2025 RG Final & Greatest Matches in History

[Drob]

Several articles appeared after the Alcaraz Garfia-Sinner spectacular at the Porte d'Auteuil earlier this month suggesting that the match was the greatest of the Open era, or comparing it with the "greatest" according to the view of the writer. The writers either explicitly backed away from dealing with the pre-Open history or simply failed to mention it. But even at that, the choices for the other best matches of the Open era were not so imaginative.

I ask you, brethern still with us, give a match or matches or list of matches you consider the greatest and, please, briefly "why". Those who wish to confine to Open, fine. Those who take in the whole of the game, better.

Look forward to your thoughts. Thanks.

 

[Rosstour]

Several articles appeared after the Alcaraz Garfia-Sinner spectacular at the Porte d'Auteuil earlier this month suggesting that the match was the greatest of the Open era, or comparing it with the "greatest" according to the view of the writer. The writers either explicitly backed away from dealing with the pre-Open history or simply failed to mention it. But even at that, the choices for the other best matches of the Open era were not so imaginative.

I ask you, brethern still with us, give a match or matches or list of matches you consider the greatest and, please, briefly "why". Those who wish to confine to Open, fine. Those who take in the whole of the game, better.

Look forward to your thoughts. Thanks.

I’m sure I’ve seen a better match, but I can’t remember it.

 

[Dan Lobb]

Several articles appeared after the Alcaraz Garfia-Sinner spectacular at the Porte d'Auteuil earlier this month suggesting that the match was the greatest of the Open era, or comparing it with the "greatest" according to the view of the writer. The writers either explicitly backed away from dealing with the pre-Open history or simply failed to mention it. But even at that, the choices for the other best matches of the Open era were not so imaginative.

I ask you, brethern still with us, give a match or matches or list of matches you consider the greatest and, please, briefly "why". Those who wish to confine to Open, fine. Those who take in the whole of the game, better.

Look forward to your thoughts. Thanks.

Just looking at the pre-Open era alone gives a strong list of comparable matches, and the style of play in those days was much more entertaining and featured more of a variety of play than the baseline-hugging approach of today.

Here are some of the great matches from the past, mostly pre-Open, which were highly praised for the quality of play.

1916 U.S. Open final- Williams df. Johnston
1922 U.S. Open final- Tilden df. Johnston
1927 French Open final- Lacoste df. Tilden
1933 Wimbledon final- Crawford df. Vines
1937 Davis Cup Challenge round final- Budge df. von Cramm
1953 Davis Cup final- Hoad df. Trabert
1954 U.S. Pro final- Gonzales df. Segura
1957 White City semifinal- Segura df. Gonzales
1958 Kooyong (first match) world tour- Hoad df. Gonzales
1962 Roland Garros final- Laver df. Emerson
1964 Wembley Pro final- Laver df. Rosewall
1969 Italian Open final- Newcombe df. Roche
1971 Wimbledon final-Newcombe df. Smith
1975 Australian Open final- Newcombe df. Connors
1980 Wimbledon final- Borg df. McEnroe
1982 Wimbledon final-Connors df. McEnroe

 

[EvonneFedererBorgster]

Honestly my dvr didn’t record the entire match even though I added the maximum amount of additional minutes AND recorded the program that followed the match AND added the max amount of minutes to that recording. The recording stopped at 5 all in the 5th set.

I was frazzled so I looked up the result at that point and watched the end of the match online later that day.

So it’s hard for me to compare it to Wimbledons 1980, 2008/9 and 2019. Or US Open 1980 etc.

Knowing the result takes away that edge of your seat element.

I can say the final set tiebreak was breathtaking on Carlo’s part. Utterly brilliant and shocking.

It was an all time great last two sets. Saving 3 match points at love-40 was edge of your seat exciting tennis at its best.

 

[Moose Malloy]

S

Thread 'Top 100 Matches 1970-2019'

Dec 2, 2023

Good afternoon,
I mentioned on a previous post that I might eventually get around to reworking a long-standing project I have had of making a 'Top 100 Matches' list, in order to solicit opinions and reaction from the many very-knowledgeable members of this site. I have now done so, and am going to proceed with posting, albeit, I thought I might do so a bit differently than I did with my 'Top 100 Players' list, in that I will post 10 matches at a time (essentially once every day or two) starting at 91-100, in order to potentially and hopefully draw more insight on the entirety of the list...

• SamSpade
• Replies: 47
• Forum: Former Pro Player Talk

• 

 

[MissileBackHand99]

Gonna keep my answers to just Finals
-Nadal vs Coria 2005 Rome F
-Nadal vs Fed 2006 Rome F
-Becker vs Edberg 1990 Wimby F
-Agassi vs Medvedev 1999 RG F (LOVED seeing Agassi dig DEEP to pull that match out in 5)
-Nadal vs Fed 2009 Aussie Open F (arguably the greatest shot making over 5 sets that I've ever seen)
-Sampras vs Becker 1996 ATP Finals F
-Corretja vs Moya 1998 ATP Finals F

 

[GuyForget]

Gonna keep my answers to just Finals
-Nadal vs Coria 2005 Rome F
-Nadal vs Fed 2006 Rome F
-Becker vs Edberg 1990 Wimby F
-Agassi vs Medvedev 1999 RG F (LOVED seeing Agassi dig DEEP to pull that match out in 5)
-Nadal vs Fed 2009 Aussie Open F (arguably the greatest shot making over 5 sets that I've ever seen)
-Sampras vs Becker 1996 ATP Finals F
-Corretja vs Moya 1998 ATP Finals F

Agassi + Becker were asleep for the first 2 sets of those matches there (Becker literally..). Try AO95 or USO21 QF for Agassi, W95 SF for Becker. +Corretja playing Moya in a YEC final, who would even wanna watch that

 

[MissileBackHand99]

Agassi + Becker were asleep for the first 2 sets of those matches there (Becker literally..). Try AO95 or USO21 QF for Agassi, W95 SF for Becker. +Corretja playing Moya in a YEC final, who would even wanna watch that

Good thing this was MY list then, not yours

USO 2001 QFs was a classic, but my fave Agassi v Sampras USO match is the 1995 Final

Becker vs Sampras will always be one of my favorite matchups to watch, personally

Corretja vs Moya is one of the underrated gems inna string of great ATP Finals title matches in the 90s and early 2000s