Best matches which didn't featured all time great players

Flash O'Groove

Flash O'Groove

Hall of Fame
When we think about the best matches in tennis history, we nearly always think of the epic battle between the top players, or the matches happening during the last rounds of the more prestigious stages.

But what about all the incredible matches which featured the world n°22 against the the world n°45 in a small tournaments, or in the early round of a slam? What about the matches which were fantastic and will never be forgotten by the lucky people who saw them, but had very little effect on tennis history?

Can you think about such matches?
 
J

jg153040

G.O.A.T.
I doubt most people watch those :).

But best that I can remember is Soderling vs Gonzo FO 09.

If that even counts. Beating Rafa at RG can instantly make you an all-time great :)
 
NatF

NatF

Bionic Poster
Is El Aaynaoui vs Roddick too high profile of a match? Because that was one of the greatest matches of all time IMO. Suppose it's a QF so not quite your idea.
 
J

jg153040

G.O.A.T.
NatF said:
Is El Aaynaoui vs Roddick too high profile of a match? Because that was one of the greatest matches of all time IMO. Suppose it's a QF so not quite your idea.
Click to expand...

I guess QF is ok, the player just doesn't have to be all-time great.

I would say Roddick is a bit too high profile player for the purpose of this thread.
 
L

Laurie

Guest
I remember the 2001 Wimbledon 2nd rd match between Lleyton Hewitt and Taylor Dent was absolutely brilliant. It was an early evening match which went to five sets and Taylor Dent was bombing down aces at 144mph. Two young guys really going at it at the time, great stuff.
 
tipsa...don'tlikehim!

tipsa...don'tlikehim!

Talk Tennis Guru
Laurie said:
I remember the 2001 Wimbledon 2nd rd match between Lleyton Hewitt and Taylor Dent was absolutely brilliant. It was an early evening match which went to five sets and Taylor Dent was bombing down aces at 144mph. Two young guys really going at it at the time, great stuff.
Click to expand...

Talking about Dent, his match at the US open vs Spaniard Navarro, 7/6 in the 5th, awesome tennis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-8WThj5pw
 
Vegito

Vegito

Hall of Fame
rogergif.gif
 
L

Laurie

Guest
Thanks Tipsa, just watched it.

Watching this kind of match is now almost like a guilty pleasure. Its like we're not supposed to enjoy short points, every match now has to contain 40 shot rallies all the time for it to be acceptable.
 
W

wy2sl0

Hall of Fame
Verdasco vs Ferrer at the US? I think it was a couple years ago. Verdasco came back and won match point on a sliding winner late in the 5th set TB I remember it was pretty epic.

EDIT here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reyTlfxuBsM

That return and second serve even at 3-1 was just UNREAL.
 
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Cormorant

Cormorant

Professional
Corretja's win (6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 5-7, 8-6) over Clement at the 2002 French Open will be unforgettable for anyone that saw it. Arnaud had three straight match points in the fifth, and lost one on a basic putaway volley. Rarely has a match started so unremarkably and ended up so memorable. The Spaniard was just hanging onto a place in the top 20 at the time, and Clement had dropped to #47 after his career-best 2001 season.
 
I

Indio

Semi-Pro
2010 Wimbledon, Mahut vs Isner, while not memorable because of a sublime standard of tennis, must surely be the most famous. It's seldom mentioned that Mahut won his 2nd round qualifier 24-22 in the 3rd. And to top it off, the two faced each other in the first round of the 2011 tournament.
 
Flash O'Groove

Flash O'Groove

Hall of Fame
NatF said:
Is El Aaynaoui vs Roddick too high profile of a match? Because that was one of the greatest matches of all time IMO. Suppose it's a QF so not quite your idea.
Click to expand...

No good example. I have heard about it a lot but never watched it. I watched the two first set which were very good, I'll look the rest later!

Vegito said:
Fernando Gonzalez vs. Juan Monaco at Rome 2009. Great match.
Click to expand...

Cool, Gonzalez was one of my favorite player but I didn't see this one. Will watch it!

tipsa...don'tlikehim! said:
Monaco vs Benneteau, Kuala lumpur 2012 final http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoYs...rl]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0-8WThj5pw
Click to expand...

And again, thanks.

abmk said:
one that happened this very year : wawrinka-gasquet RG 13 4R
Click to expand...

Yep, this one was really great. It is at the origin of this thread.
 
J

jg153040

G.O.A.T.
Indio said:
2010 Wimbledon, Mahut vs Isner, while not memorable because of a sublime standard of tennis, must surely be the most famous. It's seldom mentioned that Mahut won his 2nd round qualifier 24-22 in the 3rd. And to top it off, the two faced each other in the first round of the 2011 tournament.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I can't believe I have forgotten those.
 
NatF

NatF

Bionic Poster
Flash O'Groove said:
No good example. I have heard about it a lot but never watched it. I watched the two first set which were very good, I'll look the rest later!
Click to expand...

There were over 200 winners in that match and less than half the number of errors. Fantastic tennis.
 
N

NLBwell

Legend
Haas-Blake at U.S. Open. Haas was screaming at Sara, she was screaming back at him, Blake and Haas both had periods of playing terrific tennis. Fun time.


R16 James Blake (USA) 6 W 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6(4)
 
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Shaolin

Shaolin

G.O.A.T.
Kowalski vs Johnston, Kossover tennis center, Topeka.

A riveting battle of 3.0 warriors I'll never forget.
 
A

AF2493

New User
Not sure about the quality, but Duckworth vs. Kavcic went 8-10 in the fifth at this year's AO in the second round. I believe Kavcic was on a stretcher afterwards, and needed an IV for his full-body cramps.
 
ollinger

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.....dibbs.....solomon.......................
 
TJfederer16

TJfederer16

Hall of Fame
Federer vs Nadal Wimbledon 2008 lol jokes:)

Seriously Tsonga vs Wawrinka RG 2011, 2012 two fantastic 5 setters with great crowd.
 
Russeljones

Russeljones

Talk Tennis Guru
Flash O'Groove said:
When we think about the best matches in tennis history, we nearly always think of the epic battle between the top players, or the matches happening during the last rounds of the more prestigious stages.

But what about all the incredible matches which featured the world n°22 against the the world n°45 in a small tournaments, or in the early round of a slam? What about the matches which were fantastic and will never be forgotten by the lucky people who saw them, but had very little effect on tennis history?

Can you think about such matches?
Click to expand...

Any Djokovic match. Joke.

I thought Goran vs Rafter was a heck of a match.
 
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