Top 50 Matches of the 1990s

[SamSpade]

I have of course posted various match-list threads - including a Top 100 (1970-2019) a few years back. This list is based on the same metrics and goals, only with a narrower focus. I may do similar lists for a few other decades in the near future. Simply my opinion of course, but it is always interesting to attain the views, additions, oversights and so forth from others.



1 1996 Masters F -- Sampras v Becker 36, 76, 76, 67, 64

2 1995 Australian Open Q -- Sampras v Courier 67, 67, 63, 64, 63

3 1993 Grand Slam Cup S -- Korda v Sampras 36, 76, 36, 76, 1311

4 1993 Grand Slam Cup F -- Korda v Stich 26, 64, 76, 26, 119

5 1991 US Open R16 -- Connors v Krickstein 36, 76, 16, 63, 76

6 1993 Davis Cup F -- Fromberg v Goellner 36, 57, 76, 62, 97

7 1992 Brussels F -- Becker v Courier 67, 26, 76, 76, 75

8 1996 Davis Cup F -- Boetsch v Kulti 76, 26, 46, 76, 108

9 1991 Grand Slam Cup S -- Chang v Lendl 26, 46, 64, 76, 97

10 1997 Grand Slam Cup S -- Rafter v Korda 75, 26, 67, 76, 97

11 1995 Davis Cup S -- Chesnokov v Stich 64, 16, 16, 63, 1412

12 1996 Davis Cup F -- Enqvist v Pioline 36, 67, 64, 64, 97

13 1991 Australian Open R32 -- Becker v Camporese 76, 76, 06, 46, 1412

14 1992 US Open R16 -- Lendl v Becker 67, 62, 67, 63, 64

15 1994 Davis Cup R16 -- Muster v Stich 64, 67, 46, 63, 1210

16 1995 Wimbledon Q -- Becker v Pioline 63, 61, 67, 67, 97

17 1992 Wimbledon F -- Agassi v Ivanisevic 67, 64, 64, 16, 64

18 1992 US Open R32 -- Edberg v Lendl 63, 63, 36, 57, 76

19 1996 Stuttgart F -- Becker v Sampras 36, 63, 36, 63, 64

20 1992 Australian Open R16 -- McEnroe v Sanchez 75, 76, 46, 26, 86

21 1997 Wimbledon S -- Pioline v Stich 67, 62, 61, 57, 64

22 1999 Davis Cup Q -- Kuerten v Grosjean 62, 67, 76, 67, 97

23 1995 Wimbledon S -- Becker v Agassi 26, 76, 64, 76

24 1995 Davis Cup F -- Sampras v Chesnokov 36, 64, 63, 67, 64

25 1992 US Open S -- Edberg v Chang 67, 75, 76, 57, 64

26 1995 Wimbledon S -- Sampras v Ivanisevic 76, 46, 63, 46, 63

27 1996 US Open Q -- Sampras v Corretja 76, 57, 57, 64, 76

28 1990 US Open R16 -- McEnroe v Sanchez 76, 36, 46, 64, 63

29 1992 US Open Q -- Edberg v Krajicek 64, 67, 63, 36, 64

30 1997 French Open Q -- Kuerten v Kafelnikov 62, 57, 26, 60, 64

31 1995 US Open F -- Sampras v Agassi 64, 63, 46, 75

32 1997 French Open R32 -- Kuerten v Muster 67, 61, 63, 36, 64

33 1993 Stuttgart F -- Stich v Krajicek 46, 75, 76, 36, 75

34 1993 US Open R32 -- Krajicek v Martin 67, 46, 76, 64, 64

35 1995 Monte Carlo F -- Muster v Becker 46, 57, 61, 76, 60

36 1995 Miami F -- Agassi v Sampras 36, 62, 76

37 1990 Wimbledon R16 -- Gilbert v Wheaton 67, 36, 61, 64, 1311

38 1990 Wimbledon R32 -- Edberg v Mansdorf 64, 57, 36, 62, 97

39 1997 French Open R16 -- Kuerten v Medvedev 57, 61, 62, 16, 75

40 1999 US Open R16 -- Martin v Rusedski 57, 06, 76, 64, 64

41 1992 US Open R32 -- Sampras v Martin 76, 26, 46, 75, 64

42 1994 Australian Open R64 -- Sampras v Kafelnikov 63, 26, 63, 16, 97

43 1992 Masters S -- Becker v Ivanisevic 46, 64, 76

44 1998 Davis Cup R16 -- Kuerten v Moya 57, 16, 64, 64, 64

45 1990 Indian Wells F -- Edberg v Agassi 64, 57, 76, 76

46 1993 French Open F -- Bruguera v Courier 64, 26, 62, 36, 63

47 1994 Wimbledon R64 -- Bruguera v Rafter 76, 36, 46, 75, 1311

48 1996 French Open Q -- Sampras v Courier 67, 46, 64, 64, 64

