The perfect-of-five format on the Grand Slams lends itself to matches stuffed with twists and turns because the world’s finest compete on the sport’s greatest levels. The 4 majors in 2023 delivered with memorable matchups stuffed with high quality and drama from begin to end.
As we proceed our look again on the 2023 season, ATPTour.com counts down the 5 biggest Grand Slam matches of the 12 months.
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5) Wimbledon Open R1, Tsitsipas d. Thiem 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(10-8)
A roller-coaster match that was performed over two days at Wimbledon climaxed with a dramatic final-set tie-break, the consequence on a knife’s edge till the final ball of the three-hour, 55-minute contest.
Stefanos Tsitsipas trailed by a set in a single day, with the match suspended halfway via set two. However the Greek took management upon its resumption, solely to see Dominic Thiem battle again. After Thiem saved a break level early within the fourth set, he gained a tense tie-break after which — for a short second — appeared to have secured a break lead within the fifth. However an correct overrule by the chair umpire stopped Thiem from taking a 4-3 lead, and Tsitsipas in the end closed out a gritty victory with a forehand passing shot on his third match level.
“It was fairly irritating, I will not lie. We had been on the market, I do not know what number of hours… for a second I assumed we had been doing the repeat of Isner-Mahut,” Tsitsipas stated after levelling the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head at 5-5. “We each fought onerous as we speak. We placed on a present. I hope everybody loved it.”
It was the second straight match (and the third out of 4) between the opponents to require a decisive tie-break, with Tsitsipas additionally taking that path to wins earlier within the season in Madrid and within the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals title match.
Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Photographs
4) US Open R4, Zverev d. Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
The longest match on the 2023 US Open ended at 1:39 a.m. with Alexander Zverev nonetheless standing after an announcement win. In a four-hour, 41-minute battle of attrition performed in excessive humidity, Jannik Sinner struggled with cramp within the second and third units however nonetheless put forth a powerful show to tug his opponent right into a fifth.
With punishing rallies to match the punishing circumstances, each gamers had been visibly struggling in between factors however summoning supreme effort when the ball was in play. Sinner was firmly within the ascendancy within the fourth set, trying the brisker of the 2 till Zverev rebounded down the stretch. In a high-quality last set, Zverev’s massive swings yielded 14 winners to Sinner’s seven, guiding him to a memorable triumph.
“I suppose I can say I’m again, proper? That is what I reside for, that is what I completely like to do,” stated Zverev, who missed the second half of 2022, together with the US Open, with a critical ankle damage. “I want I may have performed a bit of bit shorter, that’s for certain, however final 12 months after I wasn’t in a position to play, these had been precisely the moments I missed. Till 1:30 a.m. in entrance of a packed crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium. There’s nothing higher.”
For Sinner, it was a second straight heartbreaking late-night defeat in New York. In 2022, the Italian misplaced a five-hour, 15-minute marathon to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz that completed at a record-late 2:50 a.m.
Photograph: Corey Sipkin/AFP through Getty Photographs
3) Australian Open R4, Rublev d. Rune 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(11-9)
The fifth set of this Melbourne thriller might need been probably the most dramatic set of tennis this season, with Andrey Rublev battling again from the brink on a number of events to advance to the Australian Open quarter-finals for the second time, on the expense of Holger Rune.
Within the last set of the High 10 matchup, Rublev trailed 2-5, stared down two match factors at 5-6, and located himself in a 0/5 gap within the decisive tie-break. It was Rune’s flip to save lots of two match factors later within the tie-break, earlier than a internet wire dribbler ended the match in Rublev’s favour.
“I by no means in my life was in a position to win matches like this,” stated Rublev, who gained 12 of 13 factors to erase the 2-5 deficit within the last set. “That is the primary ever time that I gained one thing like this, particularly in a really particular match, the Australian Open, to be within the quarter-finals. So it’s one thing I’ll keep in mind for certain all my life. I’ve no phrases, I’m shaking and completely satisfied.”
Whereas each gamers showcased massive hitting and world-class shotmaking all through the match, neither may maintain his finest degree lengthy sufficient to drag away. It appeared Rublev would just do that when Rune started cramping early within the fourth set, however the Dane soldiered on and in the end discovered his finest kind early within the fifth. However in a match stuffed with twists and turns, there can be lots extra, with Rublev popping out on high by the slimmest of margins.
2) Australian Open R1, Murray d. Berrettini 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-7(7), 7-6(10-6)
This opening-round showdown between five-time Melbourne finalist Andy Murray and returning semi-finalist Matteo Berrettini set a sky-high bar on the very begin of the Grand Slam season. The four-hour, 49-minute triumph additionally started the emergence of “Marathon Murray” in 2023, with the three-time Grand Slam champion exhibiting a penchant for profitable long-running matches all through the early levels of the season.
In Melbourne, Murray attacked the Berrettini backhand early and infrequently to construct a two-set lead, however the Italian discovered his footing to roar again. Berrettini rose to the event within the fourth-set tie-break, taking part in a few of his finest tennis to disclaim Murray when the Scot was twice two factors from victory. However the thirteenth seed’s backhand miss on match level at 5-4 within the fifth — a routine would-be winner that he should still be replaying in his head — set the stage for Murray’s resurgence.
The Briton raced out to a 5/0 lead within the decisive tie-break and by no means seemed again, in the end notching his first High 20 win at a Grand Slam since 2017.
“I’ve put a variety of work into the previous few months with my staff right here to present me the chance to carry out on stadiums like this and in matches like this towards gamers like Matteo, and it paid off tonight,” stated Murray, who had by no means performed a 10-point tie-break earlier than.
Simply how shut was this match in the course of the dwelling stretch? After Berrettini secured his lone break of serve to guide 3-2 within the third set, there have been no additional breaks in Rod Laver Area.
1) Wimbledon Last, Alcaraz d. Djokovic 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
One month after what promised to be an epic Roland Garros semi-final petered out when Carlos Alcaraz suffered with cramp, the Spanish star met Novak Djokovic as soon as once more on the enterprise finish of a Grand Slam — this time at Wimbledon. Whereas Alcaraz entered because the favorite on the Paris clay, the statistics stated that Djokovic had the benefit in London, the place he was searching for his fifth consecutive title.
The Serbian was additionally bidding to proceed his quest for the calendar-year Grand Slam, having gained each Australian Open and Roland Garros to open the season. He was nicely on his method to what would have been his eighth Wimbledon title after a one-sided first set, however when Alcaraz saved a set level earlier than profitable the second-set tie-break, the complexion of the match modified dramatically.
“After the primary set, I assumed, ‘Carlos, improve the extent, everybody will likely be upset,’ ” recalled the 20-year-old, who was taking part in in simply his fourth grass-court occasion.. He continued to lift his sport within the third set, however Djokovic confirmed his legendary resolve to pressure a decider.
Instantly after combating off a break level early within the last set with dogged protection, Alcaraz earned the decisive break within the very subsequent sport.
“Wonderful, what high quality on the finish of the match,” Djokovic stated to his opponent in the course of the trophy ceremony. “Once you needed to serve it out, you got here up with some massive serves and large performs so that you deserve it, completely. Congratulations.”
Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Photographs
Learn all tales in our Greatest Of 2023 evaluate.
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