Rafael Nadal Battles Past Guido Pella in the Monte-Carlo Quarterfinals

By Owen Lewis

After Novak Djokovic crashed out to Daniil Medvedev on Court Rainier III, 11-time Monte-Carlo champion Rafael Nadal took to the court against Guido Pella, from Argentina. With Djokovic and Dominic Thiem out early, Nadal had become the heavy favorite to win the tournament (not that he wasn’t already the favorite). He had dropped just seven games in his opening two matches, but Pella would put up a much sterner test than the vanquished Dimitrov and Bautista Agut.

On the first point, Pella belted a backhand winner down the line, sending a message right from the outset. Nadal hit a couple great shots in the opening game, but the Argentine converted his second break point to go up 1-0. Nadal broke back, but Pella broke once again, winning three games on the trot to go up 4-1. Shockingly, the King of Clay hadn’t held serve yet. Serving with a two-break lead, Pella had a couple chances to go up 5-1, but double-faulted on his way to getting broken. Despite two huge winners from the Argentine, Nadal secured his first hold in the next game, then broke again to level at 4-all. The Spaniard had seemed to find his groove, and Pella found himself two points away from losing the set serving down 4-5 and deuce. But the set had more twists in it yet, and he fought to a hold, evening the set at 5-all. Nadal then fell behind love-40 in his next service game- he managed to save the first two break points, but Pella converted the third for a 6-5 lead.

The big-hitting Argentine was two points from the set at 30-all, but the scrappy Spaniard broke to force a tiebreak after a succession of deuces. From here, Nadal was ruthless in the breaker, hitting several winners and allowing Pella just one point: 7-1. The set had taken nearly an hour and a half, and Pella was faced with the task of winning two sets in order to win the match. At this stage in many of Nadal’s matches, the opponent folds after a close first set: his match against Dimitrov in the second round is a good example. Dimitrov played at a very high level in the first set, about the best tennis he can play, and still lost the set 6-4. Nadal then romped in the second set, 6-1. But Pella continued to fight: although Nadal broke immediately, the Argentine saved a break point while serving down 0-2. He then forced several break chances on Nadal’s next service game, but the Spaniard was clinical in the big moments, holding for 3-1. He then broke again, hitting a jumping forehand pass off a Pella overhead. When serving for the match at 5-2 Nadal was broken to love, but he broke back to win the second set 6-3 and the match.

Though Nadal was expected to win fairly easily, the match didn’t turn out that way. He was broken in his first three service games as Pella hit winners from all over the court. Even after seemingly settling in, he was broken twice more. But Nadal is a fighter, and fought back to win the first set after being down two breaks. Pella made the second set a battle, but the result was never really in doubt after the Spaniard went up 2-0.

With Thiem and Djokovic out, the 32-year-old Nadal will play Fabio Fognini in the semifinals, followed by either Daniil Medvedev (who beat Djokovic today) or unseeded Dusan Lajovic. The Spaniard’s clay court season is off to a fine start.

Questions? Comments? Email me at owenlewis11801@gmail.com or leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Daniil Medvedev Stuns Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo

By Owen Lewis

What’s going on with Novak Djokovic? After his dominant Australian Open win in January, he’s suffered a significant dip in form. Early losses to Philipp Kohlschreiber and Roberto Bautista Agut in Indian Wells and Miami have shown that the world No. 1 is vulnerable, but this match further exposed Djokovic’s struggles. He hit nearly fifty unforced errors in the 3-6, 6-4, 2-6 loss. Considering that he hit fourteen unforced errors in his semifinal and final matches at the Australian Open (combined: five unforced errors in the semifinal and nine in the final), this is a mind-boggling stat. Medvedev deserves all the credit for this win (his 21st of the year, he leads the tour), but in parallel to his losses at the end of the hard court season, Djokovic looked flat. Let’s take a look at the match.

Djokovic won the toss, electing to serve, and Medvedev jumped on him right away. After extracting a couple of errors from the Serb, the up-and-coming Russian belted a forehand winner while up 15-40. He then held to love, quickly consolidating the break. Djokovic was a mess in the first set, missing two overheads and hitting drop shots into the net. One of the hardest things about playing Djokovic is usually that he gives his opponent so little- again, if we look at his AO victory, he committed just nine unforced errors against Rafael Nadal in the final. But by the time Medvedev had broken again to win the set, the traditionally solid Serb had hit about 20 unforced errors. Medvedev, despite landing less than half of his first serves, did not face a break point in the opening set. Something about the Russian’s game seems to throw Djokovic a little off balance. Between their close four-setter in Australia and this match, Medvedev played almost patiently- he has a solid backhand, but doesn’t often use it to hit winners against Djokovic. Rather, he is content to draw the Serb into long rallies, waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. He also hits flat and sometimes without much pace, which seems to sometimes rattle Djokovic. Anyway, Medvedev hugged the baseline in the opening set, converting two of five break points and taking the set 6-3.

The second set begun with Medvedev holding, then forcing a break point on Djokovic’s serve in the next game. With the underdog a point away from a 6-3, 2-0 lead, it felt like the match could be in the balance, but the Serb closed out the game. At 1-all, Djokovic had his first break points of the match, going up 15-40. Though Medvedev fought back to deuce, the world No. 1 forced another break chance and converted this one with a clever drop shot-lob combination. The rest of the set went with serve: Djokovic was hitting his forehand with more pace, beginning to push his six-five opponent around the court. He also let loose with a flurry of drop shots Serving at 5-4, the Serb sealed a love hold with back-to-back aces to level the match.

Medvedev served to open the third set, quickly falling behind love-30. He had a trainer massage his legs throughout the set, indicating that a longer match wouldn’t be in his favor, but the Russian played exceptionally well in the final set. Fighting back from the deficit with some huge serves, he held for 1-0. Djokovic’s first service game didn’t indicate by any means that he would be broken three times in the set: he held to love with a couple forehand winners. Serving down 1-2, though, Djokovic’s undoing began. Medvedev, staying consistent from the baseline, broke for a 3-1 lead, then held to love in just over a minute, decisively grabbing the momentum of the final set. Still, he got more treatment on the changeover- a Djokovic comeback still seemed entirely possible. The Serb didn’t seem to grasp the importance of the next game, though- he fell behind love-30, putting Medvedev just six points away from the biggest win of his career. Djokovic fought back to 30-all, but then surrendered the game with some more forehand errors.

Serving up 5-1, the magnitude of the match seemed to finally hit Medvedev, and he was broken to 15, with his only point being a backhand winner that seemed returnable but Djokovic didn’t try to reach. With the Serb serving down 2-5, he went up 30-love but an error, a Medvedev winner, and a double fault brought up 30-40 and match point. The Russian played an aggressive point, moving Djokovic around. The world No. 1 finally hit a forehand that sat up nicely in the middle of the court for Medvedev, who ripped an inside-out backhand winner to seal an impressive win.

So, a huge win for the 23-year-old Medvedev. But Djokovic put up much less resistance than any would expect- the third set was, to put it bluntly, a thrashing. He was broken five times and made around 30 unforced errors on his forehand side. He also seemed complacent, with minimal celebrations upon turning the match around in the second set, and didn’t show much frustration either. This match was a surprise for a couple reasons: Djokovic’s opening round win against Philipp Kohlschreiber was very shaky, but he looked imperious in his second-round demolition of Taylor Fritz. Second, clay is Medvedev’s worst surface, with minimal success on the dirt: he lost in the opening round of four clay tournaments last year.

This is a streak of poor performances almost akin to his losses to players such as Taro Daniel and Benoit Paire last year. It’s almost definitely not career-threatening, and recently he’s produced his best tennis at the majors, but one thing is for sure: if he doesn’t return to his previous form, his title defenses in the second half of the year are in serious doubt, and there’s very little chance of him toppling Rafael Nadal at the French Open.

In my previous article, I named Djokovic, Nadal, Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer as the favorites to perform well in the clay season. Thiem lost weakly to Dusan Lajovic of Serbia, 6-3, 6-3 yesterday, and Djokovic’s loss to Medvedev leaves just Nadal in the Monte Carlo Masters (Federer is playing a selective schedule, and didn’t compete in Monte-Carlo this year). So Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to claim his 12th title in Monte Carlo (to put that in perspective, Djokovic has two). Still, I’m watching him play Guido Pella right now, who is up a break at 4-3 and was a point away from a 5-1 lead a few minutes ago. Still, with Djokovic out of the picture, I’ll be very surprised if the Spaniard doesn’t claim the 2019 Monte-Carlo title.

Questions or comments? Email me at owenlewis11801@gmail.com or leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Why the 2019 Men’s Clay Season Will be More Competitive Than You Think

By Owen Lewis

Rafael Nadal is the king of clay. He’s won the French Open eleven times and is defending nearly 5000 points from the last clay season. But this year, there are reasons to think that others might have a hand on the table. Last year, Djokovic was rebounding from injury and wasn’t much of a factor during the clay season, losing somewhat weakly to Marco Cecchinato in the quarterfinals of Roland Garros. But at the Australian Open this year, Djokovic pulverized Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the finals, so if the two match up again, even on the Spaniard’s favored surface, it will likely be more competitive than in the past (Nadal leads the clay head-to-head 16-7).

Djokovic has won the last three majors, but suffered shock early losses in both Indian Wells and Miami. In the Miami loss, he won the first set 6-1 against Roberto Bautista Agut, but looked surprisingly detached throughout Agut’s fightback. The Serb cited unpreparedness as the reason for his loss, but I think his form is slightly in doubt at the moment. I’ll be surprised if he wins Monte Carlo, the first clay tournament of his season, but he’s the world No. 1 for a reason. Expect him to hit his stride midway through the season.

Roger Federer, even though he hasn’t played on clay in years, is also a threat to win a title. He’s playing Madrid and the French Open this year, and may be playing in Rome as well. Although Djokovic is No. 1, Federer leads the race to the ATP Finals in London and is arguably in the best form out of anyone. He won Dubai earlier this year, then made the finals of Indian Wells and won the Miami Open. With such form, it would be foolish to dismiss the Swiss great as a contender.

Dominic Thiem will also be one of the favorites to perform well this season. Coming off a huge win at Indian Wells, his confidence should by sky-high, not to mention clay is the Austrian’s favorite surface. He made the finals of the French Open last year and has multiple clay wins over both Nadal and Djokovic under his belt. I expect him to win at least one clay tournament and make the semifinals of the French Open.

