Greatest Tennis Match of ALL TIME.?

Question

Tell me which is the greatest tennis match you have seen and the greatest match in the games history?

Answer 1

I don't think I can narrow it down to just one match, but here's
a list of great matches that you should consider:

2000 US Open semifinals: Venus Williams defeats Martina Hingis 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

1999 French Open final: Andre Agassi (USA) defeats Andrei Medvedev (Ukraine) 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to complete the career
Grand Slam after losing the first two sets of the final.

1999 French Open final: Steffi Graf (Germany) defeats Martina
Hingis (Switzerland). This is memorable, because Graf was coming off an injury and this was the final Slam she won, and also for the emotional breakdown Hingis had, which sent her to an emotional tailspin and decline. She hasn't won a Slam since that final.

1998 US Open semifinals: Patrick Rafter (Australia) defeats Pete
Sampras (USA) 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.

1996 Tennis Masters Cup: Pete Sampras (USA) defeats Boris
Becker (Germany) 3-6,7-6,7-6,6-7, 6-4.

1992 US Open semifinals: Stefan Edberg (Sweden) defeats Michael Chang (USA) 7-6, 5-7, 6-7, 7-5, 4-6

1992 French Open final: Monica Seles (Yugoslavia) defeats Germany Steffi Graf (Germany), 6-2, 3-6, 10-8.

1991 US Open semifinal: Monica Seles (Yugoslavia) defeats
Jennifer Capriati (USA) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6

1991 Wimbledon final: Steffi Graf (Germany) defeats Gabriela
Sabatini (Argentina) 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 I believe if Sabatini won the
match she would have taken over the number one world ranking,
she was already the defending US Open champion entering the match.

1990 Wimbledon final: Stefan Edberg (Sweden) defeats Boris
Becker (Germany) 6-2 ,6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4.

1989 Davis Cup: Boris Becker (West Germany) defeats Andre
Agassi (USA) 6-7, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4.

1989 French Open Final: Arantxa Sanchez Vicario (Spain) defeats Steffi Graf (Germany) 7-5, 4-6, 6-0. She was the youngest winner in French Open history, until Monica Seles won the next year, and was a virtual unknown at the time.

1989 French Open 4th round: Michael Chang (USA) defeats Ivan
Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 This is the famous
match where Chang served underhand because of leg cramps. He went on to defeat Stefan Edberg in the final to become the
youngest male Grand Slam singles champion in history. This would be his only Grand Slam as it would turn out.

1987 Davis Cup: Boris Becker (West Germany, as it was
known at the time) defeats John McEnroe (USA)
4-6, 15-13, 8-10, 6-2, 6-2

1985 US Open semifinal: John McEnroe (USA) defeats Mats Wilander (Sweden) 3-6, 6-4,4-6,6-3, 6-3

1984 US Open final: Martina Navratilova (Czechoslovakia) defeats Chris Evert Lloyd (USA) 4-6,6-4,6-4

1984 US Open semifinal: Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) defeats
Pat Cash (Australia) 3-6,6-3,6-4,6-7,7-6

1984 US Open semifinal: John McEnroe (USA) defeats Jimmy
Connors (USA) 6-4,4-6,7-5,4-6,6-3.

1982 Davis quarterfinal: Mats Wilander (Sweden) defeat
John McEnroe (USA) 9-7, 6-2, 15-17, 3-6, 8-6. This 6 hour
and 35 minute match I believe is still the longest match in
Davis Cup history.

1980 Wimbledon final: Bjorn Borg (Sweden) defeats John McEnroe (USA) 1-6, 7-5 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.
In my opinion, this is the strongest candidate, because Borg's
decline started the next year, even though he defended his
French Open crown and made the final at Wimbledon, losing
to McEnroe. Honorable mention goes to Andre's 1999 French Open final win to complete the career Grand Slam and also to
Steffi Graf's dramatic 1999 French Open win over Martina Hingis,
considering the historical impact of that match.

Answer 2

The three that stand out clearest are all Wimbledon finals (though I'd likely choose the 1992 US Open as the greatest men's tournament overall; not sure about women's) -

the 1990 final mentioned between Becker and Edberg, not so much because of Edberg winning by coming back from ahead (as Mary Carillo would say) but because of Becker blaming his loss on Katarina Witt, whom he claimed to have dumped before the final but who was very evident in the friends' box.

the 1970 final between Billie Jean King and Margaret Court, which gave Court the third leg of the long-elusive Grand Slam she completed at the US Open. If memory serves,the score was 14-12, 11-9, both women were playing injured, and in those days they still didn't sit on changeovers.

the 1977 final in which Virginia Wade redeemed a career of frustration by defeating Betty Stove in three sets to win the centennary event, notable not so much for the tennis as for the attendance of Queen Elizabeth II.

I'll add one more - the 1974 US Open final in which Billie Jean King defeated Evonne Goolagong (3-6, 6-3, 7-5 or something similar), not so much because both players came back from a break down in the final set but because at the start of the tournament the argument against equal prize money for women was gaining ground and the early rounds, in which the men were tested while the top women coasted, seemed to be sinking the cause of equality. The men's final was almost a disaster - a rematch of the 6-1,6-1, 6-4 Wimbledon final between Jimmy Connors and Ken Rosewall, only in the States Connors (seventeen years before his Last Great Run to the semis) gave the 39-year-old Rosewall only two games, and the contrast between the two finals may have contributed somewhat to the reason for Maria Sharapova jubilantly thanking BJK this year for the amount of her champion's check.

Answer 3

I think it's Federer vs. Nadal Wimbledon Final 2008, hands down. So much was on the line that day including the #1 spot, Federer's streak of Wimbledon championships, and whether Rafa could win a Major other than the French. The level of play was something I have never seen before. The points were simply amazing to watch and each player worked as hard as they could. I felt horrible for Fed after he lost, but someone had to win that match.

Answer 4

One of the classic matches like Borg vs McEnroe will probably be named, but the best match I've seen was the 2002 US Open between Sampras and Agassi.

Answer 5

Connors vs Krickstein 4th round Us Open 1991...This is the match that is played over and over on ESPN classic. It is also the match where Jimmy pumps his fist to the crowd many times as seen in almost every US Open TV openeing.

Answer 6

Well in my opinion i would think of it to be Agassi's last match. Even though he lost it doesn't mean a thing. He played hard besides he was retiring. The most intense part was when they toggled back and forth with the ADVANTAGE , DEUCE , ADVANTAGE , DEUCE on and on. That lady's and gentlemen is a edge of the seat match. And I doubt any match will be as intense as that one was. So happy I could put my two sense in.

Answer 7

In the US Open of (I think) 2005's Semifinal between Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt. That was the BEST match I ever saw, they both played their A++-game and Federer won.

Answer 8

connors v krikstein was an amazing match US Open 1991. The US Open when Pete Sampras was throwing up - forgot his opponent, but I was there - and it was so tough but excellent to watch.

My fave match I've seen though is Rafter v Ivanisevic when Goran won Wimbledon on a Monday after all those rain delays.....Goran was one of my favourite players and it was just great to see him FINALLY win it!

Answer 9

Since I am very young, I haven't watched many matches in my lifetime but the most RECENT one I thought was Andrei Aggasi and Marcos Bagdatis at the US Open. They still show it on t.v all the time.

Answer 10

Roger Federer vs. Raphael Nadal. Men's singles #1 vs. Men's singles #2.