Best Tie Breaks Ever Played??

380pistol

Banned
Everybody knows about "The Tie Break" (McEnroe/Borg), but what are other great tie breaks (you've seen) that have been played. Based on quality of points, importance of tie break in the match, and the match itself.

Off the top of my head I have.....

Sampras/Corretja (9-7) - 1996 US Open QF 5th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thBlpkJP9GY -Pt. 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sua__p9kVtA&feature=related&pos=0 -Pt. 2

Becker/Sampras (13-11) - 1996 ATP World Champ F 4th set

Agassi/Sampras (7-5) - 2000 Australian Open SF 4th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIkQu9KGRt4&fmt=18

Henin/Capriati (7-4) - 2003 US Open SF 3rd set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzB22AEJScs&fmt=18

Safin/Federer (8-6) -2005 Australian Open SF 4th set

Federer/Nadal [10-8] - 2008 Wimbledon F 4th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ck2pxK9rx8
 
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krosero

Legend
Navratilova d. Graf 10-8 in a third-set tiebreak, match points for both of them, 1986 USO sf.

Tanner d. Vilas, 1981 USO, R16, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (15-13).

Newcombe d. Connors, 1975 AO final, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (9-7), saved two set points in the breaker.

Connors-Krickstein in the fifth set was pretty exciting.
 
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krosero

Legend
Rosewall and Laver had their fifth-set tiebreak in Dallas.

And maybe the biggest tiebreak of the 70s was Connors-Borg, 1976 USO, 11-9 in the third set (saved four set points spectacularly).
 

pc1

G.O.A.T.
Rosewall and Laver had their fifth-set tiebreak in Dallas.

And maybe the biggest tiebreak of the 70s was Connors-Borg, 1976 USO, 11-9 in the third set (saved four set points spectacularly).

I was about to put those two down. You beat me to it. lol.

Laver was dazed after Rosewall hit that incredible backhand winner. That backhand return by Rosewall was a blur.

The Connors-Borg tiebreak was superbly played.

I remember telling my wife in the 1986 US Open Women's semi, Navratilova-Graf that Graf had a good chance to beat Navratilova and after Navratilova crushed Graf in the first set she looked at me like I was insane. The tiebreaker atmosphere was electric in the stadium.
 
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pc1

G.O.A.T.
And how about Nadal-Djokovic 11-9 in Madrid a few weeks ago, that was incredible.

That's tiebreak was fantastic. Greater than most more famous tiebreaks.

How about Borg-Connors 1980 Masters, third set tiebreak?

Lendl-Becker-1988 Masters-Fifth set tiebreaker-Final.

Jimmy Connors-Stan Smith-1973 Masters Quarterfinal-Third set tiebreak. Connors defeats Smith and wins a tie for number one in the US rankings that year. If Smith won he probably would have been number one by himself.
 
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krosero

Legend
How about Borg-Connors 1980 Masters, third set tiebreak?
And there were two such tiebreaks between Borg and McEnroe at the Masters.

Lendl-Becker-1988 Masters-Fifth set tiebreaker-Final.
The tension in that one was intolerable, you felt as if the players themselves could hardly get on with it. Then they ended with that 37-stroke rally, ripping the ball at each other, changing pace, watching the ball hit the tape and dribble over.

That's about as close a finish as you can get, apart from the old sudden-death tiebreaks.
 
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BTURNER

Legend
Mandlikova vs Navratilova(2/2)USO Final The TB starts at 4:15
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29o35mTLY58

If any of you need a reminder on Hana's shotmaking talent. Peek in, but the the best stuff is prior to the TB.

Its not a close one. Know many players who can do this to Martina. She was psyched out
 
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380pistol

Banned
Rosewall and Laver had their fifth-set tiebreak in Dallas.

And maybe the biggest tiebreak of the 70s was Connors-Borg, 1976 USO, 11-9 in the third set (saved four set points spectacularly).

