Favourite matchups

"yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift... that is why it is called the present "

Gooooooooooooooddddd morrrnniiiingggggg 606 v2! ()

As I think I am our resident "go off on a tangent" poster on v2, this may go off topic quickly but I shall try anyway

Matchups..... they are fun ey? Well not all of them COUGH ferrer COUGH murray COUGH COUGH

From my time watching the sport, there are several matchups that come to mind that were pretty darn rooting tooting good, such as....

1) Federer vs nalbandian - For me the shotmaking here was, to quote koenig, "from another planet". Just beautiful hitting right on the baseline aannddd nalby at the beginning had a big lead in the head to head, before feds clawed it back, so no ownage here. (fav matches - wtf's 05, rome 06, wtf 06, madrid 07, paris 07)

2) Blake vs nadal - Although there havent been that many, I really enjoy this matchup. All out attack vs unreal defence. Flat, striking power vs ridic topspin. These matches have always been very close (IW 08, US 05, shanghai 09)

3) feds vs nadal obvs (rome 06, wimby 07,08, aus 09)

4) Feds vs djoko - Sometimes this can be a bit of a let down but for me I like a bit of needle between two players and for me they played out one of the best matches i have ever seen at the fo '11, wonderful to watch. (FO '11, US Open '10,'11, toronto '10, montreal 07, basel '10)

5) coria vs nadal - There were a few others I could think of (i.e. gasquet vs murray, delpo vs djoko, gulbis vs fed/nadal) but for me this is one of the best, most dramatic, topsy turvey wins ever. The athleticism of both was something to behold. I think nadal was more aggressive back then, still not exactly aggressive but not as defensive as he is now imo. It is just a shame coria's career fell off a cliff after 05, he was only 23! That could have been a great clay battle over the years had coria not bottled it (rome 05, MC '05, beijing 05).

I imagine some will go further back than I am but this is just from when i started watching
so over to you what are your top 5?

Dam! Luvsports you beat me to it. I was going to write something similar entitled "What is the big marque match now?". I was also going to argue that despite what some here on 606v2 with more individual tastes think it is still Federer v Nadal. I think I was going to win the argument too as I have evidence to prove it... sigh...

Good shouts.
Federer v Agassi created some special moments.
Nadal v Almagro also does similar - often been the toughest match Nadal has had at RG.
Agree re: Coria, the Rome 05 final was even better than Rome 06 final or Madrid Djokovic/Nadal semi in my opinion. Shame what happened to Coria, he was very talented.

I did think about the agassi matchup but I thought i would appear too biased putting feds in like every matchup.

Nadal v Murray is my favourite big 4 match-up. They had some cracking early matches (Oz Open 07), the Abu Dhabi match in 09 was exceptional and the World Tour Finals 2010 was a great match. Federer-Djokovic is also a good clash of styles/personalities. Murray v Federer promised to be good initially but since then seems to have involved one or other underperforming.

Outside the top 4, Ferrer v Del Potro is a good clash. Dolgopolov v Tomic was very entertaining when they played at the Oz Open (shame they haven't kicked on since then) and Tsonga v Gasquet is a good clash of styles.

In an attempt to make sure this thread doesnt end as a side show, I will answer the question asked and not even give a reason.

Verdasco-Ferrer
Tsonga-Gasquet
K. Anderson-Raonic

Well if we are talking of the best of all-time match-ups then I would go for:-

Connors V McEnroe (Always lots of needle and passion in those matches)

Borg V McEnroe

Federer V Nadal

Sampras V Agassi

Murray V Djokovic

I love Murray v Djokovic.

I find I can get so much done during the day because I don't have to watch the match to know what's happening.

and your serious answer is???

Conners v Lendl (82 / 83 US Opens)
Borg v Conners
Lendl v Willander
Federer v Nadal (provided it's not on Clay)
Federer v Nalbandian
Federer v Murray (for me their 2012 meetings, particularly Dubai and The Olympics provided some of the best Tennis of recent years)


Not quite!!

Murray v Djokovich - it's another war of attrition, fascinating watching but inconsistent Tennis

Murray v Nadal - They had a great three year spell (mid 08 to early 11 - then the quality just went as neither play well at the same time)

haha banbro dont let hawkeye see your comment on nadal vs murrary !

Sampras v Agassi
Becker v Edberg
Borg v Connors
Federer v Nadal
Nadal v Murray

Navratilova v Evert
Graf v Seles
Henin v S.Williams

Just realised that I chose six!! I obviously cannot count

I'll have to omit Fed and Nadal - simply because I'm unconvinced that both play their best, usually it's Fed forced into numerous errors

Connors and Lendl has to stay there, simply because it was the last of the rivalries where their was genuine hatred between the two (although Pat Rafter might argue that point given his frosty relationship with 'Pistol' Pete )

Found this on the web - it doesnt include any of the modern match ups as it was first released in 2006

http://www.boston.com/sports/other_sports/tennis/gallery/08_25_06_greats?pg=6

Craig, LK, kingraf why these ones?

LuvSports! wrote:haha banbro dont let hawkeye see your comment on nadal vs murrary !