And, of course, Nadal is a favorite. He’s the two-time defending champion at the French Open and is the best clay court player of all time. Yet he was struck down by a recurring knee injury at Indian Wells, forcing him to retire before his semifinal matchup with Federer (who would lose to Thiem in the final). I think he’ll lose once or twice the entire season- and if he loses at the French Open, it’ll be to Djokovic. But if he’s in top form, I put Nadal as a heavy favorite to win the French Open for a third straight time.

This isn’t the most diverse list, as all of these players are in the top five, but I expect these four players to be the main contenders during this year’s clay season- if someone outside these four players wins the French Open, I will be very surprised. Last year’s U.S. Open finalist, del Potro, has been injured for months, Alexander Zverev has had a lackluster year so far, and Stefanos Tsitsipas is more of a hard court player than a clay court player. I expect him to lose before the semifinals.

Do you think someone else should be listed as a main contender? Leave a comment or email me at owenlewis11801@gmail.com

Top 10 Turning Point Matches in Men’s Tennis (2000s)

By Owen Lewis

10. Federer vs. Nadal, 2006 Rome Final

Final Score: 6-7 (0), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5) Nadal

This match took place when the storied Federer-Nadal rivalry was still in its infancy. Federer, ranked No. 1, was the reigning champion at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. He had won seven majors in the space of two-and-a-half years and was quickly becoming one of the game’s all-time best. 2nd-ranked Nadal had won the French Open the previous year, beating Federer in the semifinals, but hadn’t gone deep at any other major. He had, however, won fifty-two straight matches on clay. To this point, the head-to-head was 4-1 in Nadal’s favor.

Federer came out the stronger player, dominating the tiebreak even after missing a couple set points near the end of the set. Nadal fought back to take the lead before Federer comfortably won the fourth set to force a decider. This set had all the drama one can ask for. Federer broke early and went up 4-1, and was a point away from a 5-2 lead. Nadal broke back, but faced two match points at 5-6, 15-40. On both points, Federer went for forehand winners. On both points, he missed. Nadal forced a tiebreak, during which Federer led 3-1, 4-2, and 5-3. But Nadal reeled off the last four points of the match to seal a five-set, five-hour win.

Let’s look at the historical significance of this match. If Federer wins, it’s a best of five win over Nadal on clay, and a major confidence boost heading into the 2006 French Open, where he would attempt to win his fourth straight major. But Nadal wins, beats Federer in the final at the French in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011, and owns an 11-2 record against the Swiss on clay. Nadal owns eleven French Open titles-the most at a major for any male player, ever- and the Swiss owns just one. To this day, Federer hasn’t beaten Nadal in a best of five match on clay. In all, a backbreaking loss for Federer, and the start of dominance for Nadal.

9. Federer vs. Sampras, Wimbledon 4th Round, 2001

Final Score: 7-6 (7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5 Federer

Pete Sampras was going for his fifth straight Wimbledon, a feat his opponent would accomplish in 2007. The previous year, Sampras had won his seventh Wimbledon with a four set win over Pat Rafter in the final. Federer was 19 at the time, and on the radar as an up-and-comer, but hadn’t really established himself yet. This victory would signal his arrival as a star.

The first set went to a tiebreak, with Federer hitting a great passing shot and a forehand winner on his way to a 9-7 win in the breaker. Though Sampras hit back, winning the second and fourth sets, Federer was matching the grass-court legend ace for ace. He hit several return winners during the match, and the American seemed a bit shell-shocked. The drama reached its height in the fifth set. With Federer serving at 4-all, Sampras had two break points, but the Swiss wiped them out with some clinical volleying. Then, with Sampras serving to stay in the match at 5-6, Federer grabbed a 15-40 lead and two match points. The 29-year-old defending champion got in a wide first serve to Federer’s forehand, who stroked a forehand return winner down the line. He sank to his knees in triumph and waved to the crowd after shaking hands with the vanquished champion.

As for historical significance, this match impacted both players. Sampras would never win another Wimbledon. He would win one more major, the 2002 U.S. Open, but then retired the following year. Federer, on the other hand, returned to win Wimbledon in 2003, and did not relinquish his title until 2008. He would follow up the loss with Wimbledon wins in 2009, 2012, and 2017, with the latter victory sealing his eighth Wimbledon- one more than Sampras.

One more historical tidbit: Sampras finished his career with 14 slams, at the time a record in men’s tennis. He was in attendance at the 2009 Wimbledon final- Federer vs. Roddick (another American). Federer was playing for history: he was sitting at 14 slams, tied with Sampras’s record. It was a brutal serving display from both players, with the match extending to 16-14 in the fifth set. And when Roddick shanked a forehand at 14-15 and match point down, and the Swiss leapt into the air, roaring with the knowledge that he stood alone in history, Sampras rose to his feet and applauded behind his sunglasses.

8. Federer vs. Tsitsipas, 4th round Australian Open 2019

Final Score: 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5) Tsitsipas

This is more of a projected turning point, with the match happening so recently, but this match had a very similar feel to the Federer-Sampras Wimbledon match. Federer, the elder statesman and two-time defending champion and the 19-year-old Tsitsipas produced a high quality four-set match in this shocking upset. The defining stat of this match is that Federer was 0/12 on break points, an almost unheard of conversion rate from the Swiss. Although Federer won a very close first set, the up-and-coming Greek played brilliantly in the tense moments, coming to net off strong approach shots. Unusually, Federer’s traditionally strong forehand broke down under the Tsitsipas onslaught, and he committed 40 unforced errors off his usually more reliable wing. Federer had four set points for a two-set lead, and a total of eight break points in the second set, but couldn’t win any. He had two more break points in the third, and lost those too. Tsitsipas made the most of his chances, playing his best tennis in the crucial moments and outhitting the Swiss great from the baseline and outserving him: 20-12 in aces.

When Federer beat Sampras, he was a 19-year old with long hair. 17 and a half years later, he lost to a 20-year-old with a similar look and a similar game. The flashing one-handed backhand, the big serve, and the powerful forehand. It seemed that we could be watching a changing of the guard. For several reasons, however, it’s not that simple. Nadal and Djokovic are still secure at the top of the rankings, and Federer has been playing great tennis this year, with just two losses this year. But I expect Tsitsipas to be in the top five by the end of 2020. He’s already proven he can beat the best on the highest stage, something Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem have yet to do.

7. Djokovic vs. Federer, U.S. Open Semifinal 2010

Final Score: 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 Djokovic

These two had faced off at the U.S. Open in 2007, 2008, and 2009, with Federer winning all three meetings. At this point, Federer had won 16 grand slam titles, and Djokovic just one, the 2008 Australian Open. Federer had also made the past six U.S. Open finals, winning five. He was the No. 2 seed, Djokovic the No. 3. Federer won a close first set, but Djokovic hit back in a surprisingly lopsided second. The third and fourth sets were a near mirror image of the first two, and the drama would intensify in the fifth. With Djokovic serving at 4-5, he fell behind 15-40: two match points for the Swiss. Unbelievably, Djokovic elevated his game, hitting his forehand with brutal pace. He saved the first match point with an inside-out swing volley winner, and the second with a bullet forehand from the baseline. He would go on to break Federer at 5-all and serve out the match, with the Swiss wasting a break chance in the final game.

Djokovic would lose a four-set final to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, but returned to take the title in 2011. This was Djokovic’s second win over Federer at a slam, and the start of a long period of dominance over the Swiss great at slams. He would go on to beat Federer at the U.S. Open the following year (farther down this list) and again at the same venue in 2015. He would win three slams in 2011, in one of the best years in tennis history. Federer, meanwhile, wouldn’t win another slam until 2012, and after this match has a 2-7 record against the Serb at the grand slams.

6. Djokovic vs. Federer, Australian Open Semifinal 2011

Final Score: 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-4 Djokovic

I should mention there is also a fantastic highlight video for this match: watch it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3O5gXuxiQQ

Unlike many of the matches on this list, this semifinal wasn’t an epic. Yes, it was especially high quality for a straight-set match but the winner wasn’t really in doubt for at least half the match. This was a decisive win marking Djokovic’s arrival as the heir to the tennis throne. Federer and Nadal had combined to win 21 of the last 23 slams before this match, and Nadal had bowed out in the quarterfinals. Andy Murray made the final on the other side of the bracket, and Djokovic would go on to beat him easily: 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. As Jacob Steinberg from The Guardian put it before their 2016 rematch, “In 2011, Novak Djokovic could have won with one hand behind his back and his shoelaces tied together”.

As for this match, Djokovic proved he was up for the challenge from the get-go. Serving first and up 30-15, he sent down back-to-back double faults for 30-40. On this point, Federer really went after a return, hitting it hard and deep, but Djokovic took control of the rally, sending the defending champion side to side. Despite exceptional defense from the Swiss, he couldn’t handle a darting crosscourt forehand. From there, Djokovic served beautifully, holding easily but for a pressure situation at 4-all. His “serve plus one” (a part of Djokovic’s game that I believe is severely underrated) was working beautifully- time and again, Djokovic would send down a big serve and put away a winner on the first ball. Still, Federer might have won the first set had he not opted to be passive in the tiebreak. In the second, Djokovic broke early but Federer broke back and then again, going up 5-2. He was three points from the set with Djokovic serving at 2-5, love-15, but the Serb held, then broke Federer when he was serving for the set. He then held again for 5-all, then went up love-40 on the defending champion’s next service game. Federer fought to 30-40, but there was no stopping the rampant Serb on the third point, who then held to love to take a two set lead (hitting a decisive backhand winner on set point). In the third, serving at 0-1, Djokovic saved a plethora of break points, rebounding to break in the next game to go up 2-1. Federer, with one last gesture of defiance, broke to level at 4-all, but dropped serve in the next game, letting his racket drop in disappointment. The world No. 3 then served out the match to claim a significant victory.

This match was the first of three slams Djokovic would win in 2011. The loss also marked the first time since 2002 that Federer had played a year without winning a major. He would go eighteen more months before adding another to his tally. At the time of this match, Federer had 16 slams to his name, and Djokovic one. Now, in 2019, Federer has 20, and Djokovic 15. Prior to the match, the Swiss was 4-2 against Djokovic in the slams, and after, he has two wins against seven losses. This match was a turning point not just in the rankings but in the rivalry as well.

