Top 5 men's tennis matches of 2018

#1 Rafael Nadal vs Dominic Thiem - US Open Quarterfinals

2018 US Open - Day 9

This was their fourth meeting in 2018 and their 11th overall and quite surprisingly, their first meeting outside clay. Thiem had already gotten the better of Nadal at Madrid earlier this year whereas Nadal came out on top against him at Monte Carlo and the French Open final.

However, it was the US Open encounter was their best ever. The quality of tennis between the two players was out of this world, with both playing attacking tennis from the baseline and hitting winner and winner.

Thiem completely dominated the first set and did not allow Nadal any chance at all, winning it 6-0. However, Nadal did not allow this to affect him as he came back fighting to win the next two sets. The Austrian did not give up in the fourth, taking it right down to the wire and winning it in the tie-break.

The fifth set was quite similar to the fourth, going all the way till the tie-break. However, this time around, it was Nadal who came out on top after a dramatic tie-break.

Nadal went on to lose to Juan Martin del Potro in the semi-final.

Result: Rafael Nadal def. Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(5)