What's the best tennis you've ever seen?

[El Dude]

@scoop's comment about Kyrgios playing tennis at the "zenith" of the sport got me thinking: What is the best tennis you've ever seen played? What match did you think, "This is the best the game has ever been played?"

By "best" I don't mean "most enjoyable to watch," but highest level.

I vaguely remember having that thought about a Novak-Rafa match a few years ago, probably sometime in 2011-13...can't remember when.

I of course have that thought in moments in almost every Federer match, but I'm biased (but only slight, @Moxie and @mrzz ;-)). Although on a serious now, the 5th set of last year's AO final could be about as good as it gets - at least from Roger.

But what do you think?

(And where is @calitennis127, so we can hear about the end of 2007?)

 

[mrzz]

You mean best combined level, or best level by just one of the players? (there is sure some correlation, but anyway they are different animals...).

 

[Federberg]

If you mean the Nadal Djokovic US Open final in 2011 then I agree that’s some of the best tennis I’ve ever seen. Many other high level matches, several including Federer of course. You could easily list all the Stan Novak 5 setters as well

Difficult to talk about whole matches, easier to focus on sets. For example the 1st set of the last Edberg Becker Wimbledon final is without a doubt the best example of serve and volley I’ve ever seen

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think Borg vs. McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon final. That fourth set TB alone is a classic.

 

[Moxie]

I think Borg vs. McEnroe 1980 Wimbledon final. That fourth set TB alone is a classic.

That one was the standard for a long time. I do think that 2008 Wimbledon over-shadowed it, by a bit. However, since it's a match from an on-going rivalry, it's hotly debated.

I see why @mrzz would ask if the question is one player or both. I think both options are interesting. Rafa v. Roger in Rome 2006 was a pretty amazing match. And Rafa alone in...I'll say MC 2008 was playing in the zone, start to finish, though that whole clay season for him was pretty untouchable. Oh, and AO SF 2005 between Roger and Marat Safin was the first one I thought could displace 1980 Borg/McEnroe. Roger v. Rafa Wimbledon '07 and Roger v. Murray Wimbledon '15. Is that too many?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

That one was the standard for a long time. I do think that 2008 Wimbledon over-shadowed it, by a bit. However, since it's a match from an on-going rivalry, it's hotly debated.

I see why @mrzz would ask if the question is one player or both. I think both options are interesting. Rafa v. Roger in Rome 2006 was a pretty amazing match. And Rafa alone in...I'll say MC 2008 was playing in the zone, start to finish, though that whole clay season for him was pretty untouchable. Oh, and AO SF 2005 between Roger and Marat Safin was the first one I thought could displace 1980 Borg/McEnroe. Roger v. Rafa Wimbledon '07 and Roger v. Murray Wimbledon '15. Is that too many?

I agree with you that the 2006 Rome final was an amazing match.

The 2008 Wimbledon final has a lot of drama and a good storyline. But, the actual tennis is not really that good.

 

[Moxie]

The 2008 Wimbledon final has a lot of drama and a good storyline. But, the actual tennis is not really that good.

That is really only a Fed fan perspective, let's be honest. There is a huge consensus that it's the greatest match. I'm not going to debate it here, but that's one reason I mentioned the '07 Wimbledon final. They're a bit mirror images...very good and very close, different outcomes. The 5th in the '08 one makes the difference.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

That is really only a Fed fan perspective, let's be honest. There is a huge consensus that it's the greatest match. I'm not going to debate it here, but that's one reason I mentioned the '07 Wimbledon final. They're a bit mirror images...very good and very close, different outcomes. The 5th in the '08 one makes the difference.

It is not about Fan perspective. It is also not because of it is a current ongoing rivalry. I agreed with you that 2006 Rome was a very good match (if I were an irrational fan, I should not admit it as Fed lost that match too), because it was indeed a good match.

Once again in terms of build up and importance etc, Wimbledon 2008 trumps, but not in terms of actual tennis.

 

[Moxie]

It is not about Fan perspective. It is also not because of it is a current ongoing rivalry. I agreed with you that 2006 Rome was a very good match (if I were an irrational fan, I should not admit it as Fed lost that match too), because it was indeed a good match.

Once again in terms of build up and importance etc, Wimbledon 2008 trumps, but not in terms of actual tennis.

I know you're trying to be dispassionate about it. I appreciate that you agree about that Rome final. It's often cited. Fantastic match. Probably better than the '08 W, point-to-point. But I just don't buy how much Federer fans (and it IS only Federer fans) undervalue that 2008 W final. It wasn't just the set-up. There are so many excellent points that the highlight reels tend to be 20 minutes - 1 hour. It made the front page of the NYTimes. Wertheim got a book out of it. It was a thrilling match.

