Players who lost QF/SF/F matches in slams after having MPs.

[UnderratedSlam]

Federer must be the record-holder here. Not a record he is proud of, but a record nonetheless.

A record very unlikely to be broken by either Rafa or Novak. This record is safe.

He lost a whopping FIVE matches of this kind at late stages of slams:

2005 AO SF to Safin
2010 USO SF to Djokovic
2011 USO SF to Djokovic (two years in a row same round/slam/opponent - unique record never to be repeated)
2018 W QF to Anderson
2019 W F to Djokovic

Admittedly, RF played more late-stage slam matches than any other player in history. That can be only partially used as an excuse though, because 5 is still way too much percentage-wise.

Sure, RF also won 2 matches this way. However, those two wins did not lead to slam titles, whereas the 5 defeats he had would have lead to at least 2-3 slam titles most likely, had he won them.

For sure he would have won AO05 playing Hewitt in the finale, and of course W19 because it was the finale. We shall never know how he would have fared TWICE in the USO F vs Nadal. Djokovic has twice prevented this much-anticipated classic from occurring. W18 is unlikely he would have won, given his Wimby and generally slam H2H vs Djokovic since 2012...

Federer has altogether lost 22 matches this way, including all ATP events. He won I believe 22. So his score is even.

I'd like to have these numbers for Novak and Rafa too, but I don't.

Furthermore...

1975 USO SF Orantes - Vilas ----- (suggested by user buscemi)
1975 AO SF Newcombe Roche ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1981 RG SF Lendl Clerc ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1982 AO SF Kriek McNamee ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1984 USO SF Lendl - Cash ----- (suggested by user buscemi)
1991 AO SF Lendl - Edberg
1993 USO QF Volkov - Muster --- (not 100% sure about this)
1994 FO QF Larsson - Dreekman
1996 W QF Washington - Radulescu
1996 USO QF Sampras - Corretja
1998 USO QF Philippoussis - Johansson
2001 AO SF Clement - Grosjean
2003 AO QF Roddick - El Aynaoui
2003 USO SF Roddick - Nalbandian
2004 FO F Gaudio - Coria
2014 USO QF Federer - Monfils
2016 W QF Federer - Cilic

This list is probably a lot longer. Plenty more matches where the loser had failed to use match points.

Help me out to add more matches.

 

[buscemi]

My favorite is the 1975 U.S. Open final [correction: semifinal] between Vilas and Orantes. Vilas was up 6-4, 6-1, 2-6, 5-0 before Orantes came back to win 4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 after saving 5 match points in the 4th set. Orantes then went on to straight set Connors in the final.

 

[Lleytonstation]

Rackin up records. Just another one to add to the list?

But honestly, the IW18 fiasco was a tough one too. But as a fan, hard to complain when he has won so much. It is rough, but also makes the wins even better.

Shows FBPD is a living and breathing entity. Makes it exciting to be a fan... and madening.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

My favorite is the 1975 U.S. Open final between Vilas and Orantes. Vilas was up 6-4, 6-1, 2-6, 5-0 before Orantes came back to win 4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 after saving 5 match points in the 4th set. Orantes then went on to straight set Connors in the final.

Semifinale.

I've added the match to the list...

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Rackin up records. Just another one to add to the list?

But honestly, the IW18 fiasco was a tough one too. But as a fan, hard to complain when he has won so much. It is rough, but also makes the wins even better.

Shows FBPD is a living and breathing entity. Makes it exciting to be a fan... and madening.

?

 

[buscemi]

Pat Cash was also up match point on Lendl before losing in their 1984 U.S. Open semifinal.

 

[Third Serve]

Didn’t @jm1980 post a thread with the full stats on matches won/lost after saving/blowing match points? Sorry for tagging you if I’m mistaken.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Didn’t @jm1980 post a thread with the full stats on matches won/lost after saving/blowing match points? Sorry for tagging you if I’m mistaken.

Do you have a link?

 

[Third Serve]

Do you have a link?

Found it.

Match points saved and squandered by the Big Four

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ***FEDERER*** MP WASTED (24) 2021 Doha QF Basilashvili 6–3, 1–6, 5–7 (1) 2019 Wimbledon F Djokovic 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–7(4), 6–4...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[ledwix]

Federer took a tennis DNA test. It came up 1/1024th GOAT and 49.89% choker.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Found it.

Match points saved and squandered by the Big Four

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ***FEDERER*** MP WASTED (24) 2021 Doha QF Basilashvili 6–3, 1–6, 5–7 (1) 2019 Wimbledon F Djokovic 6–7(5), 6–1, 6–7(4), 6–4...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

Very interesting thread that shows how dominant Novak is in clutch, 14-3. Rafa pretty good at 13-8. However, to find more slam matches I'll have to go through the entire thread hoping to find some examples...

