Which year in this decade has had the most number of great matches?

[laurie]

There have been some amazing matches so far this decade, let' see which year comes out on top. 2008 hasn't finished yet so can't include that in a poll but you are free to mention matches. The contenders:

2000
Australian Open semifinal - Agassi d Sampras
Miami final - Sampras d Kuerten
French final - Kuerten d Norman
Wimbledon semi - Rafter d Agassi
Wimbledon final - Sampras d Rafter
US open final - Safin d Sampras
Masters cup semi - Kuerten d Sampras
Masters cup final - Kuerten d Agassi
WTA Masters final - Hingis d Seles

2001
Australian Open semi - Agassi d Rafter
French Open final - Capriati d Clijsters
Wimbledon 4th rd - Federer d Sampras
Wimbledon 4th rd - Henman d Martin
Wimbledon quarterfinal - Henman d Federer
Wimbledon quarterfinal - Capriati d Serena
Wimbledon semi - Henin d Capriati
Wimbledon semi - Rafter d Agassi
Wimbledon semi - Ivanesivic d Hemnan
Wimbledon final - Ivanesivic d Rafter
US Open 4th rd - Sampras d Rafter
US Open quarterfinal - Sampras d Agassi
US Open quarterfinal - Hewitt d Roddick

2002
Australian Open final - Capriati d Hingis
Wimbledon quartefinal - Hewitt d Schalken
US Open final - Sampras d Agassi
Masters cup semifinal - Hewitt d Federer
Masters cup final - Hewitt d Ferrero

2003 - (don't recall too many great matches that year)
Australian Open final - Serena d Venus
US open semi - Henin d Capriati
US Open semi - Roddick d Nalbandian

2004
French Open final - Gaudio d Coria (some may call this a tragic comedy, like Shakespeare's As You Like It)
Wimbledon semi - Serena d Mauresmo
US Open quarterfinal - Federer d Agassi
US Open semi - Dementieva d Capriati
US Open final - Federer d Hewitt
Masters cup semifinal - Federer d Safin
WTA final - Sharapova d Serena

2005
Australian Open semi - Safin d Federer
Miami final - Federer d Nadal
Wimbledon rd 4 - Davenport d Clijsters
Wimbledon quarterfinal - Venus d Pierce
Wimbledon semi - Venus d Sharapova
Wimbledon semi - Davenport d Mauresmo
Wimbledon final - Venus d Davenport
US Open quarterfinal - Clijsters d Venus
US Open semi - Clijsters d Sharapova
US Open final - Federer d Agassi
WTA final - Mauresmo d Pierce

2006
Australian Open semi - Baghdatis d Nalbandian
Antwerp final - Mauresmo d Clijsters
Italian Open final - Nadal d Federer
Wimbledon semi - Mauresmo d Sharapova
Wimbledon final - Mauresmo d Henin
WTA championships - Mauresmo d Henin (round robin match, not the final)
WTA semifinal - Mauresmo d Clijsters
Masters cup semifinal - Federer d Nadal

2007
Australian Open semi - Federer d Roddick
Australian Open final - Serena d Sharapova (the perfect hammering)
Miami final - Serena d Henin
Wimbledon final - Federer d Nadal
US Open semi - Henin d Venus
Federation cup final - Kuznetsova d Schiavone
WTA final - Henin v Sharapova

Feel free to add your choices, I'm sure there are other great matches I've forgotten. Which year do you think has been the best so far?

 

[Cenc]

i would say 2001...
2002 was also special because then we saw the last meeting sampras vs agassi

 

[veroniquem]

To me sport is something to live in the moment. The greatest match is always the next one just because I don't know what will happen and how it will end. Live matches have an intensity that old matches can never have.

 

[oranges]

I'd go with 2001 for sheer excitement of Goran's run and a number of other excellent matches at Wimby, other candidates only help the case. 2005 features probably the best match quality-wise IMO, but little else (I don't follow ladies all that much and don't recall anything to add ATM). 2000 takes the honorable 2nd place.

 

[Chadwixx]

2001 looks pretty good. Why didnt you include the us open final between hewitt and sampras?

 

[Seany]

2005...lots of matches you missed.

