Najlepszy mecz w '12

[DUN I LOVE]

Tak Przemek, ja miałem na myśli cały czas tamten pojedynek - po prostu turniej mi się machnął.

Nie ma co się w sumie dziwić regułom selekcji - największa ilość ludzi ogląda najważniejsze mecze najważniejszych turniejów i o tym chcą w sumie czytać.

[Sempere]

Panowie z ATP oglądają tylko mastersy i szlemy, bo tam jest "wielki tenis".

[robpal]

Panowie z ATP oglądają tylko mastersy i szlemy, bo tam jest "wielki tenis".

Nieee, Mastersy od semi, Szlemy od ćwiartek

[Sempere]

Nieee, Mastersy od semi, Szlemy od ćwiartek

[jaccol55]

BEST GRAND SLAM & OLYMPIC MATCHES OF THE YEAR - NOS. 3-5


David Ferrer fought from down a
break in the fifth set to edge Janko
Tipsarevic in the US Open quarter-finals.

ATPWorldTour.com reviews the Top 5 Grand Slam and Olympic matches of the year, beginning with Nos. 5-3.

---

5. David Ferrer d. Janko Tipsarevic, 6-3, 6-7(5), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(4), US Open Quarter-finals

While the three other quarter-final matches at the 2012 US Open featured Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, spectators who came out to Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch David Ferrer and Janko Tipsarevic duel for a place in the semi-finals were treated to arguably the most riveting match of the round.

“It’s not maybe a quarter-final which they wanted to see, but I think David and me - and not trying to overexaggerate anything - played, until now at least, the best match of the tournament,” said Tipsarevic after the match. “I’m happy that the crowd appreciated that coming into the fifth set tie-break.”

The spectators saluted both competitors in the four-hour, 31-minute battle, sending them into the fifth set tie-break with a standing ovation. Earlier in the set, a tie-break had seemed unlikely. Tipsarevic had gone up an early break, but after taking a hard fall at the end of the sixth game, he relinquished his lead with a backhand wide on double break point. He found himself under pressure once again two games later as Ferrer engineered two break point chances. This time, the Serbian reeled off four straight points to stay on serve.

Ferrer also maintained his composure, and with his 15th ace, ensured that the outcome would be decided in a tie-break. Fitting of the tightly contested match, one mini-break proved enough for the Spaniard to claim the victory.

“It was a very emotional match, one of the best emotional matches of my career,” he said afterwards. “My opponent, he also deserved to win this match. In one tie-break it’s a lottery, and I had luck in important moments.”

---

4. Roger Federer d. Juan Martin del Potro, 3-6, 7-6(5), 19-17, London 2012 Olympics Semi-finals

How much would you give to compete in the gold medal match? The answer was loud and clear when Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro faced off in the semi-finals of the London 2012 Olympics. Lasting four hours and 26 minutes, the match set an Open Era record for a best-of-three sets encounter. “I definitely got a sense that it was something special,” Federer said.

Del Potro made the better start to the match, played on Centre Court at the All England Club, racing through the opening set in 36 minutes. The Argentine had a golden opportunity to take the lead at 2-2 in the second set, but Federer battled through a 14-point game as he recovered from 0/30 and faced down a break point. In the tie-break, the Swiss kept his gold medal hopes alive as he struck an ace on his second set point opportunity.

The tension rose in the deciding set, which lasted two hours and 47 minutes in itself, with the two players partaking in lengthy battles and coming up with crucial saves on break points. Del Potro was the first to crack, mistiming a forehand at 9-9 to concede a break, but broke the reigning Wimbledon champion at love in the next game to leave the crowd transfixed. He continued to show nerves of steel as he coolly recovered from 0/40 down at 14-14, but Federer could not be held at bay much longer. The Swiss broke del Potro six games later and served himself into the gold medal match at the second time of asking.

Federer embraced del Potro at the net, and shared afterwards, “I told him to be proud, that he played a great match.” Del Potro, who fought back tears as he left the court to a standing ovation, said: “It is tough to speak now, I feel sad. But Roger played a fantastic match, he is a good winner. I’m very sad at the moment. It’s not an easy situation. Someone always has to win these matches and today it was him.”

Federer went on to take the silver medal, finishing runner-up to British No. 1 Andy Murray, while del Potro claimed the bronze with victory over Novak Djokovic.

