Top 10 Wimbledon matches in the last decade

The All-England Club will be flooded with spectators and fans alike as the Wimbledon Championships for this year kicks in from 29th June. The beginning of next week will bring with it those Wimbledon joys, hopes, rivalries and definitely some great excitement. With just a few days left for the grass-court fiesta to begin, we bring to you the best of matches played on SW19 in the past decade:

#10 Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal - 2007

As we all know, this one is the greatest rivalry in the world of tennis and there is no denying that. The 2007 Wimbledon Championships was weather ravaged and the schedule had to be sqeezed and sorted in order to end the matches in time. Even the hectic schedule, the two champions, Federer and Nadal made it to the finals where Federer got the best of the Spaniard in this epic five-setter. This was also one of the most crushing defeats of Nadal’s career apart from the 2012 Australian Open loss against Djokovic. On the other hand, this Wimbledon title helped Federer to equal Bjorn Borg’s record of winning 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles.

#9 Serena Willaims Vs Elena Dementieva - 2009

This match is one of the very important matches of Serena Williams career as well as Dementievas career too. Dementieva was often called the best player in the WTA circuit who could not manage to win a title in a major championship. The same thing happened when Serena beat her6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 . In fact, this match was Elenas last effort to win a major title and for Serena, this match gave her career the elixir that it was desperately needing.

#8 Petra Kvitova Vs Maria Sharapova - 2011

This was a shocker of the match by the very fact that for the first time since 2006, none of the Williams sisters had made to the final of this Grand Slam. In 2011, Petra Kvitova made a dream run upto the finals of the All England Championship when she ousted Azarenka in the semifinals. In the final, she was pitted against the crowd favourite Maria Sharapova whose ranking had fallen down to 126 because of her shoulder injury. Either the first time finalist would have clinched the title or the woman who was struggling with her injury.Eventually, Kvitova won the title 6-4, 6-3 thus becoming the first Czech woman since 1998 to achieve the feat.

#7 Venus Williams Vs Lindsay Davenport - 2005

Generally, womens singles final matches are not just well known for the drama and excitement they offer, but also about the Cindrella stories such as Zvonarevas recovery from an injury to reach the final in 2010.This final match between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport was no less than an epic. It was a rematch of their 2000 final that Venus had won easily in straight sets which gave her her first Grand Slam title. Both players had a similiar record in the Wimbledon finals and has lost two finals each. This title was Venus Williams fifth Wimbledon title after which she won two more titles. As for Davenport, she did not even reach a quarterfinal at the Wimbledon again. As they say, happiness for one could spell doomsday for someone else.

#6 Novak Djokovic Vs Rafael Nadal -2011

For the first time, Roger Federer was absent from the Final at SW19 for a second consecutive year and tennis fans saw Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal pitting against each other for the prestigious title.

Djokovic had bested Nadal four times in that very year. The Serb quickly won the first two sets before people could blink, but Nadal came back and won the third set. However, it appeared that Djokovic was hell bent on becoming the Wimbledon champion for the first time,which he did to become the first Serb to reign supreme at SW19.

#5 Serena Williams Vs Agnieszka Radwanska -2012

Serena Williams, one of the best players that womens tennis has ever seen has so far won 5 Wimbledon titles but there is no denying the fact that she had to really work very hard for this one. It was almost two years since she had last won a Grand Slam and that madeher ranking dropping to #175 in the world. After her first round loss at the French Open, it all appeared very bleak for Serena to win a Slam again. But the phoenix rose from the ashes and reached the final of the Wimbledon Championships that very year. And not only that, she also beat Polands Radwanska to win her 5^thWimbledon title 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.

#4 Amelie Mauresmo Vs Justine Henin-Hardenne- 2006

They had met 14 times which includes 7 world championships. With Henin Hardenne leading in both categories while Mauresmo snatching it away twice when a win was most needed; the Grand Slam finals. With heavy stakes on both sides, the finals of Wimbledom 2006 became a breath taker. Either Mauresmo would become the first French woman since Suzanne Lenglen in 1925 to win tennis most prestigious Grand Slam title, or Henin-Hardenne would become the first Belgian to do so. Wherin Muresmo would eventually win the thriller to become the french lady to win the cup since 1925

#3 Andy Murray Vs David Nalbandian - 2005

Today we know Murray as one of the 'Huge Four' in Tennis, however there was time when even he was attempting to make a mark.

This was the begin of something extraordinary as Andy Murray reported his landing in Wimbledon. The 18-year-old prodigypositioned 312 on the planet vanquished George Bastl (the last man to have played and pulsated Pete Sampras at the grass-court pummel) and 14th seed Radek Stepanek in the opening two rounds in straight sets, however tragically his run finished in tragedy with a 6-7 1 6-0 6-4 6-1 annihilation to 2002 Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian on his Center Court debut. The Scot had all the earmarks of being cruising until spasm and weariness set in. Also, in spite of a valiant exertion, the accomplished Argentine won. Murray demonstrated his reality class potential as he trudged off to a mind-boggling applause. After eight years, the kid from Dunlane turned into the first British man to win the Wimbledon singles title following 1936.

#2 Roger Federer vs Andy Roddick - 2009

After 4 hours and 17 minutes of mind numbing grit, Federer was declared the winner at the finals of Wimbledon 2009. Breaking Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam wins Federer took his Grand Slam tally to 15 as Sampras watched from the centre court Federer finishing off the chase at 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 , in what was described as the longest singles match final at the All England Club.

#1 Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal - 2008

YOU are Roger Federer, said his then-girlfriend and future wife, Mirka Vavrinec, according to Jon Wertheims excellent book about the match, Strokes of Genius. Mirka's meddle seemed to mirror every fan's cardiac rhythm that day after the first interruption due to rain at the finals of Wimbledon 2008. Not many will disagree with this match being one of the greatest they have ever witnessed.

Both the giants were competing for milestones of their own. Be it Federer's attempt at being the first man in modern times to win 6 consecutive titles or Nadal's dream of winning his first golden challenge cup. Also, the longest match in the history of tennis ended with Federer's forehand shot into the net as the scoreboard glowed in the dark, end the 4 hour 48 min long match and with it; the Swiss' domination on grass.

After 4 hours and 17 minutes of mind numbing grit, Federer emerged the winner. Breaking Pete Sampras' record of 14 grand slam wins, Federer took his Grand Slam tally to 15 as Sampras watched from centre court.

Federer finished off the chase at 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 , in what was described as the longest singles match final at the All England Club.