5. Federer vs. del Potro, U.S. Open Final 2009

Final Score: 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 del Potro

Federer was the world No. 1 heading into this match, and had beaten the Argentine twice already that year- including a 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 thrashing at the Australian Open. At the French Open, however, del Potro put up a much sterner challenge, taking a two-sets-to-one lead before the Swiss stormed back to win in five sets (he would go on to win his first and only French Open title). Still, Federer was the overwhelming favorite going into the match. And he would come out playing brilliantly, winning the first set 6-3 and going up a break in the second. He maintained the break advantage, and served for the set at 5-4. When he went up 30-love, it seemed for all the world that the five-time defending champion would take a borderline insurmountable two-set lead. But del Potro fought to 30-all, and then hit a forehand bullet down the line. It was called out, and del Potro’s challenge showed the ball had caught the very edge of the line, meaning 30-40 and break point. Federer argued the call, seeming to think that HawkEye had picked up the wrong mark. Still, umpire Jake Garner upheld the call, and on the next point Federer stubbornly approached to del Potro’s forehand again. The big Argentine hit another forehand pass down the line, and there was no doubt about this one: five games all. The set went to a tiebreak and the “Tower of Tandil” sealed it with a massive inside-out forehand. Federer was unusually angry in this match, swearing at the umpire when del Potro was allowed to challenge after what the Swiss deemed too long a wait. Still, he won the third set 6-4. Despite fighting back from a break down in the fourth, Federer played a poor tiebreak and a worse fifth set, as del Potro stormed to his maiden grand slam title. Not only did this snap Federer’s streak of U.S. Open titles, but he has not won another one to date. It would have been his third straight slam, and he went on to win the one after as well, the 2010 Australian Open. This isn’t to say everything would’ve fallen into place for Federer, but if he had won this match, and still won the 2010 AO, it would have marked four in a row, a feat that he has not accomplished. The Flushing Meadows title is still del Potro’s only slam, but this match has always been the one that got away for the Swiss great.

4. Djokovic vs. Nadal, Australian Open Final 2012

Final Score: 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 Djokovic

Djokovic was the world No. 1 heading into this match, having beaten Nadal in the past two slam finals, both in four sets. This match may be Nadal’s most gutting loss ever, and Djokovic’s finest win. For that, it deserves a place high on this list. To this point, Nadal had won ten slams to Djokovic’s four, but the Serb was coming off a brilliant year in 2011, including three slam wins. Going into the final, both had played exhausting semifinals: Djokovic won a five-hour epic over Andy Murray, while Nadal spent over four hours beating Roger Federer.

Djokovic had had Nadal’s number in 2011, beating him six times. But the No. 2 ranked Nadal made the stronger start, breaking in the fifth game to go up 3-2. Though Djokovic leveled a couple games later for 4-all, the Spaniard broke once again at 5-all, then served out the set. It was an 80-minute set, and only a hint of the grueling match to come. Djokovic secured the first break of the second set with a brutally precise volley, going up 3-1. He had a set point with Nadal serving at 2-5, and two more while serving for the set at 5-3, but Nadal broke back for 4-5. In my opinion, Nadal missed a great chance to take a two-set lead here. Djokovic had missed set points and lost the momentum, and if Nadal had held for 5-all, he might have ridden his three-game streak to a second set win. Instead, Nadal surrendered the set with a double fault when down set point. Djokovic pumped his fists and the match was level. In the third set, Djokovic started to take control, breaking twice and sealing the set with a running forehand winner.

The fourth set produced high quality tennis and extremely tense moments. With Nadal serving at 3-4, he fell behind 0-30 before Djokovic followed a good deep return with a cracking forehand winner into the corner. As he has done so many times in his career, Nadal produced his best tennis at the most desperate moment. Down 0-40, after a strong rally, Nadal rifled an inside-out forehand winner. A rare Djokovic miss followed, and at 30-40 the Spaniard wrong-footed Djokovic with a series of backhands down the line. An ace and another unreturned serve sealed the hold for Nadal, and he celebrated with some violent fist pumps. The set would go to a tiebreak, with the match clock already hovering around four-and-a-half hours. Djokovic grabbed a mini-break, then hit a forehand winner for a 5-3 lead. But Nadal was relentless from the back of the court, holding the line and forcing a couple of Djokovic misses for 5-all. The Spaniard then earned a set point after curving down a service winner. Down 5-6, Djokovic sent down a strong serve, then started to move Nadal side to side. Nadal sent back a forehand, and the Serb’s next shot went wide. Nadal dropped to his knees, pumped his fists and screamed. He’d forced the first ever five-setter between the two.

The fifth set capped this grueling match, lasting 74 minutes. The overall time would be 5 hours and 53 minutes, breaking the record that Nadal set with Verdasco three years earlier. Nadal hit an absurd winner early in the set, in the form of an inside-out bullet of a forehand struck above his head. The set consisted of solid holds through the first five games. Then, with Djokovic serving at 2-3 down, Nadal conjured a break point, just his fifth of the match in over five hours, and took it when the Serb hit long. This seemed like a crucial blow, but in the next game, the script would flip again. Up 4-2, 30-15, Nadal ran down a Djokovic volley and looked for all the world like he would bury it for a winner, but he missed the backhand down the line by inches when he had much more space to work with. This is regarded as one of the literal turning points of tennis history. Instead of a 40-15 lead, and two game points for 5-2, Nadal was at 30-all, and two strong returns secured the break back for Djokovic. At 4-all, with Nadal serving, the longest rally of the match took place after more than five hours and twenty minutes. When Djokovic hit long on the 31st shot, he immediately dropped to the ground in exhaustion. He would quickly get up though, and forced a break point in the game. Nadal survived to lead 5-4, but it was the last game the Spaniard would win in the epic contest. After holding to tie the set at 5-all, Djokovic took his second break point when Nadal hit an attempted drop shot into the net. There was no celebration, and Djokovic marched impassively to his chair with the knowledge that there was a bit more work to be done. Things were looking good for the No. 1 seed at 30-love, but he sent a sloppy smash into the net and some grueling defense from Nadal forced two errors, bringing up 30-40 and break point. Djokovic sent an angled backhand crosscourt, and the Spaniard’s stretched reply didn’t make it into the court. At deuce, Nadal clipped the net tape and the ball went out, bringing up championship point. Throughout the last couple points, the Serb was frantically praying for just one more point. And he would get it, sending down a huge serve and an inside-out forehand winner.

He dropped flat on his back, pumping his fists to the camera. Nadal tore off his headband, gritting his teeth. Djokovic rose, yelling to his box in triumph. After the gladiators hugged, the No. 1 player ripped open his shirt, roaring and letting the crowd touch him. During the trophy ceremony, the exhausted players stretched on the net before an official brought them chairs and bottles of water. This match showed that Djokovic was up for any test anyone had to offer. It was his third straight slam and a successful defense of his title from 2011. As for Nadal, he would get his revenge five months later, beating Djokovic in the 2012 French Open final in four sets.

3. Djokovic vs. Wawrinka, Australian Open 4th Round 2013

Final Score: 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 12-10 Djokovic

-This match is incredibly exciting, and there’s a variety of highlights on YouTube. I suggest taking a look at this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pleqYnR2JPo

-Wawrinka’s level in the first set is truly frightening.

Although Djokovic won this match, it was a turning point for his vanquished opponent, Stan Wawrinka. Djokovic was the world No. 1 and two-time defending champion, while Wawrinka was relatively unknown as the 15th seed. But for the first set and a half of this match, Djokovic was utterly helpless against the Wawrinka onslaught. The Serb surrendered a quick break before Wawrinka broke again with a dazzling backhand winner. Blasting winners from all corners of the court, the Swiss fired an unreachable forehand to take the first set by a shockingly lopsided 6-1 scoreline. Djokovic was slipping and sliding around the court, looking at his shoes angrily. He broke to start the second, but was immediately broken back. Wawrinka held and then forced a break point with the Serb serving at 1-2. When Djokovic hit a forehand that hung up for Wawrinka, the Swiss crushed an inside-out backhand winner that had Djokovic gesturing to his box as if to say “what am I supposed to do?”

Wawrinka maintained his one-break lead until he served for a two-set lead at 5-3. A huge forehand and a lucky net cord brought him to 30-love, but the magnitude of a potential two-set lead seemed to shake the Swiss, and he committed four unforced errors in a row to surrender the break back. Djokovic then broke again and served out the set, belting a backhand winner down the line and clenching a fist. He’d weathered a ferocious assault from the 15th seed and now stood on level terms. In the first game of the third set, Djokovic played two exceptional defensive points and broke Wawrinka, celebrating with a huge roar. Though the Swiss broke back, Djokovic secured the decisive break of the set at 4-all, then won his service game to take a two-sets-to-one lead.

The fourth set was high quality throughout, with both players holding serve and ending rallies with winners. The set went to a tiebreak, where Wawrinka grabbed a mini-break with a bullet of a backhand down the line. The rest of the breaker went with serve: Djokovic saved two set points down 3-6, but the Swiss had one last set point serving at 6-5. He ran Djokovic around before clipping the top of the net, letting the world No. 1 back into the point. The Serb hit three cracking ground strokes before Wawrinka stroked a backhand down the line. With Djokovic back on the defensive, a thunderbolt cross-court backhand set up a Wawrinka forehand winner down the line. The crowd roared as the players headed to a fifth set.

The fifth set was a marathon, but most of the drama occurred near the beginning. Wawrinka opened with a break, but Djokovic immediately struck back for 1-all with a forehand winner. The players seemed to still be feeling each other out. At 4-all, the Serb saved several break points- on the last one, an incorrect call was made, but Wawrinka didn’t have any challenges left. After this, though, the set consisted of many easy holds, even far beyond 6-all (as of the time of this match, a final set at the Australian Open continues until one player leads by two games). Finally, with Wawrinka serving at 10-11, Djokovic reached match point with a lucky net cord. The Swiss was made of steel, though, and he saved the match point. Djokovic earned another chance to close out the match, but Wawrinka belted a brave inside-out backhand winner. He reached advantage a couple times with a succession of winners, but couldn’t close out the game. The No. 1 seed gained a third match point, and what followed would be one of the most epic match points ever. After a nervy rally, Wawrinka belted a crosscourt backhand that Djokovic barely kept in play with a sliding return. A huge forehand down the line followed, with a second desperate return. The Swiss approached the net with a slice, and Djokovic passed him with a crosscourt backhand, thrusting his arms skyward. After five hours, the world No. 1 had kept his title defense alive by the skin of his teeth. After a respectful embrace at the net, Djokovic saw fit to tear his shirt off again, as he did following his win over Nadal in the 2012 final.