 

[DarthFed]

It's a matter of best which we know can be different from greatest. There's nothing wrong with saying Wimbledon 08 wasn't the highest level ever played. It was far from it and it isn't just Fed fans who felt that way. I remember Momo (a big Roddick fan) also saying Roger was largely unimpressive that match. It was the greatest match due to stakes and drama but there's been plenty of higher quality matches than that. AO 2005 and Wimbledon 2014 are matches that Fed lost that were overall higher quality.

 

[Moxie]

It's a matter of best which we know can be different from greatest. There's nothing wrong with saying Wimbledon 08 wasn't the highest level ever played. It was far from it and it isn't just Fed fans who felt that way. I remember Momo (a big Roddick fan) also saying Roger was largely unimpressive that match. It was the greatest match due to stakes and drama but there's been plenty of higher quality matches than that. AO 2005 and Wimbledon 2014 are matches that Fed lost that were overall higher quality.

It wasn't that high quality because Momo said so? Now you're stretching. And I liked ol' Momo. OK, you say it was the greatest in terms of stakes and drama. That's a concession from you. You don't have to say it was the highest quality match you ever saw, as that's always going to be debatable. To say it was "far from it," though, I have to say is fannish. It would make anyone's top 5 in terms of real quality, except for those who are so far up Roger's tennis shorts they could tickle his tonsils.

 

[DarthFed]

It wasn't that high quality because Momo said so? Now you're stretching. And I liked ol' Momo. OK, you say it was the greatest in terms of stakes and drama. That's a concession from you. You don't have to say it was the highest quality match you ever saw, as that's always going to be debatable. To say it was "far from it," though, I have to say is fannish. It would make anyone's top 5 in terms of real quality, except for those who are so far up Roger's tennis shorts they could tickle his tonsils.

You falsely said it's only Roger fans that don't think it was the highest quality match ever and that's why I mentioned Momo. And you do this every time the match gets mentioned, you get super defensive if everyone doesn't agree that it was out of this world tennis. It's telling that Roger in his mid 30's can still easily play better than we saw that day.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I kind of enjoyed the AO semifinals of some year between rafa and verdasco too (even though the ending was an anticlimax with a DF on MP).

 

[Federberg]

I know you're trying to be dispassionate about it. I appreciate that you agree about that Rome final. It's often cited. Fantastic match. Probably better than the '08 W, point-to-point. But I just don't buy how much Federer fans (and it IS only Federer fans) undervalue that 2008 W final. It wasn't just the set-up. There are so many excellent points that the highlight reels tend to be 20 minutes - 1 hour. It made the front page of the NYTimes. Wertheim got a book out of it. It was a thrilling match.

I thought the thread was about level. Not drama and significance... I can't put that match in the list for the same reason I can't put last year's AO final despite the fact the drama was also extraordinary. I would argue those 2 matches are the greatest that Fedal have played. But this is about level..

 

[Moxie]

I thought the thread was about level. Not drama and significance... I can't put that match in the list for the same reason I can't put last year's AO final despite the fact the drama was also extraordinary. I would argue those 2 matches are the greatest that Fedal have played. But this is about level..

The OP says "best," so that can be read different ways, with some leeway as to definition, I thought. In any case, I have already put up my list.

 

[Federberg]

The OP says "best," so that can be read different ways, with some leeway as to definition, I thought. In any case, I have already put up my list.

This you mean?.....

By "best" I don't mean "most enjoyable to watch," but highest level.

 

[DarthFed]

The OP says "best," so that can be read different ways, with some leeway as to definition, I thought. In any case, I have already put up my list.

His meaning is pretty clear. Otherwise he would've said "what's the greatest match you've ever seen"

 

[Moxie]

This you mean?.....

By "best" I don't mean "most enjoyable to watch," but highest level.

"Best" is a pretty open adjective. If you don't mean "most enjoyable," someone else might. In any case, and in response to Darth: there are 2 options...best from one player, or best by two in combination?

 

[Federberg]

"Best" is a pretty open adjective. If you don't mean "most enjoyable," someone else might. In any case, and in response to Darth: there are 2 options...best from one player, or best by two in combination?

Hahaha! Are you really just going to ignore “highest level”?

 

[Moxie]

Hahaha! Are you really just going to ignore “highest level”?

I made a list at the top of the thread. What's yours? Don't just debate mine.