Well, Nadal never had Federer's serve unfortunately. Especially in 2015, his service games were full of double faults.The thing that really irritated me was Nadal's inability to hold serve in the 5th set. He got the break back from Fognini 3 consecutive times and he couldn't hold serve to save his life each time
Biggest upset in Tennis history?
- Thread starter aman92
- Start date
mike danny
Bionic Poster
But first of all no one saw Djokovic losing to a tired NishikoriAs soon as Nole lost, Fed became huge Fav and nobody saw a healthy Cilic destroying Fed in SF's ...
xFedal
Legend
Tired in the Final but against Nole? I think Nole was more tired than him?But first of all no one saw Djokovic losing to a tired Nishikori
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Why would he be? He didn't have to play 2 five setters like Nishikori did.
xFedal
Legend
The one with Murray seemed to have knocked the stuffing of Nole... he couldn't recover from that 4 hour match... and the same thing happend previous year he played an exhausting 5 setter with STAN but couldn't recover to beat Nadal... it's rare to win a tournament after such exhausting matches... these players have a very physical style they don't shorten the points, makes the match drag for ages.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Nishikori wasn't shortening the point either. Just saying.
xFedal
Legend
The Murray match was wall v wall.... Nishikori was very impressive that day.... Nishikori beat Nole 40 mins earlier than Nole beat Murray....
But after this tournament Nishikori turned into another mug.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
The Lost Generation in a nutshell.But after this tournament Nishikori turned into another mug.
xFedal
Legend
Nole really locked in on him never allowing him to win after that day, not going take Nishikori for granted..
I can't think for any excuses for all these players. I miss the times when players were actually able to fight against the tops. Soderling beat Federer and Nadal in RG, but at least he didn't stop there. He reached the finals both years, even though he lost the finals badly. But now players like Muller are sometimes doing everything to cause the upset and then losing to a nobody in the next round. (Yes, Cilic IS a nobody).
xFedal
Legend
Cilic can be dangerous though see USO14...
Jaitock1991
Hall of Fame
What? How did Berdych ruin his chances?
SinjinCooper
Hall of Fame
That's a lot of things in a very compact response to be completely wrong about. Good work.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Pushed him to 5 in the semis.
Jaitock1991
Hall of Fame
Wasn't that Gonzalez?
Gonzalez in 2009, Berdych in 2010. But it's not like he had a chance in any of these finals anyway.
Because he beat a terrible Federer and a dead Nishikori? Nah. You can look what are his head to heads against top players. And most of the meetings are not even close. USO 2015 semifinal, Wimbledon 2017 final are matches that are better indicators of his abilities.
mike danny
Bionic Poster
That was in 2009. Berdych did it in 2010.
xFedal
Legend
Actually was Gonzalez that year, softened him up for Fed... Fed was more vulnerable that year.... But Soderling wasn't on and Feds desperation for RG won in the end, but Soderling was on the next year he beat Fed but then Berdych softened him for Rafa two consecutive bad performances in 09 and 10 from him..
ibbi
Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah, it's easy to say that now with 5 years of hindsight. it wasn't the case at the time.
abmk
Bionic Poster
Nope. Plenty of federer fans gave him a chance, including me.
abmk
Bionic Poster
that's a load of steaming cr*p.
djokovic was fine and not tired. Nishikori was coming off 2 5-setters (raonic and stan), not djokovic.
absolutely garbage to make an excuse for djokovic after just a 4-setter vs murray
Shaolin
Talk Tennis Guru
Like I said, twice, yes AT THE TIME it was a big upset. But history will remember it as a normal thing, happening year after year.
Tshooter
G.O.A.T.
I wonder what the odds of Vinci beating Serena were.
S
Sirius Black
Guest
Are we bringing back the "Djokovic couldn't handle THE HEAT" thing?
S
Sirius Black
Guest
How about when Matt Ebden defeated the Great Kit Duncan in the finals of the Tallahassee Challenger?
abmk
Bionic Poster
ah, yes, djokovic, supposedly the fittest player of all time, but can't handle the heat !
captainbryce
Hall of Fame
Gaston Guadio beating Guillermo Coria (2004 Roland Garros final) comes to mind. Coria was the overwhelming favorite and it should have been a straight sets victory. That loss pretty much destroyed Coria's career, and Guadio never came close to replicating that success for the rest of his career.
duaneeo
G.O.A.T.
Soderling's defeat of Nadal in 2009.
Rafa had won the Australian Open (3 of the last 4 slams), Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, and won his first 3 matches at Roland Garros (where he was undefeated) in straight sets, losing just 5 total games in 3R. Robin's best results at the clay big tournaments were a QF at Monte Carlo (where he was bageled by Berdych in the 3rd set), and a 3R at RG (bageled and breadsticked by Benneteau).
Without question the biggest upset.
Rafa had won the Australian Open (3 of the last 4 slams), Indian Wells, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome, and won his first 3 matches at Roland Garros (where he was undefeated) in straight sets, losing just 5 total games in 3R. Robin's best results at the clay big tournaments were a QF at Monte Carlo (where he was bageled by Berdych in the 3rd set), and a 3R at RG (bageled and breadsticked by Benneteau).