Djokovic would go on to win the tournament, with his third straight Australian Open. But this match gave Wawrinka the confidence he needed to play with the world’s best. He would get his revenge over Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open the following year, winning a five-set epic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7. He would go on to win his maiden slam title over Nadal in the final. Additionally, Wawrinka has inflicted a couple devastating defeats over Djokovic in the years following, winning four-set matches in the 2015 French Open final and the 2016 U.S. Open final.

2. Djokovic vs. Federer, U.S. Open Semifinal 2011

Final Score: 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 Djokovic

Djokovic was having a remarkable year, marred just by a 6-7 (5), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (5) loss to Federer at the semifinals of the French Open. He’d won the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Federer hadn’t won a major since the 2010 AO, but was still competitive, as the French Open win over Djokovic shows- before that, the Serb had won 43 straight matches.

Djokovic was the favorite to win, but Federer came out strong, taking the first two sets. The first set was exceptionally high quality on both sides, but Djokovic’s level dropped slightly in the second. He came storming back though, decisively taking the next two sets. It appeared that the Serb would close out the match, but Federer delighted the partisan crowd by breaking to love in the eighth game and going up 5-3. With Federer serving for the match, he fell behind love-15, then hit an ace. Djokovic then missed two returns off second serves. 40-15 and two match points. Federer struck a wide first serve, and Djokovic slapped a forehand crosscourt for a winner. The crowd, thinking that the almost haphazard swing had sent the ball wide, begun to cheer before sinking into a bemused near-silence. Djokovic gestured to the crowd as if to say “what do I have to do to get some love?!” The crowd started to cheer, if a bit confusedly, and the Serb had a smile on his face as he prepared to return at 40-30, the second match point. Federer, rattled by the incredible return, missed an easy forehand. At deuce, the Swiss double-faulted. He briefly managed to meet Djokovic at the near-godly level, sending down an ace to save the break point. But there was no stopping the resurgent Djokovic, who produced another break point before Federer double-faulted again to give up the break. The Serb held for 5-all, then broke Federer again, hitting lines all over the court. He then served out the match to seal a famous win.

The historical implications of this match are huge. Djokovic went on to beat Nadal in the final decisively: 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-1. Since Federer gave Djokovic a much tougher fight in the semifinals, it’s not unreasonable to think that Federer could’ve beaten Nadal in the final. To this day, there hasn’t been a “Fedal” matchup at the U.S. Open. This match was one such prevention of a meeting between the two. Also, Djokovic won his third slam of the year, capping an unbelievable year. Had Federer taken one of his two match points, it would’ve still been a great year, but one marred by losses to Federer at slams: he lost to him at the French Open; this match would’ve added a second. It’s crazy- all of this decided by just one shot: Djokovic’s outstanding return when down match point.

1. Federer vs. Nadal, Wimbledon Final 2008

Final Score: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 Nadal

For starters, this is widely considered the greatest match of all time. Here is a link to a one-hour highlight video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuQ4tc7jdm4

If you don’t want to watch it all, at least watch the fourth set tiebreak. It’s spectacular sport. Also, if you’ve read this far, thank you. But get ready for the longest match summary yet.

Federer was the world No. 1 going into the match, and had been since January 2004. He had taken the tennis world by a storm, following up his Wimbledon 2003 victory by winning three majors in 2004, two in 2005, three in 2006, and three in 2007. Nadal was really the only player at this time with any kind of consistent success against the Swiss great. He’d beaten Federer in the French Open finals the past three years: 2006, 2007, and 2008, with a complete demolition of Federer in 2008: 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. In turn, Federer had defeated the Spaniard in the 2006 and 2007 Wimbledon finals. But in 2007, Nadal pushed Federer to five sets, his toughest test at Wimbledon yet. Still, Federer had won the last five Wimbledons. Nadal had won the last four French Opens. It was the King of Grass vs. the King of Clay. Though the match took place on Federer’s favored surface, the lawns at SW19 (another name for Wimbledon) Nadal was five years younger and rapidly improving, but had yet to win a title off of the red clay in Paris. Federer had failed to defend his Australian Open title from 2007, and lost to Nadal in the French Open final, leaving him without a major to this point in the year. To add to the drama, if Nadal won, he was sure to take the top spot in the rankings.

Both players had cruised to the final- Nadal dropping one set, Federer none. It was the No. 1 and the No. 2 in a Wimbledon final for the third straight year. What followed was an incredibly high-quality match with a remarkable amount of winners against very few unforced errors. It had two rain delays, a fierce comeback, and all the drama a tennis fan could ask for. Let’s get to the match.

From their previous matches, it was clear that Nadal would use his heavy topspin forehand to hit to Federer’s one-handed backhand. This spin makes the ball bounce higher, forcing Federer to hit the one-hander up around shoulder or neck level. The lefty-righty matchup (Nadal is a lefty, Federer a righty) and this heavy topspin is one of the reasons Nadal has been so successful against the Swiss in the past.

Federer won the toss and chose to serve. On the first point, the world’s two best players traded shots in a high-quality exchange. After hitting a succession of forehands, Federer hit an angled backhand slice that Nadal ran down and curled into the corner for a winner. A shot like that on the opening point makes a statement, and Nadal ensured that Federer knew he would have to fight tooth and nail to keep his title. Though Federer held his first service game, Nadal broke him in his next when the five-time defending champion missed a backhand off a ball that took a bad bounce- the Swiss actually barely clipped the ball, it was more of a swing-and-miss than anything. In any case, Nadal had broken Federer for a 2-1 lead. Despite the Spaniard going up 40-love in his next service game, Federer won four straight points to force a break-back chance. He hit a forehand long, though- if anything were to haunt Federer after this match, it would almost certainly be his break point conversion rate. More on that later.

Nadal closed out the game for 3-1, and the set continued somewhat peacefully until it came time for the Spaniard to serve for the set at 5-4. At 30-all, Nadal hit a couple crosscourt forehands to Federer’s backhand. One of the champion’s replies sat up in the middle of the court, and Nadal fired an inside-out forehand bullet for a winner. This brought up 40-30 and set point, but Federer hit a backhand winner down the line set up by a severely angled forehand. He then put away a volley, earning a break chance, but Nadal saved it. The Swiss would have another break point, but fluffed a terrible chip return into the net off a very makeable second serve. Nadal soon had another set point, which he took when Federer netted a backhand. Nadal pumped his fists- he had won the first set 6-4 over the five-time champion.

Federer started the second set with an easy hold, then, up love-15 on Nadal’s service game, pounded a forehand winner down the line. Though he lost two out of the next three points, at break point, 30-40, the Swiss crushed a crosscourt forehand pass to seal his first break of the match, celebrating with a huge “Come on!” Federer then held to 30 for a 3-0 lead in the second set. Nadal won his next service game, and after the two exchanged holds, Nadal forced a break point with Federer serving. He approached to Nadal’s backhand, but couldn’t handle the Spaniard’s passing shot and hit long. With the second set back on serve, Nadal went up 30-love, and the next point to follow was thrilling. After exchanging a couple shots, Federer jerked Nadal wide with a vicious sliced backhand. Nadal, pulled off the court, hit a screaming crosscourt forehand. Federer lunged and returned it deep with a flailing backhand return. With Nadal off the court, it appeared that the shot was a winner, but Nadal streaked back towards the baseline. Tracking the ball all the way, he ran around it and hit a tweener-esque shot around his body. Federer was completely out of position, shocked that Nadal had made the return, and could only block back a backhand. Two shots later, Nadal sliced into the net, but the message had been made- that’s what you have to do in order to win a point against me. The game would go to deuce, but Nadal escaped potential danger when Federer shockingly hit an easy swing volley long, yelling “Shut up!” to the crowd after. Nadal then levelled at 4-all. In Federer’s service game, Nadal went up love-40 with the help of a beautifully constructed point: Nadal ruthlessly attacked Federer’s backhand, driving the ball deep to the corner. Eventually, Federer returned short and the Spaniard drove a winner into the backhand corner. Federer saved the first break point with a forehand winner, before a great rally ensued on the second. Federer hit a forehand down the line to Nadal’s own forehand, then started to run back to the center of the court. Nadal looped a forehand down the line right back, severely crossing up the Swiss, who lunged and hit a stretch reply that landed right on the baseline. Nadal waited for the ball to drop, then waited some more, and finally drilled an inside-out forehand past Federer, who was completely rooted to the spot. Nadal, serving up 5-4, was pushed to 30-all, but struck back with one of the shots of the match. Federer approached to the backhand, and Nadal hit a beautiful crosscourt slice that cleanly passed the Swiss. Federer would have break points in the game, but on Nadal’s second set point, he netted a backhand to drop the second set. He had a mountainous task ahead of him- the champion was down two sets to Rafael Nadal.

The third set was filled with high quality exchanges and exceptional serving from Federer. The set would go to a tiebreak, but there were two-drama filled games before the breaker. With Nadal serving at 2-3 down, Federer had four break points, but couldn’t convert. Up to this point, the Swiss had had more than ten break points to Nadal’s four, but he’d converted one while the Spaniard had made good on three of his chances. And with the momentum behind him, Nadal forced three break points with Federer serving at 3-all. The world No. 1 escaped two with some great serving, but on the third Nadal fluffed a simple second serve return into the net. I believe that this point and one other in the match transformed this into the greatest match of all time. If Nadal had won that point, the match most likely would’ve finished 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 instead of the five-set epic it was.

Federer closed out the 3-3 game, and the set continued on serve until Federer held for a 5-4 lead. The first rain delay then hit: the ballboys covered the court with a tarp and the players walked off. Generally, a rain delay favors the player who is behind, giving them a chance to regroup and talk strategy with their coach.

Nadal served to save the set down 4-5, and again down 5-6. The set went to a tiebreak. Federer, playing to save his title, won this tiebreak- there’s no other way to say it. Four aces, an unreturnable service winner, an unreachable forehand, and a huge return that almost knocked Nadal down handed Federer his seven points needed to win the breaker: 7-5. The crowd, delighted at the now-extended marquee matchup, erupted. Federer hadn’t evened the match by any means, but his fight had begun.

The match hit its dramatic heights in the fourth set. Both players were hitting great winners throughout the set, with the first tense moment coming with Federer serving down 4-5. He fell behind love-30, two points away from losing the match, but reeled off four straight points to level at 5-all. The world’s top two players exchanged holds and the match headed to another tiebreak. The third set tiebreak was high quality, but it would pale in comparison to the fourth set breaker.

