on. However a sudden shift of momentum came at 5-5 in the 3rd set when Andy whipped an incredible forehand winner past Nole and with that it gave him the impetus to break serve and he grabbed the 3rd set with it. In the 4th both men played some terrific points for the Parisian crowd but play was halted for the night due to news of an incoming storm. The next day however as play resumed both men came out sharp at the start but it was Andy that managed to get a break to serve out and even the match at two sets all. In the 5th set however Andy took his foot off the gas as he dropped serve and from here Novak sped to victory as he handed his old rival a breadstick in the 5th set as he reached his 3rd French Open final.
This was really a sort of match of two halves as it took Andy three sets to get into the match but it was also a great indicator of how good their rivalry could be together as both men played some tremendous points and great rallies. And Andy showed alot of grit and determination to come back from two sets down to level the match but unfortunately in the end he was unable to close it out and there wasn't anyone that was going to stand in Novak's way to reach the final at Roland Garros. And despite its dips it still remains an exhilirating match which is well worth putting on here at No.6.
So that's it for now and I will be back soon Part 2 of my countdown of the top 10 men's matches of the year.
See you soon......
So let's get that racquet, step on court and give these muthas a look....
10. 2015 Australian open 4th round, Andy Murray d. Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3, 7-5.
OK to start off is this excellent match between the British No1, Andy Murray who took on Grigor Dimitrov in another match after they faced off each other in Wimbledon last year where Dimitrov took Andy apart. So revenge was surely on Andy's mind with this match and right enough he got off to the stronger start and he broke Dimi to take the 1st set. The second was a closer affair which saw play go to a tiebreak where Dimitrov evened the scores at a set all, leaving Andy infuriated with himself. In the 3rd set Andy wrestled back control to take the two sets to one lead but in the 4th set Dimitrov wasn't finished as he broken Andy to move up yet again 5-2 to within touching distance of the set. However Andy in the end showed his determination by breaking the Bulgarian once more and went on to get a break of his own as he got his revenge over Dimitrov to reach the quarter finals of the Aussie open in four sets.
This was a highly entertaining match overall and both men played some tremendous points for the crowd and it was great to see both players play great at the same time. Revenge was obviously on Andy's mind in this match and he made sure that he got it this time round and as he grabbed the final break in the 4th set it left Dimitrov raging as he spectacularly smashed his racquet as it split in two! Now this guy could sure teach Djokovic a thing or two about how to break a racquet! But anyway this was a quality match from start to finish and as such it really deserves it place on here.
9. Swiss indoors Basel final, Roger Federer d. Rafael Nadal, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Well this is literally the only match you will find between these two on here and the reason why is because this was their only meeting in 2015 and it sure turned out to be a very good one. Rafa however has endured a horrible 2015 and played some of his worst tennis this year, having lost numerous matches (20 in all, same as Andy Murray last year funnily enough!) and also for the first time in ten years he failed to win a grand slam not to mention Novak Djokovic finally ended Rafa's unbeaten run at Roland Garros this year.
However as the season was reaching it close, Rafa started to find some form again and he brought that form into this match also as he took on his old rival, Roger Federer on the Swiss's home turf in Basel on Rafa's least favourite surface: indoor hardcourt. And Rog made the faster start as he broke Rafa twice in the first set and took the opener to take the lead. In the 2nd however Rafa fought back as he managed to break Roger at 5-5 in the 2nd set, stunning the crowd into silence he went on to grab the second set to level. And in the final set both men played a tense decider where it came down to a few break points here and there but Roger made his breakthrough and got the decisive break and after a tense close final game, he closed out the win and got his first victory over Rafa for three and a half years to claim his 7th title in Basel.
It has to be said its a pleasure whenever we see these two guys play tennis together and even more so when they both play well at the same time, which in this match they certainly did and produced a very fine match for a racuous crowd who was well behind the man from Basel. And Rafa despite his loss showed very encouraging signs in this match as he pushed the World No.2 to the limit and that surely his best was still yet to come in and might indeed still come back again in 2016. So as such its a very enjoyable match and well deserving a place on here at No.9.