Without question the biggest upset.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Chang defeats Lendl, FO QF's 1989
Doohan over Becker, Wimbledon 1987
Soderling beats Nadal, FO, 2009
Del Potro over Fed, USO 2009
Doohan over Becker, Wimbledon 1987
Soderling beats Nadal, FO, 2009
Del Potro over Fed, USO 2009
Mainad
Bionic Poster
All the more shocking and painful because Coria actually held several championship points but couldn't convert any (one of them only very narrowly missed the line). The following year he had another marathon 5 setter with Nadal in the final of Rome and went 3 or 4-0 up (I think) in the deciding set tie-break but couldn't close it out. Luck never seemed to be on Coria's side!
mike danny
Bionic Poster
That's what you get when your serve is not at a really elite level.
Druss
Hall of Fame
At the time in 2012 it was a HUGE upset, remember Nadal was coming from 5 consecutive Wimby finals (winning 2 of them) and at 26 was still considered in his prime. The defeats that followed to Darcis, Kyrgios, Brown and recently Mueller were not surprising anymore (except Darcis one) as it started to become more routine, so much so, that anything from QF and up would be a surprise run.
ibbi
Talk Tennis Guru
There's not really anything to dispute. It was one of the biggest upsets in the history of the game. The fact that its impact has been lessened by incidents since does not change what a moment it was. Lukas Rosol is still famous for what he did that day, much more so than the guys that came after.
aman92
Legend
Yep Rafa had reached the finals of the last 5 Grand Slams as well as the last 5 Wimbledons he had played. I also don't think he had lost to a player outside the top 100 before in a Grand Slam? That defeat really hurt badly as a Rafa fan
Fiero425
Legend
- http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ten...d-at-56/ar-AAoBmAD?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp -
SYDNEY (AP) -- Former tennis professional Peter Doohan, whose best-known victory was over Boris Becker at Wimbledon in 1987, has died aged 56, Tennis Australia said in a statement on Saturday.
Doohan was diagnosed nine weeks ago with a particularly aggressive form of motor neurone disease.
On July 1, the Australian celebrated the 30th anniversary of his victory over Becker in the second round at Wimbledon, which was then considered one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. It was the earliest defeat by a defending men's champion in 20 years.
Becker was the top seed and two-time defending champion while Doohan was ranked 70 after beginning the year ranked 301. He won 7-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, earning the nickname "the Becker Wrecker." Becker said at the time: "I think I'm a better player than he is, but he was like magic, guessing everything I would do."
Doohan won one ATP singles title and five doubles titles, and reached a best singles ranking of 43 and a doubles ranking of 15 before he retired in 1996.
Becker on Saturday tweeted a picture of himself with Doohan with the message "RIP mate! You were the better player."
Before turning pro, Doohan played at the University of Arkansas where he won an NCAA doubles title and made All American.
Shaolin
Talk Tennis Guru
I understand your point but the fact that everyone on tour has beaten him at W since then actually does lessen it, historically.
He was simply the first of many to have their way with Rafa instead of being seen as an upset that sticks out like a sore thumb like Stakhovsky's win against Fed.
roysid
Legend
Such logic. How can you beating Nadal at Wimbledon with beating Nadal at Roland Garros. He's the absolute top dog in Roalnd Garros. Was undefeated in Roland Garros at 2009 with 4 straight titles. Winning a single set against him was that tough then.
And you compare the Rosol loss? Nadal made five straight finals, winning 2 of them by 2012. That means he lost 3 finals. Heck he wasn't the defending champion even.
And as for Rosol, in 2010 only Nadal had to undergo 2 five setters in early rounds at Wimbledon
Fiero425
Legend
I didn't look back, but at the top of my list of upsets of all time would be Lori McNeil over Steffi Graf in the 1st round of Wimbledon in 1994! Graf was the 3X defending champion like her compatriot 2X champ. Becker in '97! This upset gave hope to Navratilova making her last run to a final losing to Conchita Martinez in 3 sets! 
Terenigma
G.O.A.T.
Simple. Because Soderling was a top player, its like if Ferrer or Wawrinka beat Nadal. Sure Nadal is the better player on his surface but you don't completely rule out a top 10 player (Or in his case, Twice a RG finalist) on a good day on any surface. Yes it was a shock for him to lose but the chance of him losing was FAR higher than Rosol, who before 2012 had never made the main draw at Wimbledon and was playing a Nadal who had just won the French open and was in great form.
It was the manner in which he beat him too, he played out of his mind painting the lines and to this day, i don't think there has been an upset that alerted the rest of the tour that these big players CAN be beaten if you just put the work in and believe. Soderling didn't do that. Rosol did.
Tommy Haas
Hall of Fame
Upsets have to occur during the semi-finals or final to be more upsetting. Early round upsets are less heartbreaking because the championship wasn't within grasp yet. They're more shocking, but it's the close to the finish line losses that really hit you in the gut as a fan.
MatsPhilander
Legend
But first of all no one saw Djokovic losing to a tired Nishikori
The broadcaster must have been feeling suicidal after the first match, they must have had the rope nailed up after the second-you go from a ratings busting Joker vs Fed final to Cilic vs Kei instead.
SLD76
G.O.A.T.
MatsPhilander
Legend
Agassi losing to some guy called David Flach in the first round of Wimbledon 1996 has to be right up there.
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