On the first point, with Nadal serving, he approached the net behind a somewhat tentative approach shot. Federer ripped a crosscourt backhand, but Nadal was there with a reflex volley that landed on the baseline. The Swiss then tossed up a lob, and Nadal answered with a leaping backhand smash. It didn’t have quite enough of an angle, though, and Federer’s forehand pass landed in the corner for a winner. Nadal answered with a great return followed by an easy putaway forehand, then won the next three points as well to take a 4-1 lead. The Swiss answered with a winner, but then hit a backhand wide. That miss put his back against the wall- Nadal had two serves coming up while leading 5-2. But the victory shakes seized the Spaniard at the wrong moment, and he double-faulted for 5-3. A simple backhand then found the net to put the tiebreak back on serve with Federer serving down 4-5. A serve-plus-one and a service winner brought up 6-5 and set point for the Swiss. With Nadal serving down set point, a long rally followed a second serve. Federer was on the defensive at first, but a Nadal backhand landed short and the Swiss went for the winner. His attempted forehand down the line went just wide, though, and the players changed sides at 6-6. Federer hit long on the next point: 6-7 and championship point. Federer served quickly, hitting a bullet of a wide serve that Nadal could only hit with the frame of his racket: 7-7. Federer then hit a strong second serve wide, followed by a crosscourt forehand and a smoked forehand down the line. Nadal ran over, stretched, and drilled the ball flat and hard through a tiny window down the line. Federer lunged but couldn’t touch the ball. With Nadal serving at 8-7, championship point, he hit a deep first serve to Federer’s backhand, who chipped the ball back short. The Spaniard hit a crosscourt forehand to Federer’s backhand and charged the net. The defending champion hit a thunderbolt of a backhand down the line that landed in the very corner for a winner. This is the second point that made this an unforgettable match. Federer saved a match point, and two exceptional passing shots were hit back-to-back in the tensest of moments. Still, though, the Swiss had work to do: Nadal was serving at 8-8. Federer returned deep, then ran around a Nadal backhand to hit a forehand. The ball shot off his racket at a sick angle, and he quickly put away Nadal’s desperate return. With Federer serving 9-8 up, Nadal missed a second serve return long. Federer roared in about the biggest celebration you’ll ever see from the normally calm Swiss. He’d evened the match and was taking huge momentum into the fifth set.

The fifth was an odd set. Federer’s service games were pressured early on, and he was taken to deuce at 2-all before the rain started to come down again. Though Federer had made a scintillating comeback, Nadal was holding serve more easily than Federer, so the second rain delay was almost halting his momentum again. Coming back onto court, the Swiss hit back-to-back aces to hold for 3-2. Nadal held for 3-all, then Federer won his next service game to love, sealing it with an ace. With Nadal serving at 3-4, Federer had his best chance in the set. Down 30-15, Federer forced a Nadal error with a severely angled backhand. At 30-all, he hit a bullet forehand winner that tailed away from Nadal. But as he so often does, the Spaniard summoned his best tennis in the most crucial moments. He hit a serve to Federer’s forehand, earning a soft midcourt reply, then hammered an inside-out forehand that set up an easy overhead. Had Nadal lost the point, Federer would have served for the title up 5-3. Instead, another winner sealed the game for Nadal: four games all.

From here, the set was almost one-sided. Federer was two points away from winning with Nadal serving at 4-5, 30-all, but coolly closed out the game. The story of the set was Federer digging deeper and deeper to hold serve, saving break points at 5-5, holding from love-30 down at 6-6, and saved three more break points before finally being broken at 7-all. One more thrilling point was to follow, though: with Nadal serving up 40-30 at 6-7, in which Federer returned two overheads before the Spaniard finally put away an inside-out forehand winner. After Nadal finally secured the break at 7-all, he had to serve for the match with darkness falling rapidly. After losing the first point, Nadal won two points with volley winners, but lost the 30-15 point when he hit a third volley long. At 30-all, Federer framed a backhand wide: 40-30 and a third match point. The champion conjured up one last gesture of resistance, hitting a backhand return so wide that Nadal could only touch it with the end of his racket. At deuce, though, Nadal cleverly changed up his game plan, slamming down a service winner to Federer’s forehand when most serves had been hit to the Swiss’s backhand. And on Nadal’s fourth match point, Federer drove a short forehand into the net. Nadal collapsed flat on his back, screaming in exultation. After five years, Wimbledon had a new champion.

I got carried away with the summary, but this match was a big turning point in tennis history. Federer losing his title and the No. 1 ranking. Nadal grabbing a huge title off the clay. As Nadal dropped to the turf, commentator Andrew Castle cried “There’s a new man at the helm of men’s tennis: Rafael Nadal!” The Spaniard would break Federer’s heart again in the final of the 2009 Australian Open, but the Swiss would win the two majors after that. More than anything, though, this match showed that Federer’s grip on the tennis world was weakening.

What do you think? Should another match be on this list? Disagree with the order? Leave a comment or email me at owenlewis11801@gmail.com

A Look Back: Nadal vs. Verdasco, 2009 Australian Open Semifinal

By Owen Lewis

The 2009 Australian Open was one of the greatest slams ever, in terms of overall quality. And no match produced more drama than the all-Spaniard semifinal between top-seeded Nadal and the 14th seed, Verdasco. Though the tournament is perhaps better remembered for its five-set, four-hour final (I won’t tell you who wins yet!), this match was arguably closer and of higher quality. Coming into the match, Nadal had won two majors the previous year and had taken the No. 1 ranking from Federer, beating him in a Wimbledon final of the highest quality. But Nadal hadn’t yet won on the hard courts Down Under or at Flushing Meadows. He was showing progress, though, making the semifinals at the U.S. Open the previous year. And here again he found himself at the same stage of a hard court grand slam against Verdasco. Going into the match, the top seed hadn’t dropped a single set, while Verdasco dropped sets to Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. So Nadal was the clear favorite to win, with Roger Federer waiting in the final for a potential rematch of the Wimbledon 2008 final. But Verdasco would strike an extraordinarily high number of winners during the match, pushing his countryman to the limits. Let’s take a look at the match.

Side note: this is an incredibly tense and exciting match. I highly recommend watching highlights- here’s a link to a decent video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWyvSQ7pUvM

First Set: 7-6 (4) Verdasco

Verdasco served first, and Nadal would save a break point in the fourth game when Verdasco hit a smash long. But the lower seed was striking his forehand beautifully, and the world No. 1 found himself serving at 4-5, love-30 at the business end of the set. Nadal managed to close out the game, then pressured Verdasco’s serve at 5-all, gaining a break point. The underdog wiped out the break point with a big serve, and Nadal held to force a first set tiebreak. At 1-all in the breaker, Nadal, who generally hugs the baseline, came to net and hit a beautiful drop volley. The points went with serve until Nadal served at 4-5 down. After a brief rally, Verdasco attempted a backhand down the line. The ball clipped the top of the net and stopped dead on Nadal’s side, giving the lower-ranked Spaniard a 6-4 lead and two set points. And Verdasco took the set at the first time of asking, hammering away an overhead to take a surprise lead.

Second Set: 6-4 Nadal

At the start of the second set, the two Spaniards traded easy holds until 3-all, when Verdasco took a love-30 lead on the top-ranked Nadal’s serve. But Nadal escaped the pressured situation, then held several break points in Verdasco’s service game at 3-4. Again, the danger was stamped out, with no breaks up to this point in the match. But the defining moment in this set, and maybe even the match, came with Verdasco serving at 4-5 and deuce. An incredible rally ensued, with Verdasco hitting a bullet backhand down the line and a viciously angled forehand. But Nadal, defending exceptionally well, recovered to hit the shot of the match: running down a Verdasco slice loaded with sidespin, Nadal ripped a “banana” forehand winner down the line. This shot gave Nadal momentum, and he evened the match at one set all when Verdasco hit long on the next point. They would play best of three sets for a berth in the final.

Third Set: 7-6 (2) Nadal

The third set started strongly, with both players ending rallies with one winner after another. And it was Nadal who secured with first break, hitting a curling forehand pass down the line to take a 2-0 lead. At this point it seemed the more accomplished Spaniard might run away with the match, but Verdasco had other ideas. He broke back immediately to love, hitting a forehand return winner and a brutally precise backhand down the line. After holding his own serve, he then had a chance to break Nadal again and seize control of the set, but hit a forehand return long. In the following game, Nadal took the advantage again, breaking for a 4-2 lead when his countryman hit a forehand wide. But again, Verdasco refused to let the set get away and broke back immediately, hitting two more unreachable backhand winners down the line. From here, both players took care of matters on their own serves, and another tiebreak ensued. Verdasco hit two winners early in the tiebreak, but Nadal was the steadier player and took a 5-2 lead, with two serves coming. On the first, he hit a sharply angled inside-out forehand winner, and a curving ace down the middle on the second. The No. 1 seed beat his chest and roared. He had a two-sets-to-one lead.

Fourth Set: 7-6 (1) Verdasco

With Nadal up two sets to one, the pressure was on Verdasco, but he served incredibly well in the fourth set. Nadal handled his business as well, and the set went to a tiebreak. One of the most exciting moments of the set came with Nadal serving at 3-4, 40-30. After running down two bullet forehands from Verdasco, Nadal, barely getting to the next shot, tossed up a short lob. Instead of hitting a forehand, Verdasco squatted down and hit an overhead as hard as he could. Nadal, sprinting across the court, somehow managed to get it back, and then, when Verdasco hit a crosscourt forehand, passed him at the net. Nadal raised a fist as the crowd exploded, and the two players made eye contact and grinned after the point. On the first point of the tiebreak, after a longish rally, Verdasco hit just about the sharpest angled forehand I’ve ever seen. Nadal, running to reach the ball, ran wider than the umpire’s chair and sliced it back, but Verdasco put away a winner. In this tiebreak, Verdasco’s level hit the stratosphere. On his way to a 6-0 lead, he hit two forehand winners down the line, both on Nadal’s serve, and a sharply angled volley winner. The only point Verdasco lost in the tiebreak was off a rather wild forehand return while up 6-0. But on the next point, the 14th seed banged down an unreturnable serve to take the set, yelling and beating his chest in triumph. The match was even.