8. BNP Paribas Paris Masters quarter final, Stan Wawrinka d. Rafael Nadal, 7-6 (10-8), 7-6 (9-7)
At No.8 is another Stan Wawrinka match (yep there might be a few of them on here!) as the Swiss took on Rafa again for the 3rd time that season and this match despite some dips here and there was a great contest to be had here. The first set of the match so both players trade breaks of serve as Stan took the lead but he was soon broken back by Nadal at 5-4 to go 5-5 and from there play went into a nail biting tiebreak which Stan took 10-8. In the 2nd set it was Rafa's turn to take the lead as he went up a break but he appeared to suffer the same jitters that Stan had in the first set as Stan broke him this time to go 5-5. And from here play went on into another thrilling tiebreak which proved decisive as the reigning and former French open champion hammered it out, it was Stan that got the minibreak and closed out another win over Rafa in 2015 to reach the semis of the Paris Masters.
Well despite some dips now and then there isn't much doubt that this was a very high quality match with some terrific points from Rafa and Stan as both of them battled it out in two of the tightest sets you could possibly see in a straight set affair. Rafa clearly had his chances in the match especially in the 2nd set but Stan proved again that he had the mettle to beat the best when he himself is on form. Rafa would rue his missed chances no doubt but it was still an excellent match filled with some great tennis and that's why it deserves it place here at No.7.
7. Wimbledon championships quarter final, Richard Gasquet d. Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9
OK so at No.7 is an epic clash between two of the best one-handed backhands in the game as Richard Gasquet took on the recently crowned French Open champion, Stan Wawrinka in a match that had the Court No.1 crowd enthralled and it was quite a contest. The match itself started with Gasquet taking the opening set looking the better of the two at the start but Stan the man soon hit back as he grabbed a two sets to one lead as he appared to be heading towards another showdown with Novak Djokovic in the semi finals. However Gasquet was not quite done as he managed to break Stan to take the 4th set at 5-4 and level the match. And play then went into a thrilling 5th set which had both guys go at it full pelt and Gasquet took the initiative to break Stan to go 5-3 but he couldn't close it out and Stan broke back. And play then went by serve until 10-9 where Stan served to try and make it 10-10 and Stan finally blinked on serve which saw the Frenchman grab a great win in five sets.
Well there is not much doubt that this was the match of the men's tournament at this year's Wimbledon and both Gasquet and Wawrinka put on an epic display of tennis for a thrilled crowd at Wimbledon's second biggest court. And Gasquet particularly deserved the credit for fighting back from a two sets to one deficit before he levelled the match and kept battling until he had won. And I'm sure there would have been one mightily relieved Novak Djokovic awaiting Gasquet in the semis as after his French Open defeat I'm sure he wouldn't wanted to have played Stan again so soon. So this match rightfully deserves its place on here as it was one of the best of the year for sure.
6. French Open semi final, Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1
So at No.6 we have our first Andy and Nole match as these two tennis heavyweights met for the 4th time that year in Paris for another epic clash. And despite a slow start the match itself did not disappoint as it was another full on battle between these two guys as play was split over two days.
The first set however was all Novak as Andy struggled on serve and also with the very windy conditions on court not to mention the World No.1 was also in imperious form and this continued into the 2nd set as Andy suffered another service break and dropped two sets. And in the 3rd set, the British No.1 looked to be over a barrel as Novak threatened Andy's serve again at 3-3 but Andy just managed to hold on. However a sudden shift of momentum came at 5-5 in the 3rd set when Andy whipped an incredible forehand winner past Nole and with that it gave him the impetus to break serve and he grabbed the 3rd set with it. In the 4th both men played some terrific points for the Parisian crowd but play was halted for the night due to news of an incoming storm. The next day however as play resumed both men came out sharp at the start but it was Andy that managed to get a break to serve out and even the match at two sets all. In the 5th set however Andy took his foot off the gas as he dropped serve and from here Novak sped to victory as he handed his old rival a breadstick in the 5th set as he reached his 3rd French Open final.
This was really a sort of match of two halves as it took Andy three sets to get into the match but it was also a great indicator of how good their rivalry could be together as both men played some tremendous points and great rallies. And Andy showed alot of grit and determination to come back from two sets down to level the match but unfortunately in the end he was unable to close it out and there wasn't anyone that was going to stand in Novak's way to reach the final at Roland Garros. And despite its dips it still remains an exhilirating match which is well worth putting on here at No.6.
So that's it for now and I will be back soon Part 2 of my countdown of the top 10 men's matches of the year.
See you soon......
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