Federer vs. Roddick: Best Tennis Match of All Time?
By Tyler Lakin | July 7 2009
Anyone who got to watch Roger Federer and Andy Roddick play in the Wimbledon Final on Sunday was a lucky viewer. Personally, I woke up just in time for the fifth set. Luckily for me, I got more than my fair share of entertainment. I really was hoping that Roddick would pull it out, and for a while it looked like it would be impossible for Federer to break his serve. After all was said and done, Federer won the fifth set 16-14, the 30 games in the fifth set being a Wimbledon record, shattering the former 20 game fifth set record. So, while many people are claiming this to be THE best tennis match of all time, I’m not quite so sure. It is absolutely up there, that’s a fact. But I’m not quite sure if it beats last year’s final between Nadal and Federer, and I’m positive it doesn’t beat the famous Bjorn Borg vs. John McEnroe final.
Last year, fans witnessed magic between Nadal and Federer. Federer was still an unstoppable force, especially at Wimbledon, winning 5 titles in a row. He was as close to perfect as they come on the grass. Not only did the rain delays and darkness and length of time it took to complete the match add to the greatness of it, but the points played were simply phenomenal. Also, not only was the tennis spectacular, but it ushered in a new generation of superstar. Nadal had always won on the clay at the French Open, but it showed to many that maybe he had finally surpassed the greatness of Roger Federer.
However, despite the greatness of last year’s Wimbledon Final, and the length of the final set and Federer eclipsing Sampras’s all-time majors record at this year’s Wimbledon final, no tennis match has ever been as stunning as the 1980 Wimbledon Final. Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe played, hands down, the best tennis match in history. Not only were the shots spectacular, but the fourth set tiebreaker alone was unbelievable. It lasted 22 minutes, and there were 34 points played - a record at Wimbledon. It seemed like Bjorn Borg had 10,000 match points, but could never put the pesky McEnroe away. Another thing that is amazing, along with McEnroe coming back to even force a fifth set, is that Borg did not crumble. He stepped it up in the fifth set like a true competitor and won the Championship. The match those two played that day, until a greater match comes along, will go down in history as the greatest tennis match of all time.
What do you think the greatest tennis match of all time has been? Have your say below!
This match was good, long, but no way the best ever. Last 2 years’ wimbledon finals were far better. If you go down history, there have been matches with far better aggressive playing and rallies. This match lacked aggression. Nobody was ready to take risks in rallies. Balls were hit more in the centre than in the corners. If you have a short memory, then french open semi final between federer and juan pedro was far better.
From an American’s perspective it was far more entertaining then it really was only because A-Rod was in it. As a tennis fan, though, I must say that last year’s Wimbledon final is miles ahead of this year’s.
EXACTLY. Sure, this match was very long, and set the fifth set record, but it was *serve-hit-hit-out*, or just a serve without a good return. In my mind it wasn’t close to Nadal-Federer, and nowhere near Borg-McEnroe.
If you were a tennis fan during the Borg-McEnroe era, you will surely agree that their Wimbledon match was epic.