Top 10 matches in US Open history

The final Grand Slam of the year has witnessed many a epic battles between some of the greatest players to have ever played the sport. The surface at New York is one of the quickest in the world and has provided for some exhilirating action with booming forehands, power hitting from the baseline and the serve and volley.The biggest tennis stadium in the world, the Arthur Ashe stadium alongwith Louis Armstrong stadium have played host to intense matches that have made their place in the history books.We have taken into consideration only the matches played in the Open era (post 1968).

#10 Jennifer Capriati Vs Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2003 Semifinal

Considered one of the best womens singles matches of all time, let alone at the US Open, Capriati and Henin-Hardenne fought for a place in the finals at Flushing Meadows.

The Belgian was off to a flyer leading 4-1 in the first set, with some powerful forehands and exquisite drop shots. But the American was not ready to go down without a fight, and fight she did by attacking Henins first serve and taking her volleys early to win the next five games on the trot and winning the set 6-4.

Capriati carried all the momentum heading into the second set, but it was Henis this time who came back from being 3-5 down to take the second set 7-5. Capriati was aiming to reach her first US Open final and streamrolled to a 5-2 lead in the decider. Just when the American was looking like sealing the match, Henin staged a superb comeback to take the third set to a tie-breaker.

The Belgian prevailed in the end by winning the tie-break 7-4.

Scoreline:Justine Henin-Hardenne beat Jennifer Capriati4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)

#9 Ivan Lendl Vs Mats Wilander, 1988 Final

Fans started thronging the Arthur Ashe stadium well before the match got underway at 4:22 pm. Little did they know that these two players would battle it out for 4 hours and 55 minutes and enter record books for the longest US Open final ever.

Lendl had overcome young Andre Agassi in the semifinals to reach another final in New York. Wilander was coming off victories in the Australian Open and Roland Garros that year and was looking to stop Lendl from winning his 4th consecutive US Open.

The match was filled with rallies over 30 shots, multiple deuces, but both men held their calm under difficult circumstances.Even though the Swede lost the fourth set, he was clinical in the fifth to win his first US Open title.

Scoreline: Mats Wilander beat Ivan Lendl6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

#8 Manuel Orantes Vs Guillermo Vilas, 1975 Semifinal

The semifinals of the 1975 US Open saw two of the best clay-court players at the time take on each other when the Open was played on clay for the first time. The No. 2 seeded Vilas lead by two sets to one and had a 5-0 lead in the fourth set. Orantes was not done yet as he saved seven match points in the set and won seven straight games to take the set 7-5 and force a decider.

The Spaniard took the final set 6-4 to script an amazing comeback.

Scoreline: Manuel Orantes beat Guillermo Vilas 4-6, 1-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4

#7 John McEnroe Vs Jimmy Connors, 1980 Semifinal

The American battle was brewing for the last two years before they met in the finals of the 1980 US Open. Connors had beaten McEnroe in 1977 semis, while McEnroe won the 1978 semis in New York.

The No. 1 ranking was on the line, with Bjorn Borg also in contention.

Connors took the second and the third sets, including a rare bagel against McEnroe, but could not finish the match with the fiery American taking the next two sets. It is considered as one of the best rivalries in the open era.

Scoreline: John McEnroe beat Jimmy Connors 6-4, 5-7, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6.

#6 Steffi Graf Vs Monica Seles, 1995 Final

It was a meeting of two individuals who had a great rivalry going for some time, with Seles being the unfortunate victim of a stabbing during a match against Graf in Hamburg two years prior to this final.

It was a nervous start from both players with the first set going to a tie-break and the German took it after saving a set point. The second set was a one sided affair with Seles winning it to love. The third set saw Graf winning the match of her second match point.

Graf later went on to say this was the best win of her career.

Scoreline: Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles 7-6, 0-6, 6-3.

#5 Martina Navratilova Vs Chris Evert, 1984 Final

Coming into this final, Navratilova had beaten Evert on 12 consecutive occasions. Her last two victories against Evert were in the 1983 US Open final and the 1984 French Open final, both in straight sets. It was expected to be another convincing victory for Navratilova, but Evert had other ideas.

Evert took the first set 6-4 to a huge applause from the crowd. She had two chances of breaking Navratilova’s serve in the tenth game of the second set, but failed to convert them.

Navratilova eventually won the second and the third sets to script a memorable victory in their rivalry. She was chasing Evert’s 55-match winning match streak before the start of this match.

Their rivalry is considered to be the best in the history of the sport as the duo met a record 80 times in some incredible matches.

Scoreline: Martina Navratilova beat Chris Evert 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

#4 Serena Williams Vs Venus Williams, 2008 Quarterfinals

The sisters had split their last 16 meetings which included a victory for Venus in the Wimbledon finals two months ago. The 7th seed Venus led 5-3 in the first set, but the No. 4-seed Serena bounced back to take it to a tiebreaker. The younger sister then fought off a double set point against her at 6-4 of the breaker to capture the first set.

Venus hada 5-2 lead in the second set, and a three set points at 5-3, 40-0. Serena saved all three of those as well as another set point at 6-5. Venus had another triple set point while leading 6-3 in the tiebreaker, but again Serena did not give up.

Serena saved all three of those set points and won the second-set tiebreaker 9-7. Serena had saved 10 set points in all, including two triple-set-point situations in the second set.

Scoreline: Serena Williams beat Venus Williams 7-6(6), 7-6 (7).

#3 Novak Djokovic Vs Roger Federer, 2011 Semifinal

Djokovic and Federer are involved in some of the best thrillers in tennis history. No one can forget the recent Wimbledon final, where the Serb prevailed in a tough 5-setter. this match was a repeat of the 2010 semifinal, where Djokovic had saved two match points to win a tight contest in the fifth.

The 2011 semifinal had all the ingredients of a blockbuster with neither player ready to yeild ground in a gruelling encounter.

Djokovic came back from two sets down to force a decider. However, it was the Swiss maestro who broke Djokovic in the eighth game and was serving at 5-3, 40-15. The Serb managed to save both match points and broke Federer’s serve later to win it 7-5.

Scoreline: Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5

#2 John McEnroe Vs Bjorn Borg, 1980 Final

The year 1980 was all about McEnroe and Borg as the duo had just fought in the Wimbledon final, which the Swede won 8-6 in the fifth. However, this final looked like it was over when McEnroe took the first sets comfortably.

Borg roared back in the third set tie breaker and took the fourth set 7-5.

McEnroe had come into the final beating Jimmy Connors in a five-setter, but there were no signs of fatigue on the American as he broke Borg’s serve in the seventh game to seal the win.

Scoreline: John McEnroe beat Bjorn Borg 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4.

#1 Pete Sampras Vs Andre Agassi, 2001 Quarterfinals

Sampras held a 17-14 lead over Agassi heading into this encounter. The duo had earlier met in the 1990 and 1995 US Open finals as well, which Sampras had won. The match is remembered even today as there was not a single break of serve in the entire match.

The crowd stayed for the entire match even though it ended at 12:14 am Monday morning.

Agassi won the first set after saving three set points at 3-6. Sampras took the second set with a drop volley and finished the third set with a couple of aces.

The fourth set was heading the same way with Sampras having three match points at 6-3 in the tie-breaker, but Agassi won save two of them thanks to a double fault and a missed volley by Sampras.

Agassi then missed a short forehand on the third matchpoint to lose a tight final.

Scoreline: Pete Sampras beat Andre Agassi 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5).