 

[laurie]

2005...lots of matches you missed.

Well add some for goodness sake.

As I clearly said I'm sure I forgot matches so you are welcome to add matches.

Sometimes this board really does leave me exasperated :twisted:

 

[laurie]

2001 looks pretty good. Why didnt you include the us open final between hewitt and sampras?

Yeah, I think 2001 was a great year.

I'm sure you agree, for different reasons :grin:

 

[Cloudy]

2001 has go to be up there with that Wimbledon final from Goran. For emotional impact it has to be one of the best matches.

 

[EtePras]

In 2003, Roddick vs El Aynaoui was 5 hours of high quality tennis. Hewitt's comeback vs Federer might've been good too, but I didn't watch it.

Safin vs Agassi in 2004 is one of the best quality 5 set matches I've seen, Safin hitting 26 winners in the first set.

The last ATP match of 2006 was maybe the best display of hitting a one handed backhand down the line I've ever seen, as Federer had about 17 backhand winners in 3 short sets, so that could be included as well.

Not sure if first round matches can count, but a 2007 French Open match had Andreev setting what I think is the record for the most forehand winners per game in a match, with about 40 or so in 4 sets to Roddick's 3 or 4. After Andreev recovered from the first set, it was like putting a Federer highlights clip on repeat for the next 3 sets.

 

[illkhiboy]

In 2003, Roddick vs El Aynaoui was 5 hours of high quality tennis. Hewitt's comeback vs Federer might've been good too, but I didn't watch it.

Safin vs Agassi in 2004 is one of the best quality 5 set matches I've seen, Safin hitting 26 winners in the first set.

The last ATP match of 2006 was maybe the best display of hitting a one handed backhand down the line I've ever seen, as Federer had about 17 backhand winners in 3 short sets, so that could be included as well.

Not sure if first round matches can count, but a 2007 French Open match had Andreev setting what I think is the record for the most forehand winners per game in a match, with about 40 or so in 4 sets to Roddick's 3 or 4. After Andreev recovered from the first set, it was like putting a Federer highlights clip on repeat for the next 3 sets.

2005

Agassi bt. J Johansson AO R16
Nadal bt. Agassi Canada Final
Agassi bt. Blake US Open QF
Federer bt. Agassi US Open Final
Nalbandian bt. Federer TMC Final
Gasquet bt. Federer Monte Carlo QF
Puerta bt. Davydenko RG Semi
Davydenko bt. Robredo RG QF
Robredo bt. Safin RG R16
Safin bt. Federer AO Semi
Hewitt bt. Roddick Indian Wells Semi



2006

Federer bt. Davydenko AO QF
Baghdatis df. Nalbandian AO Semi
Baghdatis df. Roddick AO r16
Nadal bt. Federer Dubai Final
Nadal bt. Federer Rome Final
Agassi bt. Baghdatis US Open R64
Safin bt. Nalbandian US Open R64
Nadal bt. Mathieu RG R32


2007

Djokovic bt. Federer Canada Final
Nalbandian bt. Federer Paris R16
Nadal bt. Murray AO R16
Federer bt. Nadal Wimbledon Final
Nadal bt. Davydenko Rome Semi
Nalbandian bt. Grosjean AO R32


2008

Djokovic bt. Federer AO Semi
Nadal bt. Djokovic Hamburg Semi
Nadal bt. Federer Wimbledon Final
Nadal bt. Djokovic Queen's Final


Off the top

 

[Turning Pro]

2005.

THe Aus Open alone is nearly enough to take out the rest of those years:

Hewitt - Nalbandian QF
Hewitt - Nadal 4th Rd
Safin - Fed Semi's
Hewitt - Roddick Semi's
Safin Ancic 4th Rd
Federer - Suzuki ?


Then:

Coria - Nadal Rome Final
Fed - Nadal Miami Masters Final
Fed - Nadal French Open Semi Final
Agassi - Fed Us Open Final
Nadal - Agassi Montreal MAsters Final
Nalbandian - Federer Masters Cup Final
Agassi - Blake US Open QF
Coria - Hewitt Davis Cup

There's a lot more matches i can't think of yet but what a classic year.