This I saw on tape, not live. I remeber that tie break was so intense that everyoone (incl. chair ump.) forgot to switch sides after 6 points and had to be reminded by one of the ball boys.
 

nfor304

Banned
Philippousis won a tiebreaker from 6-0 down against Corretja at Indian Wells once. It was around 1999-2000 I think
 

380pistol

Banned
Philippousis won a tiebreaker from 6-0 down against Corretja at Indian Wells once. It was around 1999-2000 I think

There was a tie break some years back at the US Open and one player was down 6-0 or 6-1, and MCEnroe (doing comentary for USA) said if that player came back and won the tie break he'd do commentary the next day standing on his head.

Does anyone recall who played in that tie break??
 

vive le beau jeu !

Talk Tennis Guru
There was a tie break some years back at the US Open and one player was down 6-0 or 6-1, and MCEnroe (doing comentary for USA) said if that player came back and won the tie break he'd do commentary the next day standing on his head.

Does anyone recall who played in that tie break??
maybe it was a krajicek-siemerink ?
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=K214&oId=S381
(by the way, it's displaying "2-0" instead of "5-2" for the H2H !)
i'm not sure-sure but i think siemerink came back from 6-0 in the 4th set tie-break to win it 8-6, and then krajicek managed to stay cool and win the 5th set ! can anyone confirm that ?...
 

pc1

G.O.A.T.
This may not be a great tiebreak but I read Rod Laver defeated Roscoe Tanner in a first set tiebreaker at La Costa in 1975 after trailing I believe 6-2 in the tiebreak. Laver won the next six points to win the set and eventually the match 7-6 6-4. That's amazing to me considering Tanner's huge serve.
 

Moose Malloy

G.O.A.T.
maybe it was a krajicek-siemerink ?
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/...=K214&oId=S381
(by the way, it's displaying "2-0" instead of "5-2" for the H2H !)
i'm not sure-sure but i think siemerink came back from 6-0 in the 4th set tie-break to win it 8-6, and then krajicek managed to stay cool and win the 5th set ! can anyone confirm that ?...

You are correct about the match details. And it was the match where Mac said, "I'll stand on my head if..."

Siemerink was a fun player, I have some of his matches on tape.
 

Moose Malloy

G.O.A.T.
and did he ?

He tried it for like a minute(with announcing partner holding his legs) during a match the next day. His face was beet red.

Maybe its on youtube(they showed a clip of this almost every year at the Open since)
 

boredone3456

G.O.A.T.
Well another for the women...Venus defeated Pierce 12-10 in a second set tiebreak at Wimbledon in 2005 in the quarters. Pretty big since the second set was highly contested after Venus Bageled Pierce in the first set.
 

abmk

Bionic Poster
Quite a few great/significant tie-breaks have already been mentioned. I'll mention one that hasn't been :

Verdasco Nadal 4th set tie-break AO 2009 SF

Verdasco took it 7-1 by playing some great,flawless tennis
 

Cenc

Hall of Fame
sampras played a great tb against agassi at the AO in the match he lost..i think it was a third set tb.

yes but i prefer the 4th set TB because both of them played a brilliant tie break
sampras lost a TB in which he hit one of the best running forehands ever and also 2 second serve aces
 

kiki

Banned
Everybody knows about "The Tie Break" (McEnroe/Borg), but what are other great tie breaks (you've seen) that have been played. Based on quality of points, importance of tie break in the match, and the match itself.

Off the top of my head I have.....

Sampras/Corretja (9-7) - 1996 US Open QF 5th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thBlpkJP9GY -Pt. 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sua__p9kVtA&feature=related&pos=0 -Pt. 2

Becker/Sampras (13-11) - 1996 ATP World Champ F 4th set

Agassi/Sampras (7-5) - 2000 Australian Open SF 4th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIkQu9KGRt4&fmt=18

Henin/Capriati (7-4) - 2003 US Open SF 3rd set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzB22AEJScs&fmt=18

Safin/Federer (8-6) -2005 Australian Open SF 4th set

Federer/Nadal [10-8] - 2008 Wimbledon F 4th set
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ck2pxK9rx8

Rosewall-Laver at 1972 WCT and Connors-Borg at 1976 US Open are as good as any other seen.possibly better, quality wise.
 

krosero

Legend
I read somewhere that Tilden and Cochet played an 18-16 tiebreak back in the dark ages, Cochet won it after saving 5 match points, but Tilden won the match 8-6 in the fifth.
(J/K)
 

kiki

Banned
Sampras and Becker played terrific tie breaks, specially in their 1995 Masters Final.