I have to say, I thought their last meeting was a classic - one of the best of all time

http://ruansfedererblog.com/?p=4644

banbrotam. I can understand why you don't like watching Nadal play Murray. I bet you have nightmares about it. And you think some of the best tennis in recent years was the Olympic final last year? Very interesting choices.

banbrotam wrote:
Murray v Nadal - They had a great three year spell (mid 08 to early 11 - then the quality just went as neither play well at the same time)

It was only the Wimbledon and US Open matches which were poor in 2011 - Murray losing the ability to hit a forehand at Wimbledon and then clearly still carrying the scars from that at the US Open. The two clay matches they played were actually of very high quality. Their matches do tend to be a bit hit and miss but I'd regard the following as being well worth watching:

- 2007 Oz Open
- 2007 Madrid
- 2008 US Open
- 2009 Abu Dhabi
- 2010 WTF
- 2011 Monte Carlo
- 2011 French Open
- 2011 Tokyo (not a classic match but some unreal hitting from Murray)

hawkeye wrote: banbrotam. I can understand why you don't like watching Nadal play Murray. I bet you have nightmares about it. And you think some of the best tennis in recent years was the Olympic final last year? Very interesting choices

The Olympic final started with around 6 closely fought games at the start, followed by some wondrous stuff from Andy and then a late valiant attempted comeback from Roger as both were playing at their best

When these two, do play at their best together (i.e. Dubai) then for me they play the best stuff, simply because every shot in their variety range is put on show

Incidentally, I do like watching Rafa and Andy play - but not certain that in recent times they've brought the best out of each other at the same time. The Aus Open of 07 and US Open of 08' was scintillating stuff, that I'm quite happy to see again even if it means Andy only has a 50% strike rate

Interested to hear more about these old rivalries.
Banbro i saw the head to head and connors dominated the start but lendl won their last 17 matches.

[quote="LuvSports!"]Interested to hear more about these old rivalries.
Banbro i saw the head to head and connors dominated the start but lendl won their last 17 matches.
[/quote


Yep it ended up being dominated by the superfit and more mobile Lendl

But in some ways, you could argue that Connors should never have won a single match - given that even at a young age (i.e. their first match) Lendl was more powerful and fitter

What Lendl lacked and what Connors had in spades was heart drive (and a pretty good game!!) which meant that Jimbo won far more games than he should in his 30's

Classics are of course the US Open finals or 82' and 83', where Connors verbally bullied Lendl in such a manner - that if it occured now there'd be a TV apology

Lendl of course, then became the protype for today's game - which is why both Connors and McEnroe had no chance when he got the mental side of his game going

I actually resented Lendl for this for years - until I realised (late in his career) that he was (is) quite an interesting character

McEnroe vs Borg
Sampras vs Agassi
Henman vs Federer
Federer vs Nalbandian
Djokovic vs Nadal (not so much for the tennis but I think Novak is the only guy who challenges Rafa mentally, find it quite fascinating)

Great matches between players that I have enjoyed are:

Djokovic vs Federer
Nadal vs federer
Djokovic vs nadal
Federer vs nalbandian
Murray vs wawrinka (a few great matches in slams)
Becker vs Edberg (amazing to think 25-10 in favour of becker)
Sampras vs agassi
Roddick vs Hewitt
Nalbandian vs Hewitt always had edge to it too
Federer vs del potro can be enjoyable
Djokovic vs Tsonga have had some good matches

I am going to go back a little in time...

Laver v Rosewall
Laver v Pancho
Laver v Ashe
Pancho v Trabert

... and now...

Federer v Nadal
Federer v Murray
Nadal v Ferrer
Borg v McEnroe
Connors v McEnroe
Federer v Safin
Nadal v Verdasco
Lendl v McEnroe
Federer v Ferrer
Sampras v Agassi
Becker v Edberg

Navaratilova v Evert
Graf v Seles
Graf v Novotna
Henin v Williams
Evert v Mandlikova

wowzer. And now for the fun part..... why ?

I always love Granollers v Ferrer.

Never fails to restore my passion for the game - playing it that is.

You young rascal you lyddy

You have to love Berdych vs Almagro too. They seem to get on great and both truly admire each other's game.

laverfan wrote:Nadal v Ferrer

Because it's over so quickly?

what are your fav matchups HM?

LuvSports! wrote:what are your fav matchups HM?

Honest answer is that I can't think of a single one that delivers every time!

Djokovic v Federer has produced some good matches in recent years.

Stepanek v anyone will usually be entertaining because he is so different in his approach.

But often you can't predict a great match. Who would have known that Ferrer v Tipsarevic at USO would be so good? Or Djokovic v Wawrinka at AO?

how about past matchups? I will get you started, how about fred perry or bill tilden?

LuvSports! wrote:how about past matchups? I will get you started, how about fred perry or bill tilden?

I've watched so little of that generation, I can't really comment.

I tend to like different styles taking each other on.

Borg v McEnroe in 80-81 was great, as was Feder v Nadal up to (and including) AO09.

I do occasionally like similar styles playing each other though. I though Djokovic v Nadal at USO11 was a fantastic game, for example. In fact, that was probably my favourite since Fed v Nadal W08.

their us '11 match was soo much better than their aus open match.

I think this matchup in houston would be a favourite of socal or lydian.

Isner vs Anderson, 6ft 9 vs 6ft 8

Nadal/Federer & Navratalova/Evert... Obviously

Mythical match ups. Nadal/McEnroe and Federer/Borg. Ha ha! That would keep them all on their toes.

But the match up I really would have liked to see because it consists of my two all time favorite female players would be Goolagong/Seles. A sort of female Federer/Nadal of the ages...

when did you go off wta tennis HE?

Btw scratch that about isner vs anderson, both playing in finals of diffo tournies oops