 

[Third Serve]

Very interesting thread that shows how dominant Novak is in clutch, 14-3. Rafa pretty good at 13-8. However, to find more slam matches I'll have to go through the entire thread hoping to find some examples...

I also didn’t realize Murray wasted MP in three straight tournaments. Talk about bad luck!

 

[Lleytonstation]

?

Fed Bi-Polar Disorder as my wife says. The good and bad in both micro and macro. AO17 bad then good. WC19 and IW18 good and then bad.

Very stressful, makes you get excited on both ends of the spectrum mid match and throughout the season. Happens quite often where he is on a roll then not. Zverev match just recently too. With age it shows even worse.

Maybe this is actually why he is my favorite as well. Always keeps your blood pumped.

 

[Third Serve]

Fed Bi-Polar Disorder as my wife says. The good and bad in both micro and macro. AO17 bad then good. WC19 and IW18 good and then bad.

Very stressful, makes you get excited on both ends of the spectrum mid match and throughout the season. Happens quite often where he is on a roll then not. Zverev match just recently too. With age it shows even worse.

Maybe this is actually why he is my favorite as well. Always keeps your blood pumped.

Fortunately for us, he mixes in plenty of straight set wins to balance it out.

 

[Moose Malloy]

1975 AO SF Newcombe Roche
1982 AO SF Kriek McNamee
1981 RG SF Lendl Clerc

 

[BGod]

I made a whole thread about how a great player can also be a choker. Just that the greatness can be more than choking but it doesn't erase the choking.

Specifically Federer 2008 Wimbledon onwards, 11 seasons has statistically been one of the least clutch Top 5 players of all time. In that span he collected 8 Slams in 16 finals. Overall not above the likes of Becker or Agassi who too had many epic matches but lost a lot of them.

I'm not one who attempts to downplay 04-07 stretch however and that has served as Roger's foundation but after that a lot to be desired.

 

[Moose Malloy]

So Lendl won 3 major SFs after saving match point. Impressive.
He also won 2 other matches in majors from down match point(maybe there are more)
1988 W 3R Woodforde
1991 USO 1R Krajicek

 

[Fedforever]

Federer must be the record-holder here. Not a record he is proud of, but a record nonetheless.

A record very unlikely to be broken by either Rafa or Novak. This record is safe.

He lost a whopping FIVE matches of this kind at late stages of slams:

2005 AO SF to Safin
2010 USO SF to Djokovic
2011 USO SF to Djokovic (two years in a row same round/slam/opponent - unique record never to be repeated)
2018 W QF to Anderson
2019 W F to Djokovic

You are mystified because you're looking at it the wrong way round. Look at all the problems he had as a teenager because of his temperament. He said himself that it took years to control his emotions on court.

It's all down to the Foster Wallace thing which ridiculously elevated Fed to superhuman status and then, of course, everyone says "why does he do these frail, human things? See, he's not half as good as everyone says he is."

Think of all the talented, temperamental sportspeople who never achieved what they should. He has always said he feared being among that group. The real question about Federer is "how did he break that mould and actually fulfil his talent?"

People never ask that so it will always be a mystery alongside "why do those people who claim not to like Federer or his tennis seem completely unable to stop talking about him?"

 

[UnderratedSlam]

You are mystified because you're looking at it the wrong way round. Look at all the problems he had as a teenager because of his temperament. He said himself that it took years to control his emotions on court.

It's all down to the Foster Wallace thing which ridiculously elevated Fed to superhuman status and then, of course, everyone says "why does he do these frail, human things? See, he's not half as good as everyone says he is."

Think of all the talented, temperamental sportspeople who never achieved what they should. He has always said he feared being among that group. The real question about Federer is "how did he break that mould and actually fulfil his talent?"

People never ask that so it will always be a mystery alongside "why do those people who claim not to like Federer or his tennis seem completely unable to stop talking about him?"

It is mysterious because he won 20 slams. Simple.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

Any more matches?

Come on, where all the experts when you actually need them.

 

[Purplemonster]

I also didn’t realize Murray wasted MP in three straight tournaments. Talk about bad luck!

That’s not bad luck, that’s just not being good enough and Murray has that trait in spades.

 

[TearTheRoofOff]

That’s not bad luck, that’s just not being good enough and Murray has that trait in spades.

Easy to just dismiss in favour of purely 'mental strength' or being 'good enough' I guess, but the luck element is too ignored, generally imo.

 

[ChrisRF]

One problem of Federer which is a bit overlooked is that he sets up many comebacks of his own, but doesn’t convert them later in the match to real wins.

The two most famous examples are the losses in the 2008 and 2014 Wimbledon finals when he both times saved match points in the 4th set only to lose in the 5th when anyone thought he should have the momentum.

On a much smaller stage we had the same thing against Zverev last week in Shanghai.

 

[buscemi]

According to this post, Arthur Ashe blew a match point against John Marks in the 1978 Australian Open, with Marks winning 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 1-6, 9-7.

