1. DUEL IN THE DUSK
Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7/’08 Wimbledon Final
As light falters on Centre Court, so, too, does the Swiss genius. Nadal’s first Slam off clay comes at Fed
erer’s expense, but not before the Nos. 1 and 2 stage a four-hour, 48-minute passion play replete with on-the-edge-of-your-seat twists ‘n turns and some of the most brilliant shotmaking the sport has ever witnessed. Down 8-7 in the telltale fifth, Federer manages to fight off three match points, but subsequently dumps an easy forehand into the net and sees his 65-match grasscourt winning streak come to an end.
2. ICE VS. FIRE
Bjorn Borg def. John McEnroe 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(16), 8-6/’80 Wimbledon Final
The bold, brash Superbrat vs. the quiet, majestic Swede is a match that carries the tennis boom of the ‘70s into the ‘80s. McEnroe takes the epic fourth set, perhaps the greatest ever, in an 18-16 breaker. But Borg wins 26 of 28 points on his serve in the final set to win his fifth straight (and last) Wimbledon.
3. HITLER CALLING
Don Budge def. Gottfried Von Cramm 6-8, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 8-6/’37 Davis Cup Final
Hitler phones Gottfried von Cramm minutes before his match gets underway and von Cramm subsequently plays each point as though his life depends on it. The German is on the verge of victory up 4-1 in the final set, but Californian Don Budge storms back and ultimately prevails 8-6 in a match chock-full of political intrigue. Many still consider it not only the greatest Davis Cup battle of all time, but one of the preeminent matches in all of tennis history.
4. THE CORONATION OF KING ARTHUR
Arthur Ashe def. Jimmy Connors 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4/’75 Wimbledon Final
The dominant Jimmy Connors comes in a prohibitive favorite, but Arthur Ashe and pals Donald Dell, Charlie Pasarell, Marty Riessen and Fred McNair devise a kind of rope-a-dope/slow-down strategy. When Ashe scores an upset rich with meaning, he thrusts a clenched fist into the sky as he becomes the first black man to win Wimbledon.
5. JUMPIN’, JIVIN’ JIMMY
Jimmy Connors def. Aaron Krickstein 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6/’91 U.S. Open Fourth Round
Never mind the gimpy wrist or bum knee, the long-in-the-tooth lion Jimmy Connors scores the most storied win of the most celebrated run in tennis history, a come-from-behind five-set triumph. The game’s least apologetic showman fires up ‘dem believers in New York. Has tennis ever been blessed with a more outrageous entertainer? (BTW: If you haven’t seen two or three re-runs of this operatic encounter in one of its gazillion replays during a rain-delay, you just haven’t been watching much tennis on TV.)
6. PETE!
Pete Sampras def. Andre Agassi
6-7(7), 7-6(2), 7-6(2), 7-6(5)/’01 U.S. Open Quarterfinals
Four sets, four tiebreakers, no breaks of serve. From a quality perspective, it’s the greatest match of the greatest rivalry in men’s tennis history. Agassi dumps a forehand into the net on match point at 12:14 a.m. and Sampras raises his arms in celebration, igniting a New York crowd that has come to see the best and gets exactly what it wanted.
7. A MARATHON FOR THE AGES
Pancho Gonzalez def. Charlie Pasarell 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9/’69 Wimbledon First Round
No one expects graying Pancho Gonzalez — 41 — to hold his own against 25-year-old Puerto Rican Charlie Pasarell. But The Lone Wolf does just that in rallying from a two-sets-to-one deficit to win the all-Latin showdown — a 112-game, five-hour and 12-minute marathon that spans two days and remains the longest singles match in AELTC history. Gonzalez is heavily booed after complaining about being forced to play on in semi-darkness, but he wins the crowd over the next day.
8. POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Goran Ivanisevic def. Patrick Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7/’01 Wimbledon Final
Forget the proper dukes and the-oh-so refined duchesses. When the ‘01 Wimbledon final is rained out, the AELTC has no choice but to let in tennis’ unwashed masses into their hallowed Centre Court for People’s Monday. In his fourth appearance in a Wimby final, wildcard Goran Ivanisevic upsets Pat Rafter in dramatic fashion. The atmosphere is more than electric as Aussies and Croats exchange soccer-like chants when Wimby opens its considerable gates and, according to Laurie Pignon, joyful youth sit in seats “normally filled by blue rinses and blue chips… [and bring] a new sort of sunshine to the oldest lawn tennis tournament in the world.”
9. DAVE VS. GOLIATH
Michael Chang def. Ivan Lendl 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3/’89 French Open Round of 16
Fresh-faced Chinese-American Michael Chang — just 17 and 5-foot-8 — upsets the severe and imposing No. 1 and three-time champ Ivan Lendl. Chang severely cramps up in the fourth set but takes the Czech out of his rhythm with an unorthodox approach that includes moonballs and even an under-arm serve. On the verge of collapse in the fifth, a desperate Chang stands well inside the baseline on Lendl’s serve and watches as his opponent double-faults the match away. He later downs Swede Stefan Edberg in the final to become the youngest male Slam champ ever. Chang will eventually rise to No. 2 and become a Hall of Famer, but will never win another major.
10. DOWN UNDER DUDES DO DALLAS
Ken Rosewall def. Rod Laver 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6/’72 WCT Final
The all-Aussie WCT Final in Dallas pits Muscles vs. The Rocket and is a nationally televised showcase that helps thrust tennis into the spotlight. Rod Laver comes in having won eight of their last nine encounters, but Ken Rosewall hangs tough and squeaks by in a fifth-set breaker to collect a new Triumph Spitfire, assorted jewelry and $50,000 — the biggest payoff in tennis history.
Next Up: The Women’s All-Time Top 10 Matches
