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......
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