2016 Australian Open men's contenders preview

Right well I'll start by saying a happy new year to you's all out there as this is my first post of 2016 on this blog and it will cover my pick for the contenders for this year's Australian open title, the first grand slam tournament of the season.

So without further ado's let's give this one a closer look and see my top 10 pick of the men's favourites for the Norman Brookes challenge cup (i.e. the name for the Aussie open title).

1. Novak Djokovic 

Rrrright so right at the top of the list is of course the undisputed world no.1, Novak Djokovic who last year looked utterly imperious in his form and despite one blip at the French open final he won 3 out of the 4 grand slams last season and 11 titles overall.  In fact Novak had a career best for not only winning the most titles in one season but he also garnered the most prize money of any tennis player in one year as he raked in 21 million dollars (and he still won't give me any of that money!).  So there is simply no getting away from the fact that Novak Djokovic remains the overwhelming favourite for the Australian open and not only that he will have a chance to level the record of wining six Aussie open titles alongside former Australian player, Roy Emerson. 

And Novak has already even got his 2016 off to a winning start as he has just won the title in Doha where annihilated Rafa in the final there in emphatic fashion 6-1, 6-2, which has to be the worst defeat he has ever inflicted on his old Spanish rival. 

The only possible question for Novak however is that he could possibly come undone from an inspired performance by someone enroute such as maybe Stan Wawrinka, who is the only player who has the firepower and the game to overwhelm Novak, who has already beaten Nole at the event two years ago.  So either Stan could challenge Novak or maybe even someone else such as maybe Nick Kyrgios, but whoever could beat him will take an almighty performance to defeat Novak in his current form.

So for me I think Novak will be the champion this year without little doubt as he has been absolutely unstoppable for the most part last year and I don't see any reason why he won't continue to be at his favourite and most successful grand slam tournament.  Prediction: champion.

2. Roger Federer

At No.2 for the sake of argument I am going to put Roger Federer who despite dropping to No.3 in the world is still playing for the most part very much like the second best player in the world (although you could argue that him and Andy Murray share the spot like some sort of timeshare!).  Last year Roger had a great season and he reached two of the four grand slam finals where he showed his true class and beat a number of top players to do so.  And on the basis of his results last year its a fair assumption that he still one more major in him before he retires.

However the problem for Roger is to an extent his age as he get's older he is coming up against the younger guys who are improving all the time and last year he even fell foul to a surprise defeat at the hands of the Italian, Andreas Seppi.  Roger also will try and rely on his attacking game to finish off the points quickly like he usually does with ruthless efficiency but against the likes of Djokovic, this technique has limited success and he has always come up short against the World No.1.

So for me while I think Roger is still a strong favourite down under I have my doubts that if he might win the title especially if he does face Djokovic in either the semis or the final and given their seedings, Roger will be seeded 3rd which means he will most likely face Nole in the semi finals rather than the final.  And that for me will tip the scales as to where Roger will most likely end up, if he meets Novak in the semis that will be his lot, but if he reaches the final and its Novak he plays again he will be second best I think.  But you can never count out a guy who has 17 slams so who knows?  Prediction: semi finals or final.

3. Stan Wawrinka

At No.3 I'm opting for Stan Wawrinka and even considered putting him at No.2 on the list given that he is a former champion but for now I think No.3 might be the better spot for him.  Stan last year did have a bit of an up and down season but his undisputed highlight was beating Novak to win the French Open title and he has already beaten Novak in Melbourne so this puts him right in the mix.  Stan also despite losing his title defence in Melbourne last year still managed to reach the semis and push Novak all the way before fading and losing 6-0 in the 5th.  So despite his loss it still shows that Stan has the resilience to keep on fighting and do his utmost to defend his title.

But for me the problem with Stan is his consistency and he can be very up and down and that might affect him in Melbourne as well as he could put in a very poor performance early on and go out in the first or second round.  So for me this does leave some room for doubt that Stan can go ahead and win another title down under.

So I think this year Stan can go pretty deep into the tournament like he has done before the last two years but I don't quite see him as the outright champion.  Stan has the game and power to take out Novak and he has proven it before but I just think this time round Stan might well come up short but despite that I think its safe to say that Stan will reach the last four or maybe the final.  Prediction: semi finals or final.