Fifth Set

Starting the fifth set, Nadal held, then reached break point on Verdasco’s serve by swatting away an overhead. The chance went begging when the top seed hit an attempted forehand pass inches wide, and he covered his face in anguish. He hit back with a backhand winner, but Verdasco immediately wiped out the break point with an ace. A few easy holds followed until Verdasco’s service game at 2-3. Nadal earned another break point, but a service winner erased the danger. The world No. 1 had been holding easily, but at 4-all, he fell behind love-30. Nadal is a great fighter, though, and evened the score at 30-all before hitting a volley winner and closing out the game. With Verdasco serving to stay in the match at 4-5, on the first point, Verdasco hit to all corners of the court, but Nadal defended brilliantly. Finally Verdasco missed. He lost the next point as well, hitting a forehand long, then sent down a double fault: 0-40 and three match points. At this point, Nadal actually started to cry into the towel. But it wasn’t over- Verdasco saved the first two match points with swing volleys. Still 30-40 down, he double faulted again to lose the match. Immediately, Nadal fell flat on his back in triumph while his countryman fell to his knees. After hugging his drained opponent, Nadal knelt down and thrust his arms towards the sky. After five hours and fourteen minutes, Rafael Nadal had made his first Australian Open final: a rematch against Roger Federer.

The Aftermath

Despite being drained from the longest AO match to date, Nadal would go on to play another five-setter against Federer in the final. And despite a Federer comeback from two sets to one down, Nadal would take the fifth set decisively to win the 2009 Australian Open (Score: 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2). He wouldn’t win another slam that year, but in 2010 he won the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open, with the latter wrapping up his career Grand Slam (winning at least one slam at every major). The 2009 Australian Open marked his sixth career slam. He now has seventeen, and is the No. 2 player in the world, ten years later. He is the favorite to win the 2019 French Open, and is a contender at almost every major as of the past couple years. Only Roger Federer, with 20 slams, leads the Spaniard on the all-time leaderboard.

Things didn’t end so well for Verdasco. Although like Nadal, he is still playing, his ranking hovers around the 30 mark. But tragically, his career has been marred with mistakes in pressured moments, like the two double faults in the last game of this match. At this year’s Australian Open, he took a two-set lead against last year’s finalist, Marin Cilic. Verdasco was hitting huge forehands and playing beautifully. Cilic took the third set, but the fourth went to a tiebreak. The Spaniard had a match point, which Cilic erased with a powerful serve, but another wasn’t long in coming- this time on Verdasco’s serve. He double-faulted. From there, Cilic took the tiebreak and the fifth set. Since losing the epic match to Nadal, Verdasco has struggled to produce the same level. He hasn’t made it back to the semifinals of a slam since that fateful loss to Nadal. Rafael Nadal is a household name. He’s probably the second-greatest tennis player ever. If you ask someone about Verdasco, even a tennis fan, they might not know the name. But for five hours and fourteen minutes on a late night Down Under in 2009, Fernando Verdasco captivated the tennis world.

Thanks for reading! Email me at owenlewis11801@gmail.com with any questions or feedback.

A Look Back at the 2019 Australian Open

By Owen Lewis

At the Australian Open this year, Novak Djokovic stormed to a seventh title Down Under, two-time defending champion Roger Federer lost in the fourth round to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafa Nadal taught the “NextGen” a lesson, Petra Kvitová blazed her way to an incredible comeback, Naomi Osaka consolidated her position as the best player in the world, Serena Williams suffered the most shocking collapse of her career, and what does Djokovic’s victory count for in the GOAT debate? Let’s take a closer look.

Federer,Nadal, Djokovic, and the GOAT question

Going into the year’s first major, there was much talk about Nadal’s new serve- he had reportedly developed a new service motion. And the Spaniard delivered an average of six aces per match, significantly above his career average of around two. He also cut a swath through the field up until the final, winning all eighteen sets he played and dropping just six games to Tsitsipas in the semifinals. He also handily beat the young American Frances Tiafoe and 19-year-old Alex de Minaur. Nadal was playing some of his best tennis, and raced to the final about as efficiently as any player has. All of this pointed to the Spaniard winning a second Australian Open title. But in the final, Djokovic handed the world No. 2 his worst loss in a grand slam final to date.

The Serb had looked slightly shakier on his way to the final, dropping sets to 19-year-old Denis Shapovalov and Daniil Medvedev. In the Medvedev match, Djokovic looked physically taxed and the match was closer than the scoreline of 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3 indicates. After evening the match, Medvedev went 0-40 up with Djokovic serving at 1-2. Chasing down a drop shot, it seemed that the Russian had a chance to break Djokovic at love, but he appeared to stumble and hit the ball into the net. From there, the Serb closed out the game and the set by winning five games on the bounce: 6-2. He then broke Medvedev early in the fourth, and though the six-five Russian had chances to break back, he couldn’t convert and lost the set 6-3. Still, this match made Djokovic look potentially vulnerable.

He wouldn’t be tested for the rest of the tournament. Against Kei Nishikori in the quarters (who was coming off a five-set, five-hour victory against Pablo Carreno Busta) Djokovic went up 6-1, 4-1 before Nishikori retired. In the next round against surprise semifinalist Lucas Pouille, Djokovic committed just five unforced errors in a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 pulverizing. And in a hugely anticipated rematch of the 2012 final, a six-hour epic, the world’s best put on a clinic, beating the Spaniard 6-3, 6-2, 6-3. Though Nadal seemed to abandon the aggressive style that had gotten him to the final in such promising form, Djokovic was near flawless from the start, committing just nine unforced errors.

And Roger Federer, the current GOAT, shockingly lost in the fourth round to Stefanos Tsitsipas: 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5). He was 0/12 on break points, including four that would have handed him a two-set lead. It’s the 37-year-old’s third straight early loss at a slam. Take nothing away from the Greek’s victory; he played exceptionally well on the big points, but Federer made 40 unforced errors on his usually reliable forehand, which often anchors the rest of his game.

So, what does this mean for the debate over GOAT? The win marks Djokovic’s seventh victory in Australia and his fifteenth grand slam overall. He sits behind Nadal at seventeen, and Federer at twenty. He has the career slam (7 AO titles, one at the French Open, four Wimbledon titles and three U.S. Open titles). He holds a career head-to-head record against Federer and Nadal (28-25 against Nadal and 25-22 against Federer). He’s won the last three slams and is a good bet to win two more this year. My opinion is that number of slams come first, then variety, then H2H. So if he surpasses Federer’s twenty, I think you’d have to give it to him. As of now, though, the Swiss is the GOAT, and Djokovic is faced with the task of winning at least six more slams, depending on if Federer wins any more. At the French Open, Nadal is almost always going to be the favorite, Djokovic has lost early recently at Indian Wells and Miami, and a young player is sure to break through soon. Also, injuries or personal problems can halt progress, as they have in the past for the Serb. However, he’s on a 21-match winning streak at slams, he’s the clear world No. 1, and he’s the youngest of the “Big Three”. Not to mention, Federer hasn’t won a slam in over a year, and Nadal hasn’t won one since last year’s French Open. I think that by the end of this year, there will be more data points to help predict who will win this career-spanning race, but as of now, one thing is for sure: Federer’s GOAT title is far less stable than it was fourteen months ago.

2. Osaka, Kvitová, and a remarkable final

The women’s final delivered considerably more drama than the men’s. Naomi Osaka, the winner of the previous major (2018 U.S. Open) came out strong, taking the first set in a tiebreak: 7-6 (2). Although Kvitová grabbed a break at the start of the second set, the Japanese star hit back, breaking Kvitová twice to take a 4-2 lead. With the Czech serving at 3-5 down, serving to stay in the match, a remarkable turnaround took place. Osaka won the first three points on Kvitová’s serve. 0-40 and three championship points. Yet the two-time Wimbledon champion saved all three, including a remarkably brave forehand winner. Closing out the hold, the pressure fell on Osaka to serve out the Australian Open. Kvitová was able to hold her momentum, breaking at 15 to even the set at 5-all. One might think the Czech would run away with the set from there, but Osaka pressured her next service game and Kvitová had to survive break point to hold. Now Osaka really did fall apart, dropping her service game to love on a double fault and with it the set. In half an hour, she’d lost three championship points, been broken twice, and seen victory snatched away. Now the match was even and Osaka left the court in tears.

She returned a different player. After a hold on either side, Osaka ripped a crosscourt backhand winner to break for a 2-1 lead. And that proved to be a decisive moment, as the rest of the match went with serve: 6-4 Osaka in the third. New world No. 1, back-to-back grand slam titles, and the first Asian No.1, male or female. But let’s talk about the match for a minute. Often, when a player loses a match point and the momentum, they collapse and the other player runs away with the match. Heck, it happened to Roger Federer at Wimbledon this year (went up two sets, had match point in the third, then lost the point, the set, the next two sets, and the match)! But what I think takes a true fighting spirit is to miss an opportunity like that and still come back to close it out. Nadal did it in the famous Wimbledon 2008 final. Borg did it almost thirty years earlier at the same venue in 1980. And Djokovic did it in 2014, again at SW19. This type of victory takes some serious mental strength. Winning a slam is every tennis player’s dream. Imagine being one point away- just one point! Then losing that point, and watching the opponent grab the momentum and the lead. Many would, and have, faded, allowing the opponent to run away with the match. Instead, Osaka regrouped and sealed an emotional victory.

As for Kvitová, the result of a loss in the final should still be very encouraging. Two years ago, she was the victim of a horrific attack in which an intruder entered her apartment with a knife. She is still on the upswing, and I think that the Czech has more good results in her future if she keeps up her form from AO.

3. Serena’s collapse

In the quarterfinals against Karolina Pliskova, Serena Williams had fought back from a first set loss and taken a seemingly insurmountable 5-1 lead in the deciding set. Serving at 5-1 and match point, the 23-time major champion was called for a foot fault. Some thought that the American would suffer a similar meltdown to that of the 2018 U.S. Open final against Osaka, but Williams appeared to put the call out of her mind. During the point, she stumbled, twisting her ankle, and netted the ball. From there, Pliskova broke, held, broke, held, broke, and held, saving three more match points along the way. Serena Williams, the GOAT of women’s tennis, had just lost six straight games. At a major. In the deciding set. This is not to say that Williams would have won the Australian Open if she’d won this match, but simply put, she can’t afford losses like this. She is 37 and without a single tournament win in two years (yes, Federer is also 37, but he won in Miami this week, made the final of Indian Wells, and won Dubai the week before that). She is anxious to surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles, but how many more opportunites will she have?

