Greatest clay matches: Celebrating the red surface

[Raining hopes]

What are the greatest clay matches you have seen ? Matches from 80s and 90s will be preferred.

For me it would (No order):

Nadal vs Davydenko Rome 2007
Nadal vs P.H Mathieu RG 2006
Coria vs Nadal 2005 Rome
Federer Nadal Rome 2006
Soderling Nadal 2009
Soderling Federer 2010
Federer Djokovic 2011 RG SF
Federer Delpo 2009 RG
Djokovic vs Nadal 2013 RG
Murray vs Djokovic 2011 Rome.
Djokovic Nadal 2009 Madrid.
Foginini vs Albert Montanes RG 2011
Rafa vs Federer 2011 Madrid

One sided matches( Which I enjoyed without them being epics):

Djokovic Nadal 2011 Rome
Nadal Djokovic RG 2008
Federer Nadal Hamburg 2007
Nadal at RG 2008 as a whole
Djokovic Federer 2012 RG
Federer Djokovic MC2014
Murray Nadal 2014 RG






Note : Have to go for a job in the one of the most rural area of my country,No internet,no tennis and No RG.Was supposed to do that a week before the delay means I am also losing some weeks of Grass season.So, enjoy watching RG and don't complain about the inevitability of it.Atleast you will get to watch it.

 

[Cup8489]

I would probably put the 2012 RG Fedovic match in the first category. That was really up in the air until last ball.

 

[True Fanerer]

Federer vs Haas RG 2009.

One point away from possibly never achieving the CGS.

Edit: Just to add to the list.

 

[tacou]

Coria vs Nadal 2005 Rome for match, Nadal's 2008 RG for best tournament run.

 

[FatFedererFanTurnsSlim]

There may be, nay, are many matches of higher quality but no match was this remarkably EPIC!

 

[AlexanderTheGreat08]

Kuerten v Safin Hamburg 00 or 01 I can’t remember and also their RG 1998 match , Kuerten v Ferrero Rome 01 F

 

[Raining hopes]

There may be, nay, are many matches of higher quality but no match was this remarkably EPIC!

As good as winning a GS for me.
I was supporting Novak in the tournament,but coming into the match I was more than content.The first half of 2011 was a gift of God to any Djokovic fan.So supported Fred and Fred was a God that day(didn't watch live though)

 

[FatFedererFanTurnsSlim]

Rafa vs Federer 2011 Madrid

+100! Hella underrated match. Rafa was leading 5-2 in the 1st set & killing Federer. It was an amazing turnaround by Rog to take the set 7-5. Then he disputed a line call & then lost it mentally.

 

[raph6]

Wawrinka VS Djokovic RG2015 has to be on the list !

Otherwise :

Djokovic VS Murray RG2015
Nadal VS Djokovic RG2013
Federer VS Djokovic RG2011
Djokovic VS Murray Rome 2011

 

[Mainad]

One sided matches( Which I enjoyed without them being epics):

Murray Nadal 2014 RG

Personally, I prefer Murray/Nadal 2015 Madrid (and I feel sure Andy does too).

 

[junior74]

I really enjoyed Nadal vs Djokovic RG 2013, and still can't belive Djokovic ended up losing that match.

 

[Plamen1234]

Djokovic-Nadal 2013 SF had so much drama.After taking the 4th set and having early break in the fifth I thought Djokovic will win against Nadal but one mistake at the net probably cost him the match.2011 SF was also very good match.Djokovic came in the semis with 43 matches winning streak,Fed played one if his best matches on clay and ended his streak.

 

[Spencer Gore]

1984. McEnroe V Lendl

 

[Fedforever]

Federer vs Haas RG 2009.

One point away from possibly never achieving the CGS.

Edit: Just to add to the list.

I think saving the break point was the most important shot of his career - so many things now would have been different if he's lost that game.

 

[ForumMember]

No clay match ever has been greater than the 2013 battle of RG between Djoko and Nadal..

 

[Boom-Boom]

Soderling-Humbalito

 

[ibbi]

Borg and Vilas played a two day semi final of Rome in 73 or 74 or something. It used to be on Youtube in lots of small parts, but alas I can no longer find it. So many of their matches are defined by Borg's domination of his closest clay rival, but that one in the GOAT's relative youth went all the way. It was sort of for him what Rome's 2005 final was for Nadal.

A more recent one would be Wawrinka and Gasquet from 2013 Roland Garros. The real match of that tournament.

 

[Raining hopes]

No clay match ever has been greater than the 2013 battle of RG between Djoko and Nadal..

Disagree here, while it was a great match quality was way up and down apart from fifth set
Quality wise Rome 2005 F exceeds it, so does Rome 2006.

 

[Raining hopes]

Borg and Vilas played a two day semi final of Rome in 73 or 74 or something. It used to be on Youtube in lots of small parts, but alas I can no longer find it. So many of their matches are defined by Borg's domination of his closest clay rival, but that one in the GOAT's relative youth went all the way. It was sort of for him what Rome's 2005 final was for Nadal.

A more recent one would be Wawrinka and Gasquet from 2013 Roland Garros. The real match of that tournament.

How did I forget Gasquet Stan.It is one my favorites.Stanimal appearance and Gasquet actually ready to die for his home crowd.

 

[Raining hopes]

Note : Have to go for a job in the one of the most rural area of my country,No internet,no tennis and No RG.Was supposed to do that a week before the delay means I am also losing some weeks of Grass season.So, enjoy watching RG and don't complain about the inevitability of it.Atleast you will get to watch it.

Farewell TTW for some months!

 

[AiRFederer]

There may be, nay, are many matches of higher quality but no match was this remarkably EPIC!

Still get chills with his celebration.

 

[BrokenGears]

There may be, nay, are many matches of higher quality but no match was this remarkably EPIC!

Djokovic should have done that in 2012 RG

 

[mike danny]

Djokovic should have done that in 2012 RG

Well he couldn't since there was nothing epic about their 2012 match

 

[NatF]

There may be, nay, are many matches of higher quality but no match was this remarkably EPIC!

Quality was as high as it comes.

 

[BrokenGears]

Well he couldn't since there was nothing epic about their 2012 match

Payback for 2011, no?

 

[Sport]

Federer vs Djokovic 2012 RG. Epic revenge. That's what happens when you make Djokovic angry.

 

[Fedforever]

Still get chills with his celebration.

Is there a case for this being his biggest win that didn't result in a tournament win?

Or would that be the Sampras match in 2001?

 

[West Coast Ace]

‘Yeah, it was one one where that guy did this, then the other guy did that, and....’

<NULL>

(maybe Stanimal destroying Djokovic....)

 

[AiRFederer]

Is there a case for this being his biggest win that didn't result in a tournament win?

Or would that be the Sampras match in 2001?

Definitely a toss-up

 

[TheAverageFedererFan]

2009 RG 4th Round: Federer vs Haas
2006 Rome Final: Nadal vs Federer
2005 Rome Final: Nadal vs Coria
2011 RG Semifinal: Federer vs Djokovic
2007 Rome Semifinal: Nadal vs Davydenko

There are many others though.

 

[tarutani]

2017 French open SF Wawrinka defeats Murray