 

[Third Serve]

That’s not bad luck, that’s just not being good enough and Murray has that trait in spades.

That shows he was indeed good enough, but not on every point apparently.

 

[SaintPetros]

Federer took a tennis DNA test. It came up 1/1024th GOAT and 49.89% choker.

And the rest Fraud?

 

[Eren]

My man Freddy, still racking up records.

 

[King No1e]

Ranking those 5 match point saves vs Fed in order of epicness:
1. Djokovic 2010. No choking from Fed that time, Djokovic just swung for the fences
2. Safin 2005. One of the best matches of all time. Federer saved plenty of MPs himself in epic fashion in set 5.
3. Djokovic 2011. The return. Nuff said.
4. Djokovic 2019. Admittedly Federer got nervous and choked, but Djokovic still came back like a champ.
5. Anderson 2018. Maybe not the most memorable, but Andr is epic.

 

[Moose Malloy]

@krosero
Do you know if Kodes saved a match point vs Smith in the semis of '73 USO? Thought I read that.

 

[The Guru]

Djokovic Tsonga RG 2012

 

[SaintPetros]

Federer must be the record-holder here. Not a record he is proud of, but a record nonetheless.

A record very unlikely to be broken by either Rafa or Novak. This record is safe.

He lost a whopping FIVE matches of this kind at late stages of slams:

2005 AO SF to Safin
2010 USO SF to Djokovic
2011 USO SF to Djokovic (two years in a row same round/slam/opponent - unique record never to be repeated)
2018 W QF to Anderson
2019 W F to Djokovic

Admittedly, RF played more late-stage slam matches than any other player in history. That can be only partially used as an excuse though, because 5 is still way too much percentage-wise.

Sure, RF also won 2 matches this way. However, those two wins did not lead to slam titles, whereas the 5 defeats he had would have lead to at least 2-3 slam titles most likely, had he won them.

For sure he would have won AO05 playing Hewitt in the finale, and of course W19 because it was the finale. We shall never know how he would have fared TWICE in the USO F vs Nadal. Djokovic has twice prevented this much-anticipated classic from occurring. W18 is unlikely he would have won, given his Wimby and generally slam H2H vs Djokovic since 2012...

Federer has altogether lost 22 matches this way, including all ATP events. He won I believe 22. So his score is even.

I'd like to have these numbers for Novak and Rafa too, but I don't.

Furthermore...

1975 USO SF Orantes - Vilas ----- (suggested by user buscemi)
1975 AO SF Newcombe Roche ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1981 RG SF Lendl Clerc ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1982 AO SF Kriek McNamee ----- (suggested by user Moose Malloy)
1984 USO SF Lendl - Cash ----- (suggested by user buscemi)
1991 AO SF Lendl - Edberg
1993 USO QF Volkov - Muster --- (not 100% sure about this)
1994 FO QF Larsson - Dreekman
1996 W QF Washington - Radulescu
1996 USO QF Sampras - Corretja
1998 USO QF Philippoussis - Johansson
2001 AO SF Clement - Grosjean
2003 AO QF Roddick - El Aynaoui
2003 USO SF Roddick - Nalbandian
2004 FO F Gaudio - Coria
2014 USO QF Federer - Monfils
2016 W QF Federer - Cilic

This list is probably a lot longer. Plenty more matches where the loser had failed to use match points.

Help me out to add more matches.

US Open v Nadal in 2010 or 11 would have been more along the lines of a stomp than a classic. Fed should cover Novak's tab forever for saving him from that humiliation.

 

[UnderratedSlam]

US Open v Nadal in 2010 or 11 would have been more along the lines of a stomp than a classic. Fed should cover Novak's tab forever for saving him from that humiliation.

Fact is we'll never know how those two matches would have played out...

 

[SaintPetros]

Fact is we'll never know how those two matches would have played out...

We'll also never know how Fed v Nadal 2013 US Open would have gone. Still know where I'd put my moola

 

[King No1e]

Many a chokin' I have seen
Some unexpected, some foreseen
But never one quite as pristine
As Rogr Fedr at 40-15

 

[krosero]

@krosero
Do you know if Kodes saved a match point vs Smith in the semis of '73 USO? Thought I read that.

Yes, it was reported in the press that he did save a match point, though I have no more details about it, just this excerpt from the NY Times.

The acrobatic Kodes, 27, and the ramrod-straight Smith, 26, played the top match of the tournament. There was hardly a point that wasn’t earned, and the pair traded scintillating returns of bullet serves, followed by volleying duels that had the crowd in a frenzy.​

​

The match had the added significance of pitting Kodes, the Wimbledon champion, against Smith, last year’s Wimbledon champion, who did not defend that title this year. What’s more, in gaining the final Kodes will play another “undefeated” Wimbledon champion in Newcombe, who won in 1971 but did not play there the next two years.​