Wimbledon: Top 10 Classics of the Open Era

Starting from the great classic between the seemingly impassive Swede Bjorn Borg against the impassioned American John McEnroe to the mammoth match between the Super Swiss Roger Federer and the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in 2008 or let’s say, the longest match ever played between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010, Wimbledon has always proved to be intriguing to the spectators and tennis fans besides its great tradition and of course, Wimbledon strawberries and cream.

Over all these years, some matches have got imprinted in your minds. Some players- you never fail to sympathize with, for others- tears of happiness roll down your cheeks. Some matches just refuse to die because of the high- levels of intensity those are played with- making a display of complete array of shot making as well as the unusual mental toughness and resilience that does not easily come out of its slumber state. Though I have not been a witness to all the classics, by reading about the sport and matches, I have listed my favorite moments of the past tourneys. Each classic holds a significant relevance in the history of the sport , each has left its footprint in the sands of time in its own way- either by transfiguring the dimensions of the sport, by producing some great champions of tennis, or breaking and creating new records and rewriting the history books.

10. Steffi Graf Vs Martina Navratilova- Final, 1988 : 5-7, 6-2, 6-1

Steffi on her way to Golden Slam

Steffi Graf was more than halfway through to her first Golden Slam in 1988 after registering victories at the Australian Open and Roland Garros. But she had to get the better of Martina Navratilova- an eight time champion at the All England Club to win the prestigious Wimbledon. She was 19 and was oozing confidence with her power-packed game coupled with aggression and a whipping forehand. Her speed and agility made it difficult for her opponents to hit winners past her. After losing the first set, she came back strongly and overpowered Martina to claim the title as well as No. 1 ranking.

9. Andre Agassi Vs Goran Ivanisevic, Final 1992: 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Andre Agassi posing with his first Grand Slam trophy

Wimbledon is not supposed to be a baseliner’s forte. Andre Agassi believed in this received wisdom so much that he didn’t turn up for the Championships for three consecutive years after a crushing defeat to Henri Laconte in 1987( and of course, his refusal to bow down before the traditional rules of Wimbledon). He managed to reach the last eight in 1991 but the following year, he put together a stunning run by defeating the likes of John McEnroe and Boris Becker. Ivanisevic had to get past Pete Sampras to reach the final. Despite losing the first set and being taken apart in the fourth, it was patience that defined the American’s game. One break each was enough for him to pocket the second and third sets. After surviving a five set ambush of power serving, he finally collapsed on the ground with tears of joy spilling down his face when Ivanisevic’s shot hit the net when Agassi was on championship point.

While the Croat was the best server that day, the man from Las Vegas turned out to be the best returner. It was the American’s first Grand Slam and one of his most special ones.

8. Roger Federer Vs Pete Sampras, Round 4, 2001: 7-6 (9-7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5

A champion in the making!

This match marked the first signs of a champion in the making. Pete Sampras , who was on a 31 match winning streak at the All England Club, had simply no answers to the brilliance of the young Swiss phenomenon named Roger Federer. With a bandana on his forehead and a trademark ponytail, the Swiss played as if he watched the balls in slow motion, coiled, poised and ready to move to the net when a ball landed short.

Wimbledon was Pete’s home. A record seven Wimbledon championships and just one loss in 57 matches. The champion was left gasping in awe to the precision and accuracy of the serve that got bombarded at him from the other side of the net. His fluidity, angles and the depth- everything worried the champion. Trailing behind 5-6 in the fifth set, Sampras failed to hold his serve. At 15-4o, Roger sent a Sampras serve for a winner, pocketing the set as well as the match. Roger allowed his emotions to surface while this defeat marked the end of Sampras’ reign on the green grass of the Wimbledon.

7. Martina Navratilova Vs Chris Evert, Wimbledon Final, 1978 : 2-6 6-4 7-5

Born of a great champion; a great rivalry!

It marked the beginning of a remarkable Grand Slam rivalry. Evert, who was the then World Number 1, was reaching her peak in the game when she lost a scintillating final to her close friend, Martina Navratilova along with her top ranking. Evert was sublime during the first set. With a powerful two handed backhand, excellent footwork and speed, Evert got the better of her Czech opponent. But after Navratilova settled in, the fast paced serve and volley game proved superior to the intelligent game of Evert.

From that point on, Martina went on to add nine more Wimbledon titles to her cabinet, the last one in 1990. And she beat Evert in 10 major finals including five at Wimbledon. This loss marked the end of Evert’s domination in the game.

6. Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal, Final, 2007: 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2

No one could have imagined that the Swiss Maestro would be dethroned in his own backyard at the hands of this young nemesis a year later in a classic contest, but the signs were evident.

Borg’s record equaled!

Rafael Nadal, surprisingly, in his first Wimbledon encounter with Fedex in 2006 did manage to take a set off the Maestro when the Swiss was at the peak of his powers. Federer managed to win some tight tie breakers but the Spaniard clawed his way back by easily breaking his Swiss rival in the second and fourth sets. When Nadal raised everyone’s hope for a possible upset, the champion was planning his way back into the match to equal Borg’s record of 5 successive Wimbledon titles. Nadal just faded away in the fifth set, though he had opportunities earlier in the set at 2-all, 15-40.

This match signaled the beginning of a champion in Rafael Nadal who ultimately went on to dethrone the grass court king.

