Most crucial points won/lost in a slam?

Giroudsleftboot

Giroudsleftboot

Rookie
Ive come up with a few that I think were quite crucial in the outcome of a slam: (in no particular order)

-RG 2009: Federer saving a break point 4-3 down in the third against Haas
- Wimbledon 2009- Roddick missing a volley in the 2nd set Tiebreak against Federer
-AO 2012- Nadal missing a backhand in the 5th, 4-2 up at 30-15 against Djokovic
-Wimbledon 2008- Nadal saving a break point in the fifth set 4-3 down against Federer

Any more?
 
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US Open 2011: Federer double faulting on his first match point in the 5th against Djoker in the semis. Gets overlooked I guess because of the return Djoker hit on the next shot.
 
Roddick missing that volley at 6-5 in the 2nd set TB of the 2009 Wimbledon final.

Djokovic running into the net at 4-3 40-40 in the 5th set of the 2013 RG semifinal.
 
I guess this thread is only about the last few years in tennis so:
Wawrinka down love 40, 3-4 vs Djokovic in the 4th set. Manages to hold then breaks and serves out the match.
 
Giroudsleftboot said:
Ive come up with a few that I think were quite crucial in the outcome of a slam: (in no particular order)

-RG 2009: Federer saving a break point 4-3 down in the fifth against Haas
- Wimbledon 2009- Roddick missing a volley in the 2nd set Tiebreak against Federer
-AO 2012- Nadal missing a backhand in the 5th, 4-2 up at 30-15 against Djokovic
-Wimbledon 2008- Nadal saving a break point in the fifth set 4-3 down against Federer

Any more?
Click to expand...
RG09 r16 was the third set when Haas had a bp vs Federer
 
RG2013 is the one that comes to mind, Djokovic was really unlucky with the net.

Also,it's not a point but murrays decision to receive first against Federer last Wimbledon was mind-boggling. He was broken at 4-5,5-6,4-5, serving to stay in the sets.
 
One point never makes a match. If two people are so close that one point makes all difference, then its not important to discuss it.
 
Andy Murray vs Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon 2011. Yes, Murray wasn't going to win anyway (can't confirm or deny), but the collapse after missing the forehand was spectacular. Only one person was going to win after that point.
 
Fed not converting his BP at 4-4 in the fifth set of the 2008 Wimbledon final against Rafa. He missed a fairly easy FH wide. Had he converted that point, he could have served for the match.
 
Derrick Rostagno against Boris Becker at the 1989 US Open, in the Round of 64. Rostagno won the first 2 sets, Becker won the third set, Rostagno served for the match in the fourth set but was broken back and it went into a tiebreak. Rostagno had 2 match points in the tiebreak, the first on his own serve where he hit a volley long. Then came a crucial moment on Rostagno's second match point. Becker served to the ad court, Rostagno sliced down the line and rushed towards the net in anticipation of hitting the winning volley as Becker hit the ball cross-court. The ball clipped the netcord, catching Rostagno by complete surprise and Becker won the point. If it had been any lower or any higher, Rostagno would have won and knocked Becker out.

Instead of this, Becker won the tiebreak and won the fifth set to defeat Rostagno, and then Becker went on to win the 1989 US Open.
 
2013 AO, 4th round match between Nole and Wawrinka.

Tie at 4-4 in the 5th set, Nole was facing a breakpoint on his 2nd serve. Wawrinka got a weak 2nd serve and hit a bullet forehand return that was ruled out both by the umpire and the line judge. The review confirmed that the ball hit the line. It's unfortunate because had Wawrinka won that point, he would be serving for the match.

 
TMF said:
2013 AO, 4th round match between Nole and Wawrinka.

Tie at 4-4 in the 5th set, Nole was facing a breakpoint on his 2nd serve. Wawrinka got a weak 2nd serve and hit a bullet forehand return that was ruled out both by the umpire and the line judge. The review confirmed that the ball hit the line. It's unfortunate because had Wawrinka won that point, he would be serving for the match.

Click to expand...

Wow, you rarely see both the umpire and linesman to be wrong by that much, the whole ball was on the line.