4. Andy Murray

Up at 4th place this year is Andy Murray and I've put Andy here because I just think this season Andy has alot of things hanging over his head.  For starters he is about to be a father as his wife, Kim, is pregnant and due in mid February but Andy has said if she gives birth before the tournament ends he will withdraw to be with her.  So that remains a cause for concern in Andy's progress this year in Melbourne alone but for Andy's sake let's hope it doesn't come to that!

Still I think Andy has a strong shout at going deep this year and I think he might will do well but there is still that danger that he could possibly be upset enroute.  And one of the danger signs that showed that came from Nick Kyrgios who beat Andy this week at the team event in Perth, the Hopman cup.  And if Nick can replicate that success in Melbourne then Andy obviously will be on his way out and on a plane back to the UK (but if Kim is ready to give birth round then its no big deal to him I'm sure!). 

But regardless of that I still see Andy going deep into the tournament although to be honest I don't quite see him reach the final this year as he still could face an inspired opponent enroute such as Kyrgios or even Stan Wawrinka should the seedings work out then he could face the Swiss in the semi finals.  So I think the last eight or four will be a very safe bet for Andy but I don't see him as the eventual champion it has to be said.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.

5. Rafael Nadal
  
At No.5 is Rafa Nadal who last year suffered the worst season of his career and he struggled with his results and his confidence.  And last year while Rafa managed a respectable result in Melbourne by reaching the quarter finals he went on to struggle badly at the majors losing out to Djokovic in straight sets at the French also in the quarters, and then losing out early at Wimbledon and the US Open.

But Rafa's form has improved since the latter half of 2015 and his results have gotten better, which saw him reach the semi finals of the ATP world tour finals.  And this week he even reached the final at the Qatar Exxon Mobil open in Doha before suffering a heavy loss at the hands of his old rival Novak Djokovic.  But despite that loss it does show that Rafa's results have been improving and he has been more and more consistent in the tour events, which should bode well for him down under.

However the problem for Rafa still remains to be the very best players, i.e. Andy, Rog and above all Novak who all beat him last year (although he managed to defeat Andy at the ATP finals in London) and if he can't get past them then it will be very tough for him to win a major this year.  And Rafa's loss to Nole in Doha this weekend was the worst defeat he has suffered at the hands of his old rival and in their five last meetings Nadal has failed to even win a single set or take Nole to a tiebreak in any of these sets!  So this really does not bode well for their rivalry which is fading pretty fast and Rafa is still leagues behind Novak's form and it will take Novak being outsted by someone else before Rafa will stand a chance at winning in Melbourne.

So prediction wise despite these concerns I still think Rafa can do well here and I can see him probably make the last eight or four but with the world No.1 very much in his way, I can't see him win the title.  Prediction: quarter finals or semis.    

6. Nick Kyrgios

At No.6 is the flashy, talented and trouble-making Aussie, Nick Kyrgios who has proven that he really is a star of the future and one to watch out for having already made two career grand slam quarter finals at Wimbledon and last year's Aussie open.  Nick's attitude however has gotten him into hot water however on the ATP tour in recent months and most notably last year he made a crude comment to Stan Wawrinka regarding his young girlfriend which got him handed a suspended 28 day ban.  So if Nick is going to go far this year then he will need to keep his attitude in check as he has already shown despite all that he has got all the talent in the world to become an elite player.

But can Nick win the Aussie open this year????  To be honest no I don't think so as he is still pretty inexperienced and even though he might cause one or two upsets along the way, I still think when it comes to very best (i.e. Novak) then he will surely be second best.  However there is still no getting away from the fact that Nick has the magic eye and is fearless on the tennis court and if he can make it happen then he will make it happen.  And Nick has even managed to bring home the Hopman cup to Australia this year as he won the event with his female partner, Daria Gavrilova so there is a chance he might bring home his country's slam.