---

3. Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic, 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2, US Open Final

In their previous 13 meetings coming into the US Open final, the player who had won the first set between Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray had gone on to win the match. The importance of that statistic was never more apparent than on that blustery Monday on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Lasting 87 minutes and featuring grueling baseline rallies, including one that totalled 54 shots, the opening set established the tone for a contest that would equal the longest championship match in tournament history.

The final began with two service breaks as both players initially struggled with the wind. Murray, looking to reverse an 0-4 record in Grand Slam finals and become the first British man to win a major since 1936, went ahead another service break, 3-2, only to see the defending champion counter and draw level three games later. With Djokovic two points from winning the set at 5-3 in the tie-break, Murray reeled off three straight points to reach his first set point. It would take five more set points before the Briton pulled through to clinch the longest tie-break in a US Open final at 24 minutes.

The ensuing sets followed in similar fashion. Djokovic refused to be counted down and out, but even when he rallied from down 0-4 to get back on serve in the second set and when he came back from a two-sets-to-love deficit to force a fifth set, it was not enough to stand in the way of Murray and his history-making run. Back on level ground, Murray went up a double break in the fifth set and never looked back. After four hours and 54 minutes, Murray claimed his elusive Grand Slam title as Djokovic returned a forehand long on his second championship point.

“When the conditions have been like they have been, you need to focus so hard on almost every shot because the ball is very hard to control,” said Murray. “So mentally it was challenging, aside from it being a Slam final and having not won one before, playing against Novak who, on this surface in the Slams, I don’t think he’s lost for a couple of years. It was an incredibly tough match and obviously it felt great at the end. Relief is probably the best word I would use to describe how I’m feeling just now.”

Djokovic, who came to Murray’s end of the court to congratulate his friend, was gracious in defeat. “He absolutely deserves it,” he said. “I gave it all. It was another tremendous match to be a part of.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -To-5.aspx

[Shinoda]

Dodam coć od siebie na temat tych naj naj meczów tego roku z -nie- szlemów. Brakuje mi w tym zestawieniu danym przez ATP pojedynku Federer-Dawidienko z Rotterdamu. To był nr 1 tego roku, w mojej skromnej ocenie oczywiście. Obejrzałem go po raz kolejny i poziom wręcz nieziemski, kapitalne tempo, ofensywna gra, woleje, cudo tenisa.

[jaccol55]

BEST GRAND SLAM & OLYMPIC MATCHES OF THE YEAR - NOS. 1-2


Novak Djokovic prevailed against Andy Murray in
just under five hours in a memorable semi-final
in Melbourne.

ATPWorldTour.com reviews the two best Grand Slam matches of the year.

---

2. Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray, 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-1, 7-5, Australian Open Semi-finals

In the 2011 Australian Open final, Novak Djokovic rolled past Andy Murray 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and 39 minutes. That triumph marked the start of a remarkable season for the Serb, while Murray - yet to win a set in three major finals - continued to face questions on whether he had what it took to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage.

When the pair met in Melbourne one year later with a place in the championship match on the line, the gap between World No. 1 Djokovic and World No. 4 Murray proved to be much narrower, producing a dramatic four-hour, 50-minute clash filled with a number of shifts in momentum.

As Djokovic described afterwards, “It was so close. Both of us believed that we can win, and that’s how we played. In the decisive moments we were aggressive and wanting to win this match. I think the crowd enjoyed it as much as we did in competing. It could have easily gone the other way. He was couple of points away from winning the match, so I was lucky to go as a winner.”

After Djokovic jumped out to a set and a break lead, Murray - who had gotten off to a 10-0 start to 2012 with coach Ivan Lendl in his box - came back to win the second and third sets. Though he conceded a lopsided fourth set and fell behind 2-5 in the fifth, Murray refused to get discouraged. He broke Djokovic at love in the ninth game, drew level at 5-all, and appeared to have Djokovic on the edge as he created three break point opportunities in the 11th game. But a vintage Djokovic found his last bit of energy to deny Murray and pulled through with a break in the following game, falling onto his back with arms stretched overhead to celebrate his triumph.

Despite the loss, Murray gained confidence from his performance that night. “I think there’s a very fine line between being No. 1 in the world and being 3 or 4. I think that gap, I feel tonight I closed it,” said the Scot, who would go on to defeat Djokovic eight months later in the US Open final. “My job over the next two or three months is to surpass him and the guys in front of me. It’ll take a lot of hard work, and hopefully I can do it.”

