The_Order
G.O.A.T.
Rank your favourite 20 slam matches from the 20 slams wins for Fed or Rafa or both:
#1 - v Federer WIM 2008:
Fed was nearly unstoppable on grass in 2008... He looked like a man on a mission to erase that dreadful RG08 final performance and proceeded by not dropping a single a set on his way to the Halle title and the Wimbledon final either facing the likes of Keifer, Soderling, Safin, Hewitt and Ancic. (apart from Ancic, who beat him at Wimbledon in 2002, each of those players had taken a set off Federer on grass in the prior years). That was the first time he had done that in his career, so he was entering the Wimbledon final in red hot form and was the firm favourite having won in 5 times consecutively heading in and looking for a record 6th title in a row.
Nadal had his work cut out for him and even after going up 2 sets to love, Fed never gave in and fought back to push it to 5 and almost pinched it from him. It's the most important win of Rafa's career. He got one up on the Wimbledon GOAT in his prime.
#2 - v Verdasco AO 2009:
Crazy tennis from both players from start to finish ( excluding that DF of course ). It had everything, Verdasco playing lights out hitting 95 Winners with only 76 UE's... That is a crazy ratio on a plexi-cushion HC against Nadal with peak leg speed. Rafa had to play some of the most remarkable tennis in his career at the AO to get the job done. Back and forth momentum swings and very little dip in play at any given stage.
#3- v Federer AO 2009:
Backed up the remarkable SF win with another incredible performance in the final. The only downside was the 5th set, but the first 4 sets were the highest quality tennis you could expect to see in a major final and history was on the line. Filled with drama during and after the match and Rafa wins his one and only slam title in the land down under.
#4 - v Djokovic RG2013:
Quality of tennis wasn't up there with the top 3, but the drama certainly was. Novak put himself in a position to finally accomplish beating Nadal at RG. Novak up a break in the 5th and Nadal just went Super Saiyan x3 and started hitting winners left, right and center. Even mis-hits were landing in much to Novak's disbelief... and no one will ever forget the net touch and finger point. Classic drama.
#5 - v Medvedev US 2019:
Playing for his 4th US Open title after so many doubted he'd even have 1. At age 33 he's in the final and looked like making it a formality up 2 sets and a break in the third. But Med just fought back, he was the most in form player in the US HC series. Got to the Canada Masters final (where he played a nightmare match ) but then went on and won Cincinnati beating #1 Novak Djokovic along the way... He even refused to give in when Rafa went up a double break in the 5th and very nearly pegged it back if not for some real clutch tennis from Nadal and that bh slice utl passing shot that just landed in. Filled with drama and Rafa's relief after holding on to win the title was a special moment in his career.
#6 - v Djokovic US 2013
#7 - v Federer RG 2005
#8 - v Djokovic US 2010
#9 - v Federer RG 2006
#10 - v Djokovic RG 2012
#11 - v Federer RG 2007
#12 - v Federer RG 2011
#13 - v Djokovic RG 2020
#14 - v Djokovic RG 2014
#15 - v Soderling RG 2010
#16 - v Wawrinka RG 2017
#17 - v Puerta RG 2005
#18 - v Federer RG 2008
#19 - v Del Potro US 2017
#20 - v Thiem RG 2019
#1 - v Federer WIM 2008:
Fed was nearly unstoppable on grass in 2008... He looked like a man on a mission to erase that dreadful RG08 final performance and proceeded by not dropping a single a set on his way to the Halle title and the Wimbledon final either facing the likes of Keifer, Soderling, Safin, Hewitt and Ancic. (apart from Ancic, who beat him at Wimbledon in 2002, each of those players had taken a set off Federer on grass in the prior years). That was the first time he had done that in his career, so he was entering the Wimbledon final in red hot form and was the firm favourite having won in 5 times consecutively heading in and looking for a record 6th title in a row.
Nadal had his work cut out for him and even after going up 2 sets to love, Fed never gave in and fought back to push it to 5 and almost pinched it from him. It's the most important win of Rafa's career. He got one up on the Wimbledon GOAT in his prime.
#2 - v Verdasco AO 2009:
Crazy tennis from both players from start to finish ( excluding that DF of course ). It had everything, Verdasco playing lights out hitting 95 Winners with only 76 UE's... That is a crazy ratio on a plexi-cushion HC against Nadal with peak leg speed. Rafa had to play some of the most remarkable tennis in his career at the AO to get the job done. Back and forth momentum swings and very little dip in play at any given stage.
#3- v Federer AO 2009:
Backed up the remarkable SF win with another incredible performance in the final. The only downside was the 5th set, but the first 4 sets were the highest quality tennis you could expect to see in a major final and history was on the line. Filled with drama during and after the match and Rafa wins his one and only slam title in the land down under.
#4 - v Djokovic RG2013:
Quality of tennis wasn't up there with the top 3, but the drama certainly was. Novak put himself in a position to finally accomplish beating Nadal at RG. Novak up a break in the 5th and Nadal just went Super Saiyan x3 and started hitting winners left, right and center. Even mis-hits were landing in much to Novak's disbelief... and no one will ever forget the net touch and finger point. Classic drama.
#5 - v Medvedev US 2019:
Playing for his 4th US Open title after so many doubted he'd even have 1. At age 33 he's in the final and looked like making it a formality up 2 sets and a break in the third. But Med just fought back, he was the most in form player in the US HC series. Got to the Canada Masters final (where he played a nightmare match ) but then went on and won Cincinnati beating #1 Novak Djokovic along the way... He even refused to give in when Rafa went up a double break in the 5th and very nearly pegged it back if not for some real clutch tennis from Nadal and that bh slice utl passing shot that just landed in. Filled with drama and Rafa's relief after holding on to win the title was a special moment in his career.
#6 - v Djokovic US 2013
#7 - v Federer RG 2005
#8 - v Djokovic US 2010
#9 - v Federer RG 2006
#10 - v Djokovic RG 2012
#11 - v Federer RG 2007
#12 - v Federer RG 2011
#13 - v Djokovic RG 2020
#14 - v Djokovic RG 2014
#15 - v Soderling RG 2010
#16 - v Wawrinka RG 2017
#17 - v Puerta RG 2005
#18 - v Federer RG 2008
#19 - v Del Potro US 2017
#20 - v Thiem RG 2019