49 1997 Davis Cup R16 -- Rafter v Pioline 36, 67, 64, 75, 64

50 1997 US Open R16 -- Korda v Sampras 67, 75, 76, 36, 76

 

[Hard Court]

Great effort! There are some matches in there that are underrated, and people have seemed to forget about. Obviously no two people are going to have this exactly the same, but you have given us something to chew on.

 

[Moose Malloy]

6 1993 Davis Cup F -- Fromberg v Goellner 36, 57, 76, 62, 97

7 1992 Brussels F -- Becker v Courier 67, 26, 76, 76, 75

8 1996 Davis Cup F -- Boetsch v Kulti 76, 26, 46, 76, 108

Cool that you rate DC so highly, even matches with lesser known players.

 

[NatF]

Cool that you rate DC so highly, even matches with lesser known players.

I thought that was an typo on Edberg at first I'm ashamed to say.

 

[Moose Malloy]

46 1993 French Open F -- Bruguera v Courier 64, 26, 62, 36, 63

@NonP would not be pleased to see this that low. I would also put the '91 Monte Carlo final on the list, probably the most entertaining 4 setter I've seen.

18 1992 US Open R32 -- Edberg v Lendl 63, 63, 36, 57, 76

That match was a QF, not R32. So '92 USO has 5 matches on the list. Sounds about right. I would also put the Courier-Agassi QF on there, it was like a heavyweight fight, a highly anticipated slugfest with atmosphere rivaling the Connors-Mac USO matches. And you also didn't include '91 RG final?

 

[Ballmachine87]

Becker Sampras 1994 Frankfurt needs to he there,too. My only issue with this list is that you are overvaluing 5 Sets. A four set match can be just as good. You are missing some great 4 seters.

 

[SamSpade]

Moose Malloy - Indeed, I try to capture a broad balance between events, surfaces, players, etc., within reason of course. As many on here note, Davis Cup was such an epic event for decades, really probably through the 1990s. Also noted about the error in the 92 US QF. Courier-Agassi 91 FO was a late elimination. In general, I find clay court matches have a harder time achieving 'great match' status - but I do have the 93 final and many of Kuerten's epics on here. Agassi may be considered to be a bit absent on this list (only 5 matches) - interestingly I have Agassi's top 4 matches as probably all falling outside of this decade (89 DC v Becker; 00 W v Rafter; 03 Masters v Federer; 04 AO v Safin) but those will all feature in my 80s and 00s decade lists. Likewise the 91 MC final was a late elimination - I really thought 50 matches would be pretty exhaustive for a decade, but can already see that 100 might would have been better!

Ballmachine87 - no argument from me that there are many great 4 set matches. In comprising lists such as this I actually comb through the entire tournament histories to gather up 3 set matches from all the non-GS tournaments - of which a few feature on this list. In general I think a great 5-set affair trumps a great 4-set affair about 90-95% of the time - but there are exceptions - 95 W Becker-Agassi; 81 W McEnroe-Borg; 01 US Sampras-Agassi and 11 FO Federer-Djokovic being perhaps the ones that stick out most prominently.

 

[Hard Court]

There were a couple of matches where I have barely even heard of the players. Some good finds.
Another great one was Connors-Patrick McEnroe in the 1991 US Open. Amazing comeback.
Yet another one from the 1991 US Open was Chang beating McEnroe in the 3rd round.