---

1. Novak Djokovic d. Rafael Nadal, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-5, Australian Open Final



‘Epic’ was widely used to describe Novak Djokovic’s win over Andy Murray in the semi-finals, but may best have been saved for the match to come two days later when the defending champion and Rafael Nadal battled tooth and nail in the longest Grand Slam final on record. The five-hour, 53-minute match, which began with the coin toss at 7:30pm and wrapped up at 1:37am, left both players so spent that they were provided with chairs after struggling to stand during the trophy ceremony.

Going into their third straight meeting in a Grand Slam final, a big question was how Djokovic would recover from his five-setter against Murray. While Nadal’s semi-final match was no walk in the park - he had defeated Roger Federer in four sets - the Spaniard had had an extra day to rest with his match played Thursday night.

Djokovic, who had won the first two sets against Nadal in the Wimbledon and US Open finals, found himself under pressure early on as the Spaniard adopted aggressive tactics to secure the first set after 80 minutes of play. But questions about his condition were quickly put aside, as the Serb found his rhythm to win the next two sets. He held triple break point chance at 3-4 in the fourth, only to see Nadal reel off five straight points before rain temporarily halted play. When they resumed under the roof at Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic missed an opportunity to set up three championship points in the tie-break.

Nadal promptly seized the momentum to send the match to a decisive set and broke for a 4-2 lead. A costly error at 30/15 in the following game, when he missed an easy backhand down the line, proved to be the turning point. Two errors later, Djokovic was back on serve. He broke for a second time to go up 6-5 and faced down a break point in the final game before putting away a forehand winner on championship point.

Djokovic acknowledged that the length of the final made it the greatest match of his career, adding, “We live for these matches. We work every day. We’re trying to dedicate all our life to this sport to come to the situation where we play a six-hour match for a Grand Slam title.”

“Physically it was the toughest match I ever played,” admitted Nadal, who had previously held the record for the longest match at the Australian Open with his five-hour, 14-minute victory over Fernando Verdasco in the 2009 semi-finals. “I think we played a great tennis match. It was, I think, a very good show. I enjoyed being part of this event and this match.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... -2012.aspx

[DUN I LOVE]

Finał Wimbla był aż tak przeciętny, żeby nie dostać się do Top-5? Trzeci set był znakomity.

[robpal]

No dla mnie ten finał to mecz #2 w sezonie chyba, jeśli chodzi o Szlemy, najdalej numer 3. Ten finał USO to za to jakieś nieporozumienie.

[Jacques D.]

No dla mnie ten finał to mecz #2 w sezonie chyba, jeśli chodzi o Szlemy, najdalej numer 3. Ten finał USO to za to jakieś nieporozumienie.

Porozumienie, oni oceniają jakość meczu według jego długości.

[robpal]

Porozumienie, oni oceniają jakość meczu według jego długości.

Ja bym powiedział, że ilości setów Czterosetówka przecież nie może być w Top 5 sezonu, jak tyle epickich piątek mieliśmy

[robpal]

Steve Tignor rozpisał się o australijskim Fedalu. Przyjemna lektura (jak zawsze w jego wykonaniu).

http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/12/fire ... Mo-kKyOL_l

[robpal]

Haas - Nalbandian z 1R Cincinnati.
Genialne widowisko.

[Nieszpory]

Haas - Nalbandian z 1R Cincinnati.
Genialne widowisko.

Mam wrażenie, że w ogóle Cincy w tym roku miało sporo dobrych meczów. Plus streak Feda .

[Lleyton]

Djoković- Nadal AO12,oraz Federer-Murray na Wimblu

[Nieszpory]

A przewrotnie zapytam: najlepsze dwa -Waszym zdaniem- mecze bez udziału kogokolwiek z top-4, to które?

Dla mnie w dwójce byłby z pewnością mecz Ferrera z Tipsarevicem z USO, ale kto jeszcze?

[robpal]

Dla mnie w dwójce byłby z pewnością mecz Ferrera z Tipsarevicem z USO, ale kto jeszcze?

