All the Open Era slam champions who defended MPs/CPs en route to the title.

[UnderratedSlam]

All the matches in which the eventual champion had to defend match points on his way to winning a slam title.

This happened "only" 14 times out of roughly 190 Open Era slams.

Which is roughly 7% of all slams won this way.

Orantes def Vilas 1975 USO SF

Newcombe def Roche 1975 AO SF

Panatta def Hutka 1976 FO 1R

Kriek def McNamee 1982 AO SF

Edberg def Masur 1985 AO 4R

Becker def Rostagno 1989 USO 2R

Sampras def Corretja 1996 USO QF

Kuerten def Russell 2001 FO 4R

Roddick def Nalbandian 2003 USO SF

Gaudio def Coria 2004 FO F

Safin def Federer 2005 AO SF

Djokovic def Federer 2011 USO SF

Wawrinka def Evans 2016 USO 3R

Djokovic def Federer 2019 W F

Conclusions:

The most frequent round: Semis - 6 times (almost half)

The least frequent round: 1R. 2R, 3R - once each

Most frequent losing player: Federer - 3 times

Most frequent winning player: Djokovic - 2 times

Most frequent slam: USO - 6 times (almost half)

Least frequent slam: Wimbledon - just once

Most frequent decade: 00s - 4 times

Least frequent decade: 90s - once

No of single-slam champs who won this way: 4

No of multi-slam champs who won this way: 10

No of debutante slam champs: 5

It is interesting that it took 32 years of Open Era tennis for this to happen in the finale of a slam, in 2004, and yet it happened again once more out of the following four cases after that.

When will it happen again? Who knows, as this is an irregular and fairly rare event in tennis.

 

[NoleFam]

Laver also did it twice pre Open Era. I would be interested to see who has come back from match points down to win in all tournaments in the Open Era.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Laver also did it twice pre Open Era. I would be interested to see who has come back from match points down to win in all tournaments in the Open Era.

Yeah, that list would be a little tougher to find, perhaps.

I'd love to check out that list too.

There must be over 100 such tournies won, easily.

 

[NoleFam]

Yeah, that list would be a little tougher to find, perhaps.

I'd love to check out that list too.

There must be over 100 such tournies won, easily.

There are a lot indeed so that would make it difficult. I know Federer has done it at least 6 times and Djokovic at least 6, so I'm sure other guys in other generations did it quite a few times as well.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

There are a lot indeed so that would make it difficult. I know Federer has done it at least 6 times and Djokovic at least 5, so I'm sure other guys in other generations did it quite a few times as well.

I know of at least a dozen such cases, but that's just a tiny fraction. Dunno how we could compile this... Unless ATP's vaults have it. They must.

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

One addition to the list. Wawrinka won his US Open after saving match points against Evans in the 3rd round.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

One addition to the list. Wawrinka won his US Open after saving match points against Evans in the 3rd round.

Really?

 

[Doctor/Lawyer Red Devil]

Really?

Yeah. They had a long 4th set tiebreak. Don't know how many MPs Stan faced but he definitely had to save at least one. I watched that match.

I think Wiki keeps track of this stat.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

One addition to the list. Wawrinka won his US Open after saving match points against Evans in the 3rd round.

I googled it.

Great, thanks.

 

[Jack the Hack]

I only remember 4 of these:

Becker def Rostagno 1989 USO 2R

On that match point, Rostagno was in perfect position at the net and was ready to put the ball away to the open court. However, Becker's passing shot clipped the top of the net and just barely went over Rostagno's outstretched racquet. It was a bit of bad luck/good luck (depending on your point of view).

Sampras def Corretja 1996 USO QF

That was the infamous Sampras barfing match, where he was battling a stomach illness. Served a 2nd serve ace to save match point. Sampras may have been the sick one, but the look on Corretja's face was pure agony.

Safin def Federer 2005 AO SF

Federer had match point and tried to hit a 'tweener for a winner after chasing down a lob in the 4th set. Didn't get it... didn't win the match. Safin was at his best that day... one of the best matches of the early 2000s.

Djokovic def Federer 2011 USO SF

Two match points on Fed's serve at 40-15, 5-3 in the 5th set, after Djokovic had already come back from losing the first two sets. Djokovic hit a slappy mach 5 forehand return winner on the first match point, and Fed hit a forehand into the tape on the second one. Djokovic wins the last four games to win the match. I almost broke my television.

Djokovic def Federer 2019 W F

Everybody saw it. Fed up 40-15, double match point. Missed the first one with a shakey inside out forehand approach by an inch. It's grass, and I can't figure out why he didn't serve and volley on each of those points... but that's me being an amateur armchair strategist. Kudos to Djokovic again.

I wish I had seen some of the others. I watched the Roddick / Nalbandian match, but I don't remember what happened on match point. I totally missed the Coria / Gaudio French Open final because I was travelling on business, but heard it was a complete choke job by Coria, who up to that point, looked like he was going to dominate clay for years.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

I only remember 4 of these:

Becker def Rostagno 1989 USO 2R

On that match point, Rostagno was in perfect position at the net and was ready to put the ball away to the open court. However, Becker's passing shot clipped the top of the net and just barely went over Rostagno's outstretched racquet. It was a bit of bad luck/good luck (depending on your point of view).

Sampras def Corretja 1996 USO QF

That was the infamous Sampras barfing match, where he was battling a stomach illness. Served a 2nd serve ace to save match point. Sampras may have been the sick one, but the look on Corretja's face was pure agony.

