The US Open has served up some great tennis this year, and with the final Grand Slam of the year bringing to an end another season of super play from some of the world’s best (some notable absentees aside), it’s time to cast an eye back to the past.
So, here’s a rundown of five of the best finals to have graced the fourth Slam.
1. Andy Murray’s triumph over Novak Djokovic
Britain had long pinned their hopes on Andy Murray clinching a Slam before he reached the final of the 2012 US Open, but after a series of disappointments and failures at the final hurdle, Murray cast off his underdog tag by beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (12-1- ), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2. It was a watershed moment for the proud Scot, battling in an almost five-hour contest against one of the greatest tennis players of the Open Era.
Clinching the first two sets before losing the next couple, he showed uncharacteristic resilience to battle back and triumph in the final set. It proved at long last that Murray could win the psychological battle. His technical ability had never been in doubt prior to his maiden Slam triumph, but when he produced the final winner of the clash, it was clear that he had finally overcome the mental blockades which had held him back for so long. A fond memory not only for British fans of tennis, but also for those with a weak spot for an underdog story.
2. Serena Williams’ win over Victoria Azarenka
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players of all time – her incredible haul of 23 singles titles clearly attests to that, but back during her meeting with Victoria Azarenka at the 2012 US Open, there were some question marks hovering over her abilities.
At 30 years of age, and up against a player eight years’ her junior who had won the Australian Open in January and was the then world no.1, some wondered how she might respond to the challenge.
Williams claimed the first set, but then dropped the second to give Azarenka a foothold in the match. However, when the true greats are tested, they roar back with a vengeance, and so it proved with Williams. Making history by winning the first three-set women’s singles final at the US Open, she fired back
with a great final set performance to reaffirm her undeniable ability. Her powerful serve was used to terrific effect as she silenced the young upstart with a blistering finish to remind everyone watching who the true queen of tennis was at the time – and still is today.
3. Jimmy Connors vs. Bjorn Borg
If the Borg/McEnroe rivalry is great material for a Hollywood movie, then so too should be the rivalry between Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg. When the pair met in the US Open men’s singles final in 1976, the head-to- head was very much in Connors’ favour. In fact, Connors had won five matches in row at that point and Borg had not beaten his arch rival since a 1973 meeting in Stockholm.
On this occasion, however, Borg was able to really push his nemesis hard and saw both players produce some really dense, riveting rallies that had the crowd absorbed in the action like never before. Each star claimed a set apiece in the opening two, but it was their exchanges in the third that really underlined how Borg had closed the gap on his competitor. At one stage, Borg claimed five points in a row and made their tiebreaker a viciously closely- contested one ultimately losing it 11-9 as Connors went on to claim the match after another set of mouth-watering tennis.
The win saw Connors claim his sixth-straight victory over Borg, but the following five meetings would see the Swedish star win four of them, giving him the momentum to eventually set up a 10-match unbeaten streak over his opponent.
4. John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg
As mentioned, it’s little wonder the intense rivalry between these two legends is the subject of a much-publicized movie – and it’s surely their meeting in the 1980 US Open final that stands out as one of their most memorable. Having produced fireworks in their Wimbledon encounter, much was expected of them again, and they did not disappoint.
McEnroe triumphed 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 5-7, 6-4 to take some of the sheen off Borg’s win at SW19 a few months prior and epitomised the back-and-forth nature of their rivalry, but although the context of it all was important, the content of their battle made it all the more memorable. A clash of McEnroe’s fire and brimstone with Borg’s icy cool demeanour always made this a striking match-up. The Guardian’s Steven Pye described it as ‘the making of McEnroe and a bridge too far for Borg.’
The Swede missed out on the opportunity to clinch a Calendar Grand Slam in ’80 and although his American counterpart was in great form, Borg was partly to blame for his own downfall, not utilizing his serve effectively and hitting something of a mental brick wall – the match fluctuated after the first two sets following a comeback from the Swede, but it wasn’t to be enough as McEnroe won out in a truly enthralling encounter that, frankly, deserves more praise in hindsight.
5. Steffi Graf vs. Monica Seles in ‘95
This match was layered with emotion and subtext – the primary ones being Monica Seles’ comeback trail following the horror stabbing she suffered in 1993 by a deranged spectator and Steffi Graf’s continued brilliance in the face of tax concerns that saw a raid on her house take place in May.
On the surface of all that, though, there was the reality that this match pitted two of the most naturally gifted players against each other. Graf had won six of the10 meetings between the pair leading into this final and although over two years had passed since their Aussie Open encounter, it was a chance to renew an old rivalry. With Graf having claimed victory at Wimbledon and the French Open, though, Seles was up against it
despite an 11-match unbeaten run.
The pair traded blows in a clash that ended 7-6 (8-6), 0-6, 6-3 and although Seles was brought back down to earth after a great series of comeback performances, it set her up for her ’96 Aussie Open win and the contest had spectators enthralled from the get-go.