Also great the 1980 US open semifinal Connors vs Mc Enroe
 

piece

Professional
Quite a few great/significant tie-breaks have already been mentioned. I'll mention one that hasn't been :

Verdasco Nadal 4th set tie-break AO 2009 SF

Verdasco took it 7-1 by playing some great,flawless tennis

Came into this thread to mention this one. Commentator said someone along the lines of "this is the best tiebreak I've ever seen anyone play".
 

Mustard

Bionic Poster
Two that stick in my mind both involved Goran Ivanisevic, against Daniel Nestor at the 1993 US Open and against Greg Rusedski at 1997 Queen's Club. Both tiebreaks were won 20-18 by Goran, winning both matches as a result.
 

krosero

Legend
Goran lost a tiebreak to Becker 7-9 at the 1992 ATP Championships, in the ultimate third set. Incredibly athletic tennis. IMO only 1 point ended with an UE. By my count there were 6 aces, 5 other clean winners, a service winner and 3 forced errors.

And many of those shots were hit on match point down.

That was a semi, and Becker went on to beat Courier in the final, so pretty important TB.
 

kiki

Banned
Goran lost a tiebreak to Becker 7-9 at the 1992 ATP Championships, in the ultimate third set. Incredibly athletic tennis. IMO only 1 point ended with an UE. By my count there were 6 aces, 5 other clean winners, a service winner and 3 forced errors.

And many of those shots were hit on match point down.

That was a semi, and Becker went on to beat Courier in the final, so pretty important TB.

Remember how many people were saying Boris was done ( specially since yielding to Stich at W)...and then he beats Courier after Jim had his best year ever...well, after all, they played in Germany, right?
 

kiki

Banned
Two that stick in my mind both involved Goran Ivanisevic, against Daniel Nestor at the 1993 US Open and against Greg Rusedski at 1997 Queen's Club. Both tiebreaks were won 20-18 by Goran, winning both matches as a result.

I can´t think of Muster vs Ivanisevic...what was the HtH?
 

krosero

Legend
Remember how many people were saying Boris was done ( specially since yielding to Stich at W)...and then he beats Courier after Jim had his best year ever...well, after all, they played in Germany, right?
Courier was 0-3 against Becker that year (and 1-7 lifetime). The first loss was in February, in Brussels: 6-7, 2-6, 7-6 (12-10), 7-6, 7-5
 

piece

Professional
I haven't seen it so I have no idea how good it actually was, but I was looking at the Roddick/Tsonga H2H on the ATP website, and their match at the 2007 Australian Open had a first set tiebreak that Tsonga won 20-18!

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Players/Head-To-Head.aspx?pId=R485&oId=T786

I've had a (quick) look on youtube for it, but no luck.

Yeah that was a good one. Tsonga was out serving Roddick big time, and back then it was still surprising when someone did that. But being a first set tiebreak, in an early round match, it wasn't as exciting is it might otherwise have been because it didn't feel like there was much on the line. Nevertheless, a very, very good tiebreak.
 

kiki

Banned
Courier was 0-3 against Becker that year (and 1-7 lifetime). The first loss was in February, in Brussels: 6-7, 2-6, 7-6 (12-10), 7-6, 7-5

whauw¡¡ it looks like a very interesting mach, isn´t it?

Courier was probably, the best player in 1992 and only Edberg could dispute that, after his unbelievable showing at the USO ( one year after his first US open win)

Taling about Stefan´s USO wins in 91 & 92, I don´t think he never played as well as that
 
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