Haas z Nalbem w Cincy, Tipsar z Raonem w Madrasie, Ferrer z Felim w Barcelonie i pewnie znajdę jeszcze parę innych ;D

[jonathan]

Mecz sezonu - finał Australian Open. Na jego przebieg wpłynęło kilka zasadniczych czynników. Po pierwsze Djoković nie znajdował się w swojej topowej formie z 2011 roku i po takich pojedynkach jak ten z Murray'em czy wcześniej wybitnymi biegaczami Ferrerem i Hewittem, które kosztowały go znacznie więcej sił niż analogiczne odpoczywającego dzień dłużej Nadala, nie był w pełni przekonany, że da radę fizycznie. Po tak wyczerpującej marszrucie Novaka przerażała wizja nowej wojny. Zamiast jego charakterystycznej agresji, zaciętości, konsekwencji i pewności widziałem na początku tylko ciężką pracę przypominającą tę młociarza w kamieniołomach (jak to kiedyś porównywałem). Potrzebował czasu, aż poczuje krew i wejdzie na najwyższe obroty. Przegranie pierwszego seta podziałało na niego jednak jak zimny prysznic i w dwóch następnych przeszedł już do gry, na jaką Rafa w poprzednim sezonie nie miał argumentów. Zademonstrował swoją wyższość techniczną i mentalną nad Hiszpanem. Powróciły demony Nadala w meczach z Serbem. Potem Rafa rzucił się do heroicznej walki, dając z siebie absolutne sto procent i mając w końcówce trochę więcej szczęścia od Djokovicia, tak jak w trzecim secie finału US Open. Decydującej odsłonie towarzyszył zbyt duży poziom napięcia, aby rozstrzygnąć miały same atuty tenisowe. Rafa mógł wyjść na prowadzenie 5:2, ale zmarnował tę szansę, po czym Novak zaczął zagrywać niesamowite returny, wycałował krzyżyk, popatrzył w górę z żądaniem "daj mi jeszcze jedną piłkę, jeszcze jeden punkt" i odniósł zwycięstwo godne mentalnego hegemona.

Trzeba podkreślić, że Djoković i Nadal chcieli na początku uniknąć takiej rzezi jak kilka miesięcy wcześniej na US Open. Mając w pamięci tamte wspomnienia, starali się skracać wymiany, żeby nie doprowadzić się do stanu skrajnego wyczerpania. Ale ostatecznie nie było od tego ucieczki. Mieliśmy jeszcze większą dramaturgię niż w Nowym Jorku (choć poziom według mnie trochę niższy). Obaj stworzyli nową definicję przetrwania na korcie i przekroczyli nasze wyobrażenia co do tego, ile siły fizycznej i mentalnej można włożyć w mecz tenisowy. Przez dalszą część sezonu odczuwali ten finał tak samo w nogach, jak i psychice. Używając slangu bokserskiego, strasznie się wtedy wyboksowali. Patrzeć na te igrzyska było jednak prawdziwą ucztą.

Spoiler:

Wielka eksplozja radości Djokovicia. Najpiękniejszy triumf po najtrudniejszym meczu. Dzięki wystrzałowi adrenaliny największe naturalne upojenie w życiu. Wszystko wyszarpał na korcie sam. Wszystko zawdzięcza sobie. Chyba każdy chciałby choć raz poczuć to co on wtedy. Być królem świata, najwspanialszym zwycięzcą. Niestety nam pozostaje tylko naćpać się do nieprzytomności.

[pascal17]

Z pewnością pojedynek Nadala z Djokoviciem można nazwać meczem sezonu(choć zawsze to sprawa o charakterze dyskusyjnym z powodu różnic w odbiorze dyscypliny),ale zdecydowanie bardziej "zaintrygowało" mnie wyżej wspomniane zestawienie atp.Z jednej strony można stwierdzić, że zostało,mówiąc kolokwialnie, zrobione po prostu na odwał.Po części to pewnie racja, lecz z innego punktu widzenia można nazwać to kontynuacją wprowadzania nowej wizji tenisa, która coraz w większym stopniu zmierza do uczynienia z meczów pojedynków gladiatorów, gdzie najbardziej licza się emocje, dramaturgia i długość spotkania(oklepane, ale prawdziwe), a co wpływa na powstawanie błędnego koła, bo większość młodzieży stara się grać tenis na jakim się wychowało(problem ten może zagościć poważnie już za kilka lat ). Jeśli nawet znajdą się wyjątki(o to będzie ciężko, gdyż w współczesnym świecie coraz częściej brakuje ludzi z charyzmą) , to prędzej czy później dostosują się do stylu, który przynosi więcej korzyści.Oczywiście, te zestawienie to kropla wody z porównaniem do oceanu, jakim jest zwalnianie nawierzchni i piłek, ale dla mnie jasno wskazuje, że problemy z atrakcyjnością(niekoniecznie poziomem) rozrywek zbyt szybko się nie skończą.

[DUN I LOVE]