From the longest tennis match ever played to Rafael Nadal's career Grand Slam, Daniel Teo recaps the best tennis moments of 2010. The Match
An unfancied first round Wimbledon match shattered the records as the longest match in the history of tennis. For 11 hours and five minutes spread over three days, United States' John Isner and France's Nicolas Mahut slugged it out on Court 18 and how hold a record that neither men would have wanted.
The game lasted so long, it was suspended because of darkness - two nights in a row.
Play resumed Thursday at 59-all and continued for more than an hour before Isner won 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68.
It was by far the longest in the sports' history in terms of games and time with the previous record standing at six hours, 33 minutes at the 2004 French Open.
Nadal completes career Grand Slam
The world number one became only the sixth man to win all four majors after claiming his first US Open crown in September, defeating Novak Djokovic Novak Djokovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
It capped a supreme season for the Spaniard, making it three Grand Slams in a row after winning Wimbledon and the French Open.
He made known his feelings post match: "For me, it's a dream to have the career grand slam,
"It is an unbelievable feeling because I worked all my life in difficult moments to be here."
Federer beats Nadal, finally
It has been a less-than-perfect season for Roger Federer but he ended it on a winning note with a victory over arch-rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to clinch the 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
And how the Swiss needed it, given his 1-6 record against the Spaniard in their last seven meetings.
Nadal, who was on the back of one of his most successful seasons, was magnanimous enough to give Federer the credit: "I tried my best but he was better than me."
The Victoria Azarenka scare
The crowd held their breath in horror when 10th seed Victoria Azarenka collapsed on Grandstand court in the first set of her second-round match at the U.S. Open against Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
The scorching New York heat was thought to be the cause of her downfall - literally, but it was revealed later that the Belarusian was diagnosed with concussion after hitting her head whilst warming up before the match during a sprint exercise
She released a statement saying: "I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I fell while running a sprint. I fell forward and hit my arm and head,"
The great Sampras theft
The legendary Pete Sampras, whose 14 major championships are second in tennis history only to Roger Federer's 16, was robbed of most of the trophies he won throughout his playing career.
The Los Angeles Times reported thieves had made off with nearly all the trophies from his 64 tour wins, two Davis Cup victories, an Olympic ring and six crowns for his world number one ranking from 1993 to 1998.
Only one of his 14 grand slam trophies - the first one he won at the Australian Open in 1994 - had gone, however.
A devastated Sampras said: "Losing this stuff is like having the history of my tennis life taken away."
Meanwhile, International Tennis Federation president Francesco Ricci Bitti has offered Sampras a replica trophy from his two Davis Cup wins.
No comments:
Post a Comment