Favorite Major Clay Matches of All-Time

[RaulRamirez]

A lot of posters here have great recall - better than mine - for greatest, or personal favorite, matches.

I thought I'd start a (positive, please) thread asking you to name your favorite matches at each of the three M1000s, as well as Roland Garros.

Women's matches happily included as well.
No poll, just fun memories of great tennis.

 

[helterskelter]

93 RG men’s final a good contender (Bruguera beat Courier 64 26 62 36 63).

92 RG women’s semi and final (Seles beat Sabatini 63 46 64; Seles beat Graf 62 36 108; mentally strongest player always the best bet in a crisis!)

96 RG women’s final (Graf beat Sanchez Vicario 63 67 108; tragic result aside, a good match).

Several fun matches between Thomas Muster and Albert Costa around 1995. For example, Muster won 63 36 64 in Rome 96 SF. Low key but fun matches.

You’ll get the details of the Nadal v Federer and v Coria matches in Rome from others so I won’t give them. Nadal v Mathieu at RG 2006 fun if too long.

Two years before I started following but Evert beat Navratilova 63 67 75 in the final of RG 85.

 

[weakera]

Nadal Coria Rome 2005
Nadal Federer Rome 2006

 

[FlyingSaucer]

JCF-Gonzalez, RG 2003
Fed-Nadal, Rome 2006

 

[BeatlesFan]

 

[RaulRamirez]

I'm sure this one still angers and saddens Johnny Mac.
At the time, I think I was also (as I'm thinking you were) rooting for Lendl.

 

[BeatlesFan]

I'm sure this one still angers and saddens Johnny Mac.
At the time, I think I was also (as I'm thinking you were) rooting for Lendl.

Still my favorite match of all time. Ivan finally got over the Mac hurdle in a slam.

 

[ljmudit]

My second favorite match on clay after the epic Nadal vs Coria (Rome 2005) is Safin vs Mantilla at Roland Garros 2004 (I think?).

 

[Mustard]

Other shouts are Kuerten's matches with Norman in 2000, in the finals of the Italian and French Opens, and Kuerten's matches with Ferrero in 2000-2001.

Muster vs. Stich in 1994 Davis Cup. The whole match had been on youtube, but it was removed recently.

 

[Mustard]

Nadal's match with Davydenko at 2007 Rome was a thriller, and at 2007 Hamburg against Hewitt, and at 2008 Hamburg, 2009 Monte Carlo and 2009 Madrid against Djokovic.

 

[Mustard]

Nadal v Mathieu at RG 2006 fun if too long.

After just over 2 hours of play, Mathieu led 7-5, 1-1. Nadal eventually won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, in 4 hours and 53 minutes.

Nadal vs. Zverev at the 2022 French Open had a few similarities. Nadal was young and mobile back in 2006 though, ready to stay out there all day without too much issue.

 

[SinneGOAT]

2008 Hamburg Rafa v. Djokovic. 2011 Rome final, 2006 Rome Nadal Fed.

 

[Genie Of the Bank]

Rafa vs Nole 2013 RG

 

[socallefty]

FO - 2013 semi Nadal-Djokovic
Rome - 2014 final Djokovic-Nadal
Madrid - 2022 semi Alcaraz-Djokovic
Monte Carlo - 2006 final Nadal-Federer

 

[DjokoLand]

Djokodal at RG13 while it haunts me was an absolute cracker.
As some else mentioned there match in Rome 2011 was incredible Djokovic won 6-4 6-4 but the match was brutal in the body and over 2.5 hours