You happen to know was wawrinka out of challenges?Terrible decision not to challenge if he had challenges left..
 
Here are some:

AO 2005 SF. Federer had match points vs Safin in 4th set tie break. If he had won he would almost certainly have taken out Hewitt in the final and would then have had 4 straight AOs.

USO 2009 F. Federer had 30-0 serving for a 2 set lead vs Delpo. If Federer wins that point he would most likely not have dropped serve from 40-0 and would most likely not have dropped the match from 2 sets to love up. Given that he won the third set by a clear break. Which would have set him up for a shot at 4 straight at AO 2010. As it turned out, Delpo managed a freak break with some jawdropping play. Fed lost the 2nd in a TB. Then squandered a 2-1 lead in a 4th set TB and a tired fifth.

AO 2009 F. Federer had 0-40 on Nadal's serve at 4-4 in the third set, and 15-40 on Nadal's serve at 5-5. If he had taken one of those 5 break points, he would have served for the third set. And if he held serve, would likely have closed out the match in the fourth set, which he won comfortably. As it turned out he lost the third set in a TB and a tired fifth set.

Wimbledon 2012 F. Murray had taken the first set in a powerful performance. And had been dominating the second set. Keep in mind this was peak grass Murray, coached by Lendl, who would win Olympic gold at Wimbledon, would win Wimbledon 2013, and the USO in 2012 for good measure. Anyway, Federer somehow lasted till 6-5 on serve in the second. At deuce completely against the run of play he played a couple of incredible points to steal the second set. Shortly after the rain came, the roof closed and Fed rolled murray in the next two sets. It's not strictly one point, but I've always thought that those two points were where Fed won the final.

USO 2013 F. Similiar to the AO 2009, Djokovic had 3 BPs at 0-40, 4-4 in the third set. At 1 set each. He failed to convert and lost the set. This one is less impactful than the others because Nadal won the fourth set handily anyway. But who knows what might have happened in a fifth set, if Djoker had taken set 3.
 
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Mustard said:
Derrick Rostagno against Boris Becker at the 1989 US Open, in the Round of 64. Rostagno won the first 2 sets, Becker won the third set, Rostagno served for the match in the fourth set but was broken back and it went into a tiebreak. Rostagno had 2 match points in the tiebreak, the first on his own serve where he hit a volley long. Then came a crucial moment on Rostagno's second match point. Becker served to the ad court, Rostagno sliced down the line and rushed towards the net in anticipation of hitting the winning volley as Becker hit the ball cross-court. The ball clipped the netcord, catching Rostagno by complete surprise and Becker won the point. If it had been any lower or any higher, Rostagno would have won and knocked Becker out.

Instead of this, Becker won the tiebreak and won the fifth set to defeat Rostagno, and then Becker went on to win the 1989 US Open.
Click to expand...

That's brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
 
I vaguely remember Roddick missing a sitter volley in Wimbledon final vs Fed that would be a break filed by a serving game for championship....
 
96 USO - Pete hits an insane stretch volley to save MP against Corretja in the final set tiebreak.

Had Corretja passed him and converted the MP, Pete would have been left with one less slam, one less USO, and wouldn't have went 8 straight years winning at least one slam.
 
BeatlesFan said:
Fed not converting his BP at 4-4 in the fifth set of the 2008 Wimbledon final against Rafa. He missed a fairly easy FH wide. Had he converted that point, he could have served for the match.
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I think you're confusing that with another point. Fed had BP at 4-3, not 4-4, and he didn't lose the point on a FH error, Rafa just outplayed him. Here's the video for proof:
It starts at 20:07
 
Gorecki said:
I vaguely remember Roddick missing a sitter volley in Wimbledon final vs Fed that would be a break filed by a serving game for championship....
Click to expand...

Another good what if is what if Roddick had taken his set point in the first set of the 2003 Wimbledon semi final against Federer? That point could have changes of historical proportions if it goes differently. It's hard to believe now but Roddick went into that match as the favourite against Federer, and Federer hadn't yet established that fearsome reputation. If Roddick had won the first set, surely his morale would be right up? As it happened, Roddick lost that first set and as he pushed to change the way the match was going, Federer ripped him apart.
 
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