That’s it for this recap, email me with any questions or feedback! Thanks for reading.

Miami Open: Federer vs. Anderson

Roger Federer vs. Kevin Anderson

Game-by-game report by Owen Lewis

First set: 1-0 Federer

Federer breaks in the first game! A couple of deep returns off Anderson second serves brings up 30-30, and though a big ace saves a break point, the South African misses a backhand on the second and Federer breaks.

2-0 Federer

The Swiss has gone to the drop shot twice already, something he didn’t do in the Wimbledon loss, and won the point both times. And another missed backhand by Anderson wraps up a comfortable hold to 15.

3-0 Federer

It’s so crucial that Anderson get on the board this game. Federer looks steady early on and Anderson’s first serve isn’t firing yet. A wayward forehand brings him to 0-15, but a missed backhand from the Swiss evens the game. Anderson sends a darting forehand into the corner after a strong rally for 30-15, but Anderson nets yet another backhand for 30-all. He nails his second ace to bring up game point, though, but Federer saves with a great lob followed by an angled forehand that Anderson can’t handle. Deuce. And now the alarm bells are clanging in the big man’s head as a backhand long brings up break point. Anderson appears to hit an ace, but Federer challenges and it’s just out, and Anderson weakly hits his second serve into the net. This set is gone.

4-0 Federer

A Federer backhand clips the tape and sits up short for Anderson, but he smacks a forehand long. Federer double-faults, but another missed ground stroke and a missed return bring up 40-15 for the Swiss. And a forehand into the net off a second serve wraps up another hold.

5-0 Federer

Anderson to serve at 0-4, and this is special. Federer comes to net and Anderson appears to conjure up a great passing shot, but Federer hits one, two great reflex volleys. After a thrilling succession of volleys, Anderson clips the tape and Federer sends a backhand down the line for a winner. Anderson double-faults, and then Federer sends down another great drop shot followed by a slice passing winner. Three break points, and Anderson shanks a forehand. Nothing’s going his way at the moment.

First set: 6-0 Federer

Over on Grandstand, Denis Shapovalov has taken the second set off Frances Tiafoe 6-4, and we’re going to a decider. Up 30-0, Federer misses a cheeky slice, then double-faults for the second time for 30-all. And a second-serve ace brings up set point, which the Swiss takes with a clean backhand volley. I don’t think many were expecting a bagel! Anderson needs to regroup quickly to make this second set a battle.

Second set: 1-0 Federer

The match is probably gone if Anderson drops serve here. He slices weakly into the net on the first point, but Federer sends a return long for 15-all. Another strong serve brings up 30-15. And Anderson hits a great tee serve, but the Swiss reads it beautifully and draws Anderson into a long rally, with the big man eventually missing a forehand. At 30-all Anderson tries for a backhand up the line and nets it. He’s missed so many neutral backhands tonight. Anderson approaches the net, and though Federer makes a great sprawling return off the first volley, the South African smacks it away for deuce. But his serve has been so ineffective tonight by his standards, and Federer wins yet another rally beginning with a second serve. And here’s a stat for you: the big man has won six out of thirteen first serve points. Yikes. A winner and an ace bring up game point though- Anderson’s attitude has been fantastic; he’s still competing and fist-pumping. A great rally follows, with Federer moving the ball all around the court before nailing a backhand winner down the line (4 backhand winners for Fed, zero for Anderson). Anderson is called for a time violation, but a strong serve gives him advantage. Now he nets a backhand-every time he seems to get his teeth into a rally, he misses. Deuce. An overhead brings up game point, but a missed backhand and it’s deuce again. Federer is putting so many returns into play. And now a great return off a huge serve and a lovely backhand passing shot and it’s break point. Second serve…and a backhand long hands Federer the break. On Grandstand, Shapovalov has secured the first break of the decider to go up 2-1.

2-0 Federer

Return long. 15-0. A dink volley into the net brings up 15-all, but a shanked forehand by Anderson and it’s 30-15. Another missed forehand from Anderson and a big serve and it’s game Federer. He’s won eight games in a row!

2-1 Federer

At 15-0, Anderson double-faults. Federer sends a backhand long for 30-15. Then he misses a slice to hand the big man 40-15 and two chances to log his first game of the match. Here’s another stat: Anderson’s won 7 of 20 second serve points. But Federer misses a forehand and the South African’s on the board.

3-1 Federer

Chris Fowler suspects Federer handed the last game to Anderson by standing far back on the second serves. Brad Gilbert disagrees. Anyway, Roger sends down an ace for 30-15 and Anderson nets a forehand. Two game points for the Swiss. Anderson hits a solid inside-out backhand return, forcing Federer to net a forehand. But then the big man hits long to drop another game.

3-2 Federer

Anderson goes up 30-0 when Federer attempts a drop shot and sends it wide. Federer then moves way up on an Anderson second serve, hitting a somewhat awkward return, but Anderson nets the riposte. The big man repeats the trick on the the next point, and now it’s 30-all. A strong serve brings up game point but a missed backhand and it’s deuce. Anderson kisses the baseline with a forehand early in the rally, but Federer does well to stay in the point, eventually closing the net behind an inside-out forehand, but hits a routine volley long. And Anderson punches away a volley to hold serve for the second straight time. Now for making a mark on the imperious Federer serve.

–Shapovalov is serving for the match at 5-2 on Grandstand. Tiafoe has a break point, but the Canadian wipes it out with an ace. Another big serve and it’s match point! And Tiafoe hits long- Shapovalov will play the winner of Anderson-Federer in the semifinals.

Second set: 3-3

Well, well! I write “imperious serve” and Anderson breaks! Returning to action on Stadium Court, Federer is down 15-40, and a backhand pass seals the break for Anderson! We’ve got a match on our hands now.

4-3 Anderson

The South African breezes through a love hold, sealing the game with an ace. He’s got some momentum now- we’ll see how Federer responds during this next service game.

Second set: 4-4

Anderson’s settled in nicely and Federer’s level has dropped a bit over the course of the set. A big serve and a missed return from Anderson bring up 40-15, though, but Anderson nails a forehand winner. Wow- Anderson has hit 11 winners this set to Federer’s three. One more game point…and a successfully challenged serve secures the hold. We’re all square in the second.

Second set: 5-4 Federer

Federer starts off Anderson’s service game by moving the big man all around the court before smacking a forehand down the line and putting away an overhead. An Anderson double fault and it’s 0-30- it’s crucial for Anderson to keep his momentum here- and a brilliant backhand down the line brings up 15-30. Then Anderson puts away an overhead for 30-all. Another big point coming up: second serve…and Anderson blocks a backhand wide. Break point to serve for the match! But Federer nets a second serve return! He’s been so clinical on returns tonight- a bad time to miss a return. Anderson chases Federer around the court and it’s game point, but a gorgeous backhand pass from the Swiss and we’re back to deuce. Another big serve for advantage point, and Anderson nets a short forehand. Third deuce. Anderson approaches the net, absorbing a couple passes, then Federer tosses up a lob. Anderson sprints back and hits a shot over his head that kisses the baseline! Federer hits the overhead, and Anderson finally misses. Break point. A service winner takes us to a fourth deuce, followed by another great serve. Advantage Anderson. He’s saved four of five break points this set. A wayward forehand and it’s deuce #5. Anderson smacks a deep serve, and it appears long, but Federer meets it with a clean forehand winner down the line (Hawkeye shows the serve was it). Third break point, and Anderson saves it with a great backhand volley! Sixth deuce. But Anderson misses another backhand down the line-he’s made just one this shot-and it’s break point again. Surely this is it- but Anderson saves it with another clinical volley! That’s four break points saved. Seventh deuce. And now a poor forehand goes way long from Anderson and it’s break point #5. Anderson saves it with a volley nearly identical to the last one. Deuce #8 and Ando misses another easy forehand. A sixth break point…second serve…and a nicely placed sliced return and we have a break!! An epic game and Federer to serve for the match.

Game, set, and match Federer: 6-0, 6-4

Federer serving for the match. Anderson slices into the net on the first point- 15-love. Now a service winner and he’s two points away. And a huge ace down the tee and Federer has three match points. Anderson returns into the net and it’s game, set, and match Federer!

So there you have it. Federer could do no wrong in the first set, while Anderson struggled to find his game, but the South African did well to give the GOAT a two-fisted battle in the second set. But Federer was too strong in an epic 4-all game deep in the second set, and served out the match without a hitch. He will play Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals.

That’s all for tonight. Thanks for reading. Bye!

Novak Djokovic Crashes Out of Miami Open

By Owen Lewis

Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, crashed out of the Miami Open in the fourth round, losing to Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 5-7, 3-6. Bautista Agut had beaten top-ranked Djokovic earlier this year in Doha, but was by no means the favorite to win this match. And the scars of that loss seemed to be fresh for the Serb, who raced through the opening set in under half an hour. He did a superb job of attacking the 22nd seed’s serve, who had to save a set point for a bagel.

But it wasn’t quite that easy. Bautista Agut, a fit Spaniard who made the quarterfinals of this year’s Australian Open, dropped his serve at the start of the second set, but immediately broke back. In Doha, Bautista Agut had fallen behind a by a set and a break before storming back to stun Djokovic. Throughout the second set, that fight was prevalent. The scrappy Spaniard saved nine of ten break points, including at a critical stage late in the set at 5-5, and was often bossing the long rallies from the baseline. After a brief rain delay with Djokovic about to serve at 4-5, it seemed that Bautista Agut’s momentum might have been halted when Djokovic held easily and pressured the Spaniard’s serve in the following game. However, after Djokovic went up 30-0 serving at 5-6, the Doha champion staged a fightback, setting up a set point at 30-40. Djokovic, a 15-time major champion, saved the set point with a great second serve, but Bautista Agut kept up the pressure and took the set when the Serb sent a wayward forehand wide.

With all the momentum on the side of the Spaniard, it was crucial to make a strong start to the deciding set. Earlier this week, Federico Delbonis had pushed Djokovic to a third set, but capitulated quickly, falling 6-1. And it appeared that a similar fate could be nigh for Bautista Agut when Djokovic grabbed two break points at 1-1. But again, keeping with his aggressive strategy in the match, Bautista Agut got in strong first serves at crucial moments and turned the game around, before going on to break the top seed in the next game for a 3-1 lead. Djokovic quickly broke back courtesy of a double fault, but uncharacteristically failed to grab the momentum and was broken once again for 4-2. This time the Spaniard made no mistake, holding serve and decisively serving out the match, taking his first match point with a forehand winner down the line.

