Greatest three-set match on clay

Greatest three-set epic on clay?

  • 2007 Rome semifinal (Nadal d. Davydenko)

    Votes: 2 4.9%

  • 2008 Hamburg semifinal (Nadal d. Djokovic)

    Votes: 5 12.2%

  • 2008 Hamburg final (Nadal d. Federer)

    Votes: 3 7.3%

  • 2009 Madrid semifinal (Nadal d. Djokovic)

    Votes: 22 53.7%

  • 2011 Rome semifinal (Djokovic d. Murray)

    Votes: 5 12.2%

  • 2021 Rome final (Nadal d. Djokovic)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 2022 Madrid semifinal (Alcaraz d. Djokovic)

    Votes: 1 2.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 3 7.3%
  • Total voters
    41
BigThreeForever

BigThreeForever

Semi-Pro
Which match do you consider to be the greatest three-set match on clay (best of 3)?

Criteria itself is open, such as taking match quality, drama, historical significance, length, scoreline, playing styles and anything else into your consideration of the matches.

Timeline;
2007 Rome semifinal, Nadal d. Davydenko 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-4

2008 Hamburg semifinal, Nadal d. Djokovic 7-5, 2-6, 6-2

2008 Hamburg final, Nadal d. Federer 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3

2009 Madrid semifinal, Nadal d. Djokovic 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9)

2011 Rome semifinal, Djokovic d. Murray 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(2)

2021 Rome final, Nadal d. Djokovic 7-5, 1-6, 6-3

2022 Madrid semifinal, Alcaraz d. Djokovic 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5)
 
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Where's the 2007 Hamburg semi final between Nadal vs. Hewitt? ;)

Nadal was 1-4 in his head-to-head vs. Hewitt at the time, and won 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. That was Nadal's 81st win in a row on clay.

As for Nadal vs. Djokovic in 2009, I honestly think that their Monte Carlo final was better than their Madrid semi final.
 
TFW OP forgets to specify "best of" three
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Mustard said:
Where's the 2007 Hamburg semi final between Nadal vs. Hewitt? ;)

Nadal was 1-4 in his head-to-head vs. Hewitt at the time, and won 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. That was Nadal's 81st win in a row on clay.

As for Nadal vs. Djokovic in 2009, I honestly think that their Monte Carlo final was better than their Madrid semi final.
Click to expand...
Hamburg 2008 is underrated too.

GERMANY_TENNIS_HAMBUR_Tull_Medium.JPG
 
Mustard said:
Where's the 2007 Hamburg semi final between Nadal vs. Hewitt? ;)

Nadal was 1-4 in his head-to-head vs. Hewitt at the time, and won 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. That was Nadal's 81st win in a row on clay.

As for Nadal vs. Djokovic in 2009, I honestly think that their Monte Carlo final was better than their Madrid semi final.
Click to expand...
Hewitt showcased the blueprint to beat Nadal in that match, not sure if he was the first but the way he took the ball early - hit acutely angled I/O forehands into Nadal's forehand to open up the court etc...great great stuff from him. Of course still not good enough on the day but it made for a very fun match.
 
Hitman said:
I guess 2021 semi was the second worst performance. :whistle:
Click to expand...
Nah. I think it's the match vs. Sock in 2015.

Actually, thinking about it, the match vs. Andujar in 2011 might be Nadal's worst French Open performance in a match from 2005-2022, worse than the 2015 matches. That was winning ugly. Nadal beat Andujar 7-5, 6-3, 7-6. In the first set, Nadal broke Andujar's serve for 4-2, but it was just the start of 4 consecutive breaks of serve (including Nadal failing to serve out the set at 5-3). In the second set, Nadal was 2-0 up, only for Andujar to get it back to 2-2. In the third set, Andujar led 5-1 (with 2 breaks) and had (I think) 7 set points. It was a 2015 style of erratic performance by Nadal that day.
 
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1965 CBS TV Pro event in Dallas on clay. In the final, Pancho Gonzales beat Ken Rosewall, 8-10, 7-5, 12-10.

According to World Tennis:

The final match between Gorgo and Rosewall was so sensational that CBS hopes to broadcast the first two sets on Saturday and the third set on Sunday. Rosewall was leading at 2-1 in the third set against an utterly exhausted Gorgo when the tapes on the cameras had to be changed. Gorgo got a ten-minute respite, came back stronger than ever and won the match when Rosewall served a doubles [sic] into the sun. All the tapes should be extraordinary since six cameras were used—a master camera, three different cameras on “isolated”, a camera down low for fast action and a camera high up for slow motion. The commentary is by Jack Kramer. CBS will show the matches in every city except New York, Chicago, Boston and Detroit. CBS time is all booked up in these four cities, but they are hoping to find another channel for the film.​
 
TheFifthSet said:
Same. Got an automatic boost at the time because Nadal even getting close to losing on clay was a seismic thing in those years.
Click to expand...
Yeah and it’s not like it’s a terrible match to begin with. There were some really cool rallies and both tiebreaks were fantastic. But the point-by-point quality just wasn’t there imo.
 
Nastase v Pohmann, R2, 1976 USO, Nastase wins 76 46 76 and after 2-1/2 hours of periodic cursing and fake cramping spits at Pohmann in lieu of a handshake at the net. A true classic. :giggle:
 
Some WTA representation:
2010 FO Nara v. Niculescu
1992 FO Graf v. Seles
1985 FO Martina v. Evert
1973 FO Court v. Evert

Those with the memory of an elephant can remember other matches that Vicario, Henin, and Hingis played that were among the best clay matches.
 