Safin def Federer 2005 AO SF

Federer had match point and tried to hit a 'tweener for a winner after chasing down a lob in the 4th set. Didn't get it... didn't win the match. Safin was at his best that day... one of the best matches of the early 2000s.

Djokovic def Federer 2011 USO SF

Two match points on Fed's serve at 40-15, 5-3 in the 5th set, after Djokovic had already come back from losing the first two sets. Djokovic hit a slappy mach 5 forehand return winner on the first match point, and Fed hit a forehand into the tape on the second one. Djokovic wins the last four games to win the match. I almost broke my television.

Djokovic def Federer 2019 W F

Everybody saw it. Fed up 40-15, double match point. Missed the first one with a shakey inside out forehand approach by an inch. It's grass, and I can't figure out why he didn't serve and volley on each of those points... but that's me being an amateur armchair strategist. Kudos to Djokovic again.

I wish I had seen some of the others. I watched the Roddick / Nalbandian match, but I don't remember what happened on match point. I totally missed the Coria / Gaudio French Open final because I was travelling on business, but heard it was a complete choke job by Coria, who up to that point, looked like he was going to dominate clay for years.

Great post, good read.

Yeah, the Coria match is one of the most bizarre cases on the list. That 3rd set was just plain weird. It was tough to gauge how injured he was, whether he was injured, because he was such a cheater and faker. 5th set was 8-6 so odds are Coria was up to his usual tricks. THREE Argentinians that year in the semis, yet once again Nalbandian comes up short.

And then 2005 another Argentinian Puerta in the finale gets caught doping. Well well well... Coincidence?

Speaking of which, Roddick Nalbandian, just can't recall details, but you can well imagine David outplayed Roddick for a bulk of the match.

 

[Jack the Hack]

Great post, good read.

Yeah, the Coria match is one of the most bizarre cases on the list. That 3rd set was just plain weird. It was tough to gauge how injured he was, whether he was injured, because he was such a cheater and faker. 5th set was 8-6 so odds are Coria was up to his usual tricks. THREE Argentinians that year in the semis, yet once again Nalbandian comes up short.

And then 2005 another Argentinian Puerta in the finale gets caught doping. Well well well... Coincidence?

Speaking of which, Roddick Nalbandian, just can't recall details, but you can well imagine David outplayed Roddick for a bulk of the match.

I found a video with some highlights of the Roddick / Nalbandian match:

No wonder I don't remember Nalbandian's match point. Roddick saved it with a service bomb at 5-6 in the 3rd set breaker, so the point lasted less than a second. I do remember Nalbandian playing way better for the first 2 hours, and then having a big letdown in the last two sets after losing that breaker.

As for the Puerta doping, I know a lot of details about that one and could start a whole new thread about it. I encourage you to directly read the CAS Tribunal report from his appeal. The day before the French Open final, Puerta's wife was taking a medication for her menstrual cramps, which happens to be clear, odorless, and tasteless. She drank it from a glass while they were eating lunch. After she left the table, Puerta inadvertently picked up the glass (which looked empty), poured some bottled water into it, and drank it. The next day, after the French Open final, he failed the post-match drug test. The report showed that he had such a miniscule amount of the substance in his system, the doctors said that there was no possible chance of it having a performance enhancing effect, and that the amount matched what would have been consistent with the residuals from drinking out of a tainted glass. The CAS Tribunal believed Puerta's story and agreed that it was inadvertent. However, WADA rules at the time did not specify how much of the drug was required to trigger a positive test, which meant that any amount was a violation. As a result, Puerta's ban was upheld, and he lost all of his prize money from the French Open. Being in his 30s at the time, it also effectively ended his career. Furthermore, he was branded a cheater throughout the tennis world. Most people will never take the time to look at the details of the case, but that poor guy got railroaded.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

I found a video with some highlights of the Roddick / Nalbandian match:

No wonder I don't remember Nalbandian's match point. Roddick saved it with a service bomb at 5-6 in the 3rd set breaker, so the point lasted less than a second. I do remember Nalbandian playing way better for the first 2 hours, and then having a big letdown in the last two sets after losing that breaker.

As for the Puerta doping, I know a lot of details about that one and could start a whole new thread about it. I encourage you to directly read the CAS Tribunal report from his appeal. The day before the French Open final, Puerta's wife was taking a medication for her menstrual cramps, which happens to be clear, odorless, and tasteless. She drank it from a glass while they were eating lunch. After she left the table, Puerta inadvertently picked up the glass (which looked empty), poured some bottled water into it, and drank it. The next day, after the French Open final, he failed the post-match drug test. The report showed that he had such a miniscule amount of the substance in his system, the doctors said that there was no possible chance of it having a performance enhancing effect, and that the amount matched what would have been consistent with the residuals from drinking out of a tainted glass. The CAS Tribunal believed Puerta's story and agreed that it was inadvertent. However, WADA rules at the time did not specify how much of the drug was required to trigger a positive test, which meant that any amount was a violation. As a result, Puerta's ban was upheld, and he lost all of his prize money from the French Open. Being in his 30s at the time, it also effectively ended his career. Furthermore, he was branded a cheater throughout the tennis world. Most people will never take the time to look at the details of the case, but that poor guy got railroaded.

I often don't know what to believe in these doping cases. Every time a player caught has an excuse. As if all of them were clean.

The fact he was caught at the slam finale, not in a 1R at Gstaad... just a bit of a coincidence that makes me skeptical.

Plus a lot of Argies got caught around that time.