The upset marks Djokovic’s second straight early loss in a tournament. Going into the “Sunshine Double” of Indian Wells and Miami, the world No. 1 was the heavy favorite for each event. He didn’t make the quarterfinals in either. While anyone is yet to prove that they can beat him in a major as of late, here’s where I think Djokovic has cause for concern:

He has a world of points to defend in the second half of the year.

Starting with Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic underwent a meteoric rise to the top of men’s tennis. The problem is that he must defend well over half his current ranking points in the second half of the year. The Serb’s conquest included the final of Queens, winning Wimbledon, winning Cincinnati, another final in Paris, winning the US open, and making the finals of the ATP World Tour finals. An early loss at any of these events would be a hit to Djokovic’s ranking points, and while he doesn’t have many points to defend for the first half of the year, he’s missed a big opportunity: last year, he also lost early at Indian Wells and Miami, so many thought that the Sunshine Double would be a great opportunity to extend his lead over world No. 2 Rafael Nadal. During the clay season, Djokovic isn’t defending many points either, with his best results being a semifinal at Rome and the quarterfinals of the French Open, but after Roland Garros, I expect it to be a battle for the Serb to match his performance from last year, and to keep his position at world No. 1.

2. During the loss to Bautista Agut, he wasn’t his usual fiery self.

This may seem like a smaller point, but throughout the second and third sets, Djokovic seemed almost detached from the action, and the killer’s eyes many tennis fans have come to know were MIA. Often during a match that isn’t going his way, the world No. 1 will blow off frustration by smashing a racket or yelling to the crowd or his box- but during this match we saw no intense emotion whatsoever. Throughout his legendary career, the 15-time grand slam champion has built a reputation as a fighter: there was almost no situation the Serb couldn’t fight his way out of. Yet, deep in this battle with Bautista Agut, there was no apparent desire to turn the tables or will to fight. Djokovic is in the midst of a remarkable resurgence in his career. Just a year ago, Djokovic had fallen to No. 22 in the world and was coming off four straight early exits in slams. Ironically, this steep decline started after he had reached a nearly impossible goal- winning four grand slams in a row. After completing the streak at the 2016 French Open, and logging his first title on the red clay (completing the career grand slam) Djokovic told reporters that he would need to find a new source of motivation. And starting with the very next slam, the 2016 Wimbledon, Djokovic began a slow, downward slide. This seems a potentially similar situation. For the past nine months, the Serb has been practically unbeatable, winning three straight slams. Could he have lost the hunger again? It’s definitely too soon to say whether this will have an effect on Djokovic in the future, but the past problem may be presenting itself again.

Five Takeaways From Indian Wells

By Owen Lewis

Indian Wells is a Masters 1000 tennis tournament, probably the biggest outside the four grand slams (aka majors, worth 2000 ranking points) and for this reason is dubbed by some tennis’s “fifth major”. The 2019 tournament certainly did not disappoint. This past week in the desert, world No. 2 and 17-time major champion Rafael Nadal crashed out with a recurring knee injury, 18-year-old Bianca Andreescu plowed through several seeded players on her way to the title on the women’s side, the undisputed GOAT of women’s tennis, Serena Williams, retired with an injury, and world No. 1 Novak Djokovic fell to 35-year-old Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round. Let’s look at some takeaways from the tournament.

Bianca Andreescu is a big-time player

On her way to the title, the Canadian plowed through seeded players including Elina Svitolina and Angie Kerber, and even routed two-time grand slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza 6-0, 6-1. Fighting through cramps in the final, Andreescu fought back from a break down in the third set to take the title. She’s lost just three matches this year, and won over 25. Although just 18, she has a powerful baseline game but can intermittently throw in a slice or off-pace shot, keeping her opponents off balance. On her tear through the women’s draw, she defeated the 32nd seed, 18th seed, 20th seed (Muguruza), 6th seed, and 8th seeded Kerber in the final (three-time grand slam champion). She’s shot up the rankings to #24, starting from #192 at the start of this year, and if she’s able to maintain such form, it’s hard to see her not making the semis of at least one slam this year.

2. Naomi Osaka isn’t comfortable at the top yet

Osaka, the world No. 1, and the winner of the past two majors (2018 U.S. Open and the 2019 Australian Open), lost in the third round in the desert. Osaka lost to Belinda Bencic, the 23rd-seeded Swiss, in a surprisingly one-sided match: 6-3, 6-1. Shockingly, after her Australian Open victory, Osaka fired her coach who had led her to so much success, Sascha Bajin. While Osaka didn’t reveal any reasons for the split, it seems bizarre. Since she still has an incredible game: strong off both wings, powerful serves, and great angled groundstrokes, there’s no reason why she can’t maintain her position at the pinnacle of the WTA. On the flip side, splitting with a coach that she’s enjoyed so much success under could affect her game. Time will tell.

3. Novak Djokovic stumbled, but he can get back up

Going into the tournament as an overwhelming favorite, world No. 1 and the winner of the last three majors, there was a debate over who could possibly topple the Serb. Having crushed world No. 2 Nadal at the final of the Australian Open and having won his last few meetings against Roger Federer, the most likely candidate seemed to be Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios, the recent Acapulco champion, and a notoriously talented “bad boy,” owns a 2-0 head-to-head record against Djokovic. And seeing that the two were slated to play in the third round, some thought that the undisputed ruler of men’s tennis could crash out early.

We never got to see the matchup. Djokovic won his opener against Bjorn Fratangelo, but Kyrgios, who is known to elevate his game against prominent players but often struggles against lower-ranked players, lost to Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-4. Incredibly, though, the 35-year-old Kohlschreiber toppled the top-ranked Djokovic in straight sets, before going on to lose to Gael Monfils. Despite his loss, Djokovic is still the favorite for this week’s tournament in Miami and holds a sizable lead in the ranking points over Rafael Nadal.

4. Roger Federer missed a huge opportunity…and a 39th career meeting with Rafael Nadal

With Djokovic out early, Federer and Nadal became the favorites to take the title. The two longtime rivals were slated to play in the semifinals, and when Nadal secured a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) win over Karen Khachanov, tennis fans were in an excited uproar for the first “Fedal” match in over a year. However, Nadal, having tweaked his knee in the win over Khachanov, pulled out of the match, announcing it on social media the morning of the match. With this meaning a walkover for Federer into the final, he became the overwhelming favorite to take the title against Dominic Thiem, the Austrian whose game is more suited to dominate on the red clay courts of Paris. The Swiss started strongly, securing a decisive break in the first set with a beautiful backhand return, and going on to take the set 6-3. However, his game was error-strewn in the second set and much of the third- Thiem completed a magnificent comeback to claim the biggest title of his career with a 7-5 win in the decider.

Federer, coming off a nine-match winning streak, didn’t have to play Nadal or Djokovic, his longtime rivals. Yet he still couldn’t get over the line. However, he didn’t seem disappointed and says he is pleased with his form going into the Miami Open. Yet the fact remains: the GOAT of men’s tennis is 37 years old. He hasn’t won a slam in over a year, and with every loss he suffers, people will inevitably start uttering Federer eulogies. Despite this, he’s gone several years without winning a slam before, only to have a potentially career-defining revival (winning three slams in a year and a half after winning none from Mid-2012 to early 2017). It’s no secret that Novak Djokovic has 15 slams, is the best player in the world, and has his sights set on Federer’s haul of 20 as well as the GOAT legacy. I think Federer will play at least another year, and will always be a threat in the slams- he’s in fine form as of now and has nothing to worry about physically. Still, a defeat like this, in such a big tournament, has to hurt (but hey- the man’s won 100 career titles. He’ll probably get over this one quickly).

5. On the men’s side, NextGen stars have a long way to go.

Although 25-year old Thiem won the title, the youngsters on the men’s circuit dubbed “NextGen” failed to impress for the most part. Denis Shapovalov, an 18-year-old Canadian (though not as successful as Andreescu in the desert), was rapping triumphantly (read: poorly. Very poorly.) after a third round upset over Marin Cilic, then smashing his racket in a fit of rage in a fourth round loss to Hubert Hurkacz. Alexander Zverev, who is widely touted as a likely heir to the throne of men’s tennis, was crushed by Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Roger Federer’s conqueror at this year’s Australian Open and a potential future No. 1, crashed out to Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 6-2. Auger-Aliassime is just 18, but lost a thriller to Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka, who retired with an injury in the next round.

Other Takeaways

–Serena’s struggles continue

After a shock loss to Karolina Pliskova at the Australian Open (in which she led 5-1 in the deciding set with a match point) this was Serena’s first tournament. In the first round, she won perhaps the highest quality women’s match of the year over Azarenka. The scoreline is deceiving, 7-5, 6-3, but it seemed like Williams had to save break points every game. However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion played her best on the break points and secured a thrilling win. Unfortunately, the luck didn’t last: Serena retired in her third-round match against Garbiñe Muguruza.

Serena hasn’t won a slam since the 2017 Australian Open. She made the Wimbledon final last year, only to be routed by Angie Kerber, and lost controversially to Naomi Osaka in the final of last year’s US Open: Umpire Carlos Ramos hit Williams with a game penalty late in the second set following an extended outburst. And in this year’s Australian Open, Serena was just one point from a semifinal rematch with Osaka, but suffered her worst collapse to date. Up 5-1 in the deciding set, Serena was called for a foot fault when serving at match point. Although appearing to put the call out of her head, Serena collapsed. Pliskova reeled off six straight games to shock the 7-time Australian Open champion. Williams is 37, and still playing near the top of the game- yet she’s not won a single tournament in over two years. The clock is relentless, and it may finally be catching up to the great champion.

–Nadal’s woes on hard courts

Rafael Nadal pulled out of the tournament prior to a blockbuster semifinal against Roger Federer. He also had to retire in last year’s US Open semifinal against Juan Martín del Potro. Although Nadal has been historically strong on hard courts, it seems to be taking a big toll on him as of late. Suffering from knee tendonitis throughout his career, the injury has knocked Nadal out of several hard court events, including majors. Nadal’s only recent hard court tournament win is the Rogers Cup last year, but he’s had to pull out of many events as well. With the Spaniard at 32 years old, and still playing a very scrappy, defensive, physical style of tennis, it’s hard to see him being successful on the hard courts in the future.