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NatF said:
Hewitt showcased the blueprint to beat Nadal in that match, not sure if he was the first but the way he took the ball early - hit acutely angled I/O forehands into Nadal's forehand to open up the court etc...great great stuff from him. Of course still not good enough on the day but it made for a very fun match.
Click to expand...
The first player I saw using this tactics against Ned was Moya in Rome (2006). After losing the first set, he changed his playing patterns and started going to Nadal's FH with his i/o FH and he won the second set and remained competitive in the third.
It's not surprising though, he probably knew Nadal's game (including weaknesses) better than anyone (being his mentor and everything).
 
Martin J said:
The first player I saw using this tactics against Ned was Moya in Rome (2006). After losing the first set, he changed his playing patterns and started going to Nadal's FH with his i/o FH and he won the second set and remained competitive in the third.
It's not surprising though, he probably knew Nadal's game (including weaknesses) better than anyone (being his mentor and everything).
Click to expand...
Never seen that match, interesting to know! No one really talks about Moya but he had one of the best forehands of all time, was a bit of a boogeyman for Hewitt in 2002 because the way he used that forehand was a bit Federer 0.5.
 
NatF said:
Never seen that match, interesting to know! No one really talks about Moya but he had one of the best forehands of all time, was a bit of a boogeyman for Hewitt in 2002 because the way he used that forehand was a bit Federer 0.5.
Click to expand...

Did you see the match in Miami between Moya and Nadal in 2006?

It follows the exact pattern. Moya beat Nadal in Miami in Nadal's first match there that year.
 
NatF said:
Never seen that match, interesting to know! No one really talks about Moya but he had one of the best forehands of all time, was a bit of a boogeyman for Hewitt in 2002 because the way he used that forehand was a bit Federer 0.5.
Click to expand...
IMO Moya's FH was one of the best forehands of late 90s, early 00s and he could do a serious damage with that shot (maybe not to the extend of Fed and Nadal, but he could impose his game and make you work). Yeah, he actually owned Hewitt during his most successful period (2001-2002) thanks to his ability to change the dynamics of a rely with a single shot (same way as Fed/Ned used to do it with even more success).

Not really sure why he couldn't do more at the RG, he had a game for clay, but several uncharacteristic losses during early 2000s probably damaged his confidence. His win in Rome (2004) and matches against Djokovic and Fed in Hamburg (2007) were good example of his talent for the dirt, even at an advanced age.
 
Hitman said:
Did you see the match in Miami between Moya and Nadal in 2006?

It follows the exact pattern. Moya beat Nadal in Miami in Nadal's first match there that year.
Click to expand...
Nope. The full match in Rome is up on YT but all I can find of Miami is this lol.

 
Hitman said:
Did you see the match in Miami between Moya and Nadal in 2006?

It follows the exact pattern. Moya beat Nadal in Miami in Nadal's first match there that year.
Click to expand...
I thought that prime Nadal couldn't lose a match to an almost 30 year old veteran. :eek:
 
Martin J said:
IMO Moya's FH was one of the best forehands of late 90s, early 00s and he could do a serious damage with that shot (maybe not to the extend of Fed and Nadal, but he could impose his game and make you work). Yeah, he actually owned Hewitt during his most successful period (2001-2002) thanks to his ability to change the dynamics of a rely with a single shot (same way as Fed/Ned used to do it with even more success).

Not really sure why he couldn't do more at the RG, he had a game for clay, but several uncharacteristic losses during early 2000s probably damaged his confidence. His win in Rome (2004) and matches against Djokovic and Fed in Hamburg (2007) were good example of his talent for the dirt, even at an advanced age.
Click to expand...
I think his FH would make my top 10. The combination of a decent first serve, ability to defend his backhand and not just fast but a heavy forehand made him dangerous - even as late as 2007/2008 (can't forget his match with Nadal in Chennai). Not sure why he didn't do better at RG, in 2001 he was coming back to form, in 2002 he lost to Canas which isn't a great loss but not a terrible one, he lost to on-fire Verkerk and Coria in 2003-2004. He probably should have done better though.
 
NatF said:
Nope. The full match in Rome is up on YT but all I can find of Miami is this lol.

Click to expand...

I remember watching that match live. It was an unexpected loss, because Nadal of course was in the final the year before, and was coming into the 2006 version having beaten Federer in Dubai and making the semis of IW. Moya just knew what he needed to do.
 
NatF said:
I think his FH would make my top 10. The combination of a decent first serve, ability to defend his backhand and not just fast but a heavy forehand made him dangerous - even as late as 2007/2008 (can't forget his match with Nadal in Chennai). Not sure why he didn't do better at RG, in 2001 he was coming back to form, in 2002 he lost to Canas which isn't a great loss but not a terrible one, he lost to on-fire Verkerk and Coria in 2003-2004. He probably should have done better though.
Click to expand...
Even in Chennai he was deliberately targeting Nadal forehand with great success, it's a pity he choked in the end.
 
Martin J said:
Even in Chennai he was deliberately targeting Nadal forehand with great success, it's a pity he choked in the end.
Click to expand...
I will die on the hill that this is why Fed has the GOAT fh, the go to strategy to beat him would never be hit to his fh - even if he had a rally shot in his backhand that was as stable as Nadal's. But I digress.
 
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