5. Margaret Court Vs Billie Jean King, Wimbledon, 1970: 14-12, 11-9

Epic final

The last women’s final before the introduction of tie-breakers proved to be the most dramatic and enthralling one the world has ever witnessed. It brought together two of the greatest women ever to have played the game battling out every inch of the court, refusing to give in.

After two hours and 28 minutes, it was the Aussie Margaret Court who captured the crown on her sixth match point. While Court had her serve broken four times in the first set, King saved five match points in the second set before succumbing. The quality of tennis on display was unrelenting and the two women fought against each other despite lingering injuries. While King lobbed effectively to give herself time, the Aussie executed winners to the corners where King could not reach.

Court went on to win the Golden Slam in 1970- one of the three women to achieve the rare feat( Maureen Connolly Brinker in 1953 and Steffi Graf in 1988).

4. John Isner Vs Nicolas Mahut, Round 1, 2010 :6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-3), 70-68

This match broke all records when it was declared as the longest match in the history of the sport lasting for 11 hours and 5 minutes with the fifth set alone accounting for 8 hours and 11 minutes, spread over three days on Court No 11 twice suspended due to darkness.

Longest match in the history of the sport

Some more records went on to be broken- John Isner served a mammoth 112 aces compared to the Frenchman’s 103. The total eclipsed the previous high of 78 aces. Though the match was a treat to the eyes of the viewers, it did nothing good to the opponents as recovering from the rigors of a 3-day roller coaster ride was highly unlikely.

The world tuned in to Court No 18 just to take a glimpse of when the match would finally end. At serving 69-68 in the fifth set, Frenchman Mahut failed to hold his serve and let Isner win the epic contest. An unforgettable match whose cult status is unlikely to be toppled in the near future.

3. Roger Federer Vs Andy Roddick, Final 2009: 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14

15th Grand Slam!

With a fistful of records at stake, Roger Federer needed to battle his old foe for a third time in the Wimbledon finals. Roddick, who was denied a first Wimbledon trophy against the same opponent in his three final appearances, never flinched. He matched the Super Swiss stroke for stoke, forehand by forehand, backhand by backhand. The classic serving contest witnessed Roger serve a whopping 50 aces( just one short of Ivo Karlovic’s record 51), 107 winners and 38 unforced errors compared to 27, 74, 33 for his opponent. Roddick was ultimately outpaced and outlasted. At 77 games, the match was the longest men’s final in the history of Grand Slams and the longest fifth set in the Grand Slam history.

Roddick hung on till the very last point. After leveling the match at two sets all, he had to serve from behind in the fifth. In the 30th game, he needed to hold his serve to make it 15-15. A misfired forehand at deuce gave Roger his first championship point which he successfully converted( the only time he broke the American’s serve). With this triumph, Federer surpassed Pete Sampras to claim Grand Slam number 15 and returned to the numero uno poistion in the World rankings where had been usurped by his arch rival Spaniard, Rafael Nadal previously.

2. Bjorn Borg Vs John McEnroe, Final,1980: 1-6,7-5,6-3,6-7(18-16),8-6

Fifth successive crown

While being regarded as one of the greatest finals in Wimbledon history, it was a match of the opposites- the cool Borg vs the hot-headed McEnroe, the baseline game of Borg vs the serve and volley of McEnroe. The match was an absolute roller-coaster ride swinging in both directions. After losing the first set 1-6, the seemingly unfazed Swede showed enough grit and character to come back strongly to pocket the second and third sets 7-5, 6-3. After earning a break at 5-4 in the fourth set, when the match appeared to be all over, when McEnroe intensified his game to take the set to a tie- breaker which is also known as “THAT TIE BREAKER” which went on to become a defining moment in the sport and metamorphosed into the most talked about tie-breaker. Lasting for 22 minutes with 34 points into the tiebreaker, the match went to a deciding set which Borg ultimately won 8-6. Though Borg lifted his 5th Wimbledon crown and cast as a hero, he realised a point here and there would have denied him a fifth crown at the hands of the American.

1. Rafael Nadal Vs Roger Federer, Final, 2008: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7

A match that still remains unparalleled when it comes to shot making and level of tennis. Many critics have tagged this match as the “greatest of all time” and rightly so, it deserves to be up there.

Taking the sport to a new level

The match ended with Rafael Nadal stunning the grass court king Roger Federer in near twilight. Between the first and last point, there was nothing but great tennis on display. There was hardly a shot in the book that was not exhibited during the epic five-setter. Federer, who was gunning for a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title to break Borg’s record, found himself down two sets to love. The champion had to up his ante to claw his way back into the game. And denying the Spaniard a couple of championship points in the fourth set, he managed to take the game to a fifth set. At 7-all in the fifth set, the Swiss maestro relinquished his serve and the Spaniard was just one decent service game away from becoming the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the Roland Garros and Wimbledon back to back. And Rafa did exactly that to clinch his first Wimbledon trophy. Nadal was just a grade higher than Federer and that made all the difference.

The consequence, on one hand, let the Spaniard breathe a sigh of relief. On the other hand, it left the champion Federer with inexorable sorrow of not breaking Borg’s record. Whether the drama and the quality of the match can ever be toppled, only time can tell but the defeat marked the end of Roger’s domination and signaled Rafa’s ascension to the top of the men’s game.