However for me I think prediction wise that Nick will struggle to win his first grand slam as of yet and his breakthrough might come one day but I don't think it will necessarily be this year.  But I think Nick still can go pretty deep and I think he might reach the last eight or even his first major semi final down under.  Prediction: quarter finals or semi finals.

7. Tomas Berdych

At 6th place is Tomas Berdych who last year had a pretty decent season and he even managed to reach the last four of the Australian open last year before losing to Andy Murray.  Tomas however did have limited success as the year went on and he failed to get past the 4th round of the remaining grand slams of the season.  But Tomas still is one of the most consistent players on the tour and he has been in the top 10 for six years now and he does a big game and the power to threaten the big guys.

But where Berdych falls down is of course his mental edge as he often falters at the second last or last hurdle and that is often why he comes off second best in the big events.  So for me I think its difficult to see Berdych really make a serious impact and threaten the very best players at this year's Aussie open but I still think he will do well and the last eight or four is a decent shout for the big Czeck.  Prediction: quarter finals or semis.

8. Milos Raonic

At 8th place is the big Canadian Milos Raonic who has produced some pretty consistent results in the last couple of years which has seen him break into the top 10.  Raonic's biggest weapon is of course his serve and he can often use it to devastating effect and in the last couple of years he has made two quarter finals and a semi final at the majors.  Raonic has also worked on improving his movement and adding a bit more to his game than just his serve, which has made him a dangerous player to the rest of the field.

But where Milos falls down is that his game isn't as solid as the top players and he tends to rely on his serve more often than not to get him out of trouble and his movement will never be in the league of the likes of Djokovic or Murray.  Raonic's form has also dipped a little last year as he fell out of the top 10 and is currently at 14 in the world, which throws some doubt on how well he might do at Melbourne.  But that aside I still think Raonic can reach the 2nd week and the last eight or 16 is a good bet for him.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.

9. Kei Nishikori

At 9th place is Kei Nishikori who had been a bit up and down in 2015 after a stellar 2014, Kei didn't quite live up to expectations heaving reached the US Open final that year.  But Kei is still a dangerous player of course and he has the speed, agility and athleticism to threaten the best guys in the game and he has caused a few upsets in recent times most notably when he toppled Novak at the US Open two years ago.  The Australian open is also a tournament where Kei has played well at in the past having already reached two quarter finals there in 2012 and 2015. 

The problem for Kei however is can he rekindle that great form he showed in 2014?  Well the answer is I'm not sure and he also doesn't have any big weapons to threaten the other top players with which has left him at a disadvantage in the past aswell.  Kei also having reached one grand slam final at the US Open two years ago saw him fail to capitalise on any chances that he had in that final against Marin Cilic and given his inexperience at that level it would be hard to see him convert his chances against the likes of Novak.

So for me I think Kei will get into the 2nd week but probably not beyond the last eight or 16.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.

10. David Ferrer

And last of all is David Ferrer who is a real veteran of the game and has been in the top 10 for years and remains one of the greatest players to have never won a grand slam.  Ferrer last year had a pretty good year overall as he won five titles and he managed to make the ATP world tour finals too although he never got past the round robin stages but he still finished the year quite strong at No.7 in the world.  

However age might be starting to catch up with Ferrer and already his year has gotten off to a slow start in Doha where he was beaten in the first round by Ilya Marchenko of the Ukraine, which shows one or two question marks ahead of the first major of the year.  And although Ferrer has reached the Australian open semi finals twice there is always the chance he could suffer an early defeat there.

But what we know for sure about Ferrer is that he is one of the game's great fighters and competitors and he will give his all before he goes down.  Ferrer also can draw on alot of experience when it comes to the slams so it could see him still go fairly deep into the tournament.

So I think Ferrer depending on his draw will maybe reach the last 16 or 8 before he exits.  Prediction: 4th round or quarter finals.

And that's it for my look at my pick for the contenders at this year's Australian open, which kicks off in a week's time so can't wait for that although it will mean some sleepless nights for me checking the scores of matches during the night!

But anyway I'll be back on here when the action get's underway so let's hope its a cracking event.

Until the next one its bye for now.   

Top 10 Men's tennis matches of 2015 Part 2: No's 5-1

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!

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......