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- 06 April 2019 20:09
- Tennis For Free News
- by Roscoe Brown
- Visits: 1486
- Last Modified: 06 April 2019 21:03
Wimbledon the most prestigious.
Most people agree that of the four tennis Grand Slam events - Wimbledon is the one that most captures the imagination of the players and the fans. But why is this?
Maybe it is because it is the oldest of the four Grand Slams or because the players still play in the all white clothing. Or, could it be that it still attracts some of the original customs and traditions adopted during its inception. Like bowing to the royal spectators or the fact it is still called ladies & gentlemen (as opposed to the more widely adopted men's and women's)
Whatever the reason, when it comes to the tennis, it never disappoints. In today's blog, we pick out some of the greatest moments from the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet club.
1. The final that had everything.
Having made it through the tournament having not dropped a set. 22 year old Jimmy Conners was clear favourite to win the trophy. He had beaten Arthur Ashe in all of their previous 3 meetings (all of which were tournament finals). However, against all of the odds, Ash triumphed in the final, recovering from 3-0 down in the final set to win 6-1, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
2. The McEnroe/ Borg tie break
Yankees vs the Red Sox, Frazier vs Ali and Palmer vs Nicklaus, are just some of the sporting rivalries that have captured the publics imagination down the years. However, in tennis, very few are as truly iconic as the rivalry between Bjorn Borg (1) and John McEnroe (2). When both players won their semi-final matches in four sets, the Wimbledon crowd knew they were in for a treat. The climax of the match was undoubtedly the fourth set tie break which ended 18-16 to McEnroe. However, in the 5th set, Borg come through to make Wimbledon history, winning his 5th title in a row.
3. The Nine-time champion
Martina Navratilova won an impressive 18 Grand Slam titles in her career. Half of which were on the grass courts at the All England Club.
4. The greatest match ever.
Rafa Nadal had beater Roger Federer in twelve of their seventeen meetings before the Wimbledon final of 2008. However, nine of these were on clay, and the Spaniard had never beaten Federer on grass. Having won the previous five Championship, Federer was hoping to surpass Bjorn Borg's record and win six in a row. Despite all of the pre-match predictions, nobody could prepare anyone for the five set masterpiece that would come. As Nadal took the first two sets, Federer showed true grit by fighting back to force a fifth set, before Nadal rallied to complete the victory. At 4 hours 48 minutes, it remains the longest Wimbledon final in men's history.
5. The longest match ever.
In a match that saw over 200 aces, 980 points and 183 games, the match between John Isner & Nicolas Mahut started on a Tuesday and finished on a Thursday, lasting over 11 hours and 5 minutes. Immediately after the match between Isner & Mahut, both players and the umpire were presented with a crystal bowl and champagne flutes by Tim Henman and Ann Haydon-Jones on behalf of the All England Club, as special recognition of the match.
6. And finally, the wait is over.
When Andy Murray reached the 2012 Wimbledon final, he became the first Brit to do so since Bunny Austin in 1938. Despite being beaten by the mesmerising Federer, he finally captured the hearts of the nation, one year later when he beat world number 1 Novak Djokovic to finally become the first British player to win at Wimbledon in 76 years.
We hope you enjoyed some of our favourite moments. If you like what you have read, like or Facebook page and be the first to read our regular content and updates.
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