Matches, where players did (almost) nothing wrong, but lost?

[Dane_is_Finnish_OJ]

Edberg-Stich, Wimbledon semi 1991. Somehow, Stich just won it anyway (or did I already post this? Meh, can't be bothered to find out).

 

[MichaelNadal]

6-7, 7-6, 7-6 . Karlovic hit 35 aces. Won 86% off his first serve and 68% off his second serve.

 

[kevin qmto]

Sam Querrey and Peter Gojowczyk played each other in Atlanta. Querrey lost 6/4, 6/7, 6/7. Won more receiving points, as well as overall points, NEVER faced a break point on his serve the entire match, and broke his opponent.


still lost.

 

[clayqueen]

2012 AO final Nadal vs Djokovic, which lasted six minutes short of 6 hours. Federer vs Nadal AO 2017. Federer said it should have been a draw. Nadal vs Djokovic, 2018 Wimbledon semi-final. to name a few.

 

[EddieChang]

Roddick had a pretty high % of unreturned serves.

All unreturned serves:

Federer : 89/197 (45.18%)
Roddick : 99/239 (41.42%)

Thread 'Federer Roddick Wimbledon 2009 final stats'

Oct 8, 2017

Federer def. Roddick 5-7, 7-6(6),7-6(5), 3-6,16-14

Aces :Federer : 50, Roddick : 27

DFs: Federer : 4, Roddick : 4

SWs: Federer : 4, Roddick : 10

FHWs:
Federer : 36 (including 5 passing shot winners)
Roddick : 22 (including 2 passing shot winners and 1 return passing shot winner)

BHWs:
Federer : 8 (including 5 passing shot winners)
Roddick : 7 (including 5 passing shot winners)

FH wing UEs:
Federer : 18
Roddick : 11 (including one return error)

BH wing UEs:
Federer : 15 (including 2 return errors)
Roddick : 18 (including 2 return errors and 3 volley errors)

FH FEs:
Federer ...

• abmk
• Replies: 9
• Forum: Former Pro Player Talk

• 

and what @FD3S said about the volley.

Your name is roddick you are playing against Federer what do you have that’s better than Fed? If the only advantage you have is not an advantage not surprising you lost

 

[Holmes]

do we dare put the 09 wimby final: Roddick/Federer. 5 sets. Over 4 hours.

I watched that match. I felt for Roddick. Hard to remember if he did minimal wrong but he played his heart out and lost that last set 14-16.

The backhand volley cringed around the world.

 

[kangaroo1973]

2012 AO final Nadal vs Djokovic, which lasted six minutes short of 6 hours. Federer vs Nadal AO 2017. Federer said it should have been a draw. Nadal vs Djokovic, 2018 Wimbledon semi-final. to name a few.

2012 F AO the most overrated match of all time

 

[BLACKOUT]

1. Fed AO 2005 semi
2. Connors USO 84 semi
3. Nadal Wim 07 final
4. Fed Rome 06 final
5. Becker YEC 96 final
6. Djokovic RG 11 semi
7. Verdasco AO 09 semi
8. Nadal AO 12 final
9. Roddick Wim 09 final
10. Gerulaitis Wim 77 semi

are some that come to mind

That 96 Sampras/Becker YE Final was something else. Becker played ridiculous tennis and still lost. Top 10 match of all time

 

[abmk]

Your name is roddick you are playing against Federer what do you have that’s better than Fed? If the only advantage you have is not an advantage not surprising you lost

Roddick served better. But Federer returned better.

 

[EddieChang]

Roddick served better. But Federer returned better.

When you are roddick, having 5.4 ace per set on grass (when the fifth set is like 3 sets game wise so it’s more like 3.85 ace per set) is not serving better no matter who you are playing. When he served well, no one should be able to touch the ball at least more times than that number.

 

[FD3S]

When you are roddick, having 5.4 ace per set on grass (when the fifth set is like 3 sets game wise so it’s more like 3.85 ace per set) is not serving better no matter who you are playing. When he served well, no one should be able to touch the ball at least more times than that number.

Again, if he were trying to paint lines and T's at 140+ MPH non-stop like he did in his early years you'd be 100% correct. In this match though, he structured his serve approach more around forcing errors/weak replies and going to the body and as a result had a lower ace count - it was nevertheless a superb serving performance even if it wasn't aces left and right, especially considering how well Federer handled the Roddick serve compared to everyone else.

 

[droliver]

The all time example was Michael Stich defeating Stefan Edberg in the 1991 Wimbledon Semifinal 4-6 7-6 7-6 7-6. Edberg held serve all 23 times and still lost.

 

[Federev]

Check all the stats of 2019 wimbeldon. Roger was all over novak and still lost.
Novak was outplayed in every department. Up 40 15 2 championship point . That loss hurted badly than loosing the slam race

Agreed.

Hurts more.

 

[Rosstour]

Right. One shot cost him the match. That's got to hurt. I very much remember the aftermath of that match and Roddick looking more lost than ever.

Crazy they were the same age Zverev is now. Felt like they were closer to the end than it feels for him now.

 

[Sudacafan]

Would be interesting to see the opposite of this thread: players who did very little or nothing to win, but got away with it, but I understand that’s practically impossible in tennis.
Well, maybe with the exception of players competing against others accepting bribes to lose, in which we would be entering illegal territory.

 

[kangaroo1973]

Would be interesting to see the opposite of this thread: players who did very little or nothing to win, but got away with it, but I understand that’s practically impossible in tennis.
Well, maybe with the exception of players competing against others accepting bribes to lose, in which we would be entering illegal territory.

One such match comes to mind. 2016 AO Simon vs Djokovic.
Djokovic made like 110 unforcies yet somehow won.

 

[Sudacafan]

One such match comes to mind. 2016 AO Simon vs Djokovic.
Djokovic made like 110 unforcies yet somehow won.

Really? I didn’t know about that match.