Memorable comebacks from journeymen/ second rate players against top players?

[ScentOfDefeat]

I was wondering if any of you could come up with a few memorable matches where second rate players were able to defeat top 10 players after a comeback in a 5 set match. Maybe even with match points against them. We all know the stories of great comebacks in matches between top players, or when top players snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against players they should be beating anyway. But what about the opposite situation?

This is a thread for all you knowledgeable tennis fans.

Thank you.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

I was wondering if any of you could come up with a few memorable matches where second rate players were able to defeat top 10 players after a comeback in a 5 set match. Maybe even with match points against them. We all know the stories of great comebacks in matches between top players, or when top players snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against players they should be beating anyway. But what about the opposite situation?

This is a thread for all you knowledgeable tennis fans.

Thank you.

the player who came back... you want him not to have managed to be a top player later ?

what about robert against berdych at RG ? chardy against nalbandian at RG ? boutter and portas against kuerten at the AO ?

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Good point. Yes, I was thinking in terms of a huge upset and also of players who didn't necessarily become great afterwards (remained more or less within the same brackets career wise).

These are the little stories that really interest me in tennis, moreso than idolizing player X or Y. Those are great examples, thank you! I follow tennis intensely but I have a very bad memory.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

By the way, Kuerten seemed to be especially prone to this kind of upset!

 

[Arafel]

Brad Gilbert beat Boris Becker in the 1987 US Open after being down two sets. Score was 2-6, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5, 6-1. Gilbert talks about it in Winning Ugly.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

melzer beating djokovic at RG in 2010 was quite unexpected too... but he went on to be ranked in the top10, so i'm not sure if this one fits in your thread.

maybe oncins beating lendl at RG 1992 ?
(it was an 'old' lendl, it's true... even if tommy haas might disagree)
... or cherkasov beating sampras at the 1992 olympics ?

a better one: koevermans beating bruguera in davis cup 1993 (on clay !).

i'm afraid there are some edberg matches, from the last part of his career, that could be listed here too... but i'm a fan so i can't to that do him ! :|
same with paes beating ivanisevic in davis cup 1995... but i think goran was a bit sick.
EDIT: we're in the painful section so... arthurs beating rafter at RG 2001 is here too. :???:

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

I remember the Cherkasov match but I'd forgotten it was from 2 sets down. Amazing. Edberg and Ivanisevic matches are also painful for me. I'm a huge fan of both. It could happen to Goran in any given match, but as for Edberg I think he became more fragile in the mental department towards the latter part of his career.

Koevermans was quite surprising but in the 90's there was so much depth in clay court tennis... Kuerten himself came from nowhere to win Roland-Garros and I'm sure you remember the likes of Carretero having incredible weeks of high level tennis and then disappearing.

I really enjoy tennis because of this. Matches like the ones you mentioned, they're the ones these retired (or about to retire) players will talk about until they die. Sort of like Ivanisevic finally winning Wimbledon when no one expected it; probably much more significant than any of Sampras's wins there.

 

[Mustard]

Robredo against Hewitt at the 2003 French Open.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Robredo against Hewitt at the 2003 French Open.

Nice one, even though Robredo did end up becoming a top player. Interesting to see how he was doing it 10 years ago.

 

[Mustard]

Nice one, even though Robredo did end up becoming a top player. Interesting to see how he was doing it 10 years ago.

Well, Robredo was seeded at 28 even back then. But Hewitt was world number 1, and had played brilliant clay-court tennis for the first 2 sets and the early part of the third set during the match. Robredo came all the way back to win.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

Well, Robredo was seeded at 28 even back then. But Hewitt was world number 1, and had played brilliant clay-court tennis for the first 2 sets and the early part of the third set during the match. Robredo came all the way back to win.

His grit was there 10 years ago. No surprise then.

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

another interesting one: steeb beating (#1) wilander in the 1988 davis cup final (on clay in sweden), 8-10 1-6 6-2 6-4 8-6.
his best ranking was #14 (in 1990), but still...

 

[Mustard]

another interesting one: steeb beating (#1) wilander in the 1988 davis cup final (on clay in sweden), 8-10 1-6 6-2 6-4 8-6.
his best ranking was #14 (in 1990), but still...

In 1989, Wilander lost another Davis Cup epic to Horst Skoff. Skoff recovered from 2 sets to 1 behind.

 

[ScentOfDefeat]

In 1989, Wilander lost another Davis Cup epic to Horst Skoff. Skoff recovered from 2 sets to 1 behind.

Horst Skoff, tragic story.

 

[Thud and blunder]

Karlovic against Hewitt, Wimbledon 2003. Came in as a qualifier, playing the defending champ on Centre Court...looked completely shell-shocked, losing the first set 6-1 in no time at all. The guy looked like he was going to cry; I genuinely felt sorry for him....and the rest is history