Look, as most of you know, my time as a tennis fan is primarily filled with angst. Though I appreciate them all, I’m not a member of the Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, or even Murray fan club. I tend to embrace the offbeat underdog, the hot-headed underachiever, the scrappy veteran, or Agnieszka Radwanska. This means that the first week of Grand Slams for me are usually filled with heartache, tears, and multiple therapy sessions. My hopes typically lie with 250s, which means my angst never gets an off-week.
So in the spirit of self-torture (Happy Holidays!) i thought I’d re-live a few of the matches that made question my very existence as a tennis fan. This list is completely subjective, not at all comprehensive, and should be consumed with your anxiety-reliever of choice.
Without further adieu, bring on the PTSD!
1. Roger Federer d. Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-1; Wimbledon 3rd Round
But then the fourth set happened. Both guys were finally playing great at the same time, or at least very well. I kept waiting, expecting for Benny to crumble, but he hung in there. Stroke for stroke, winner for winner. And as the camera showed Mirka biting her nails as Benny generated the lone break point of the set, I forgot everything I knew about this sport and I actually hoped.
Benny hung in there despite quad cramps and his French brain until 6-6 in the fourth set tiebreak. But of course it was all Federer from there, and this jaded heart was once again broken by the Swiss Maestro at Wimbledon. Brutal.
2. Philip Kohlschrieber d. John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; US Open 3rd Round.
As I noted at the time, however, this did prove to be an apt homage to the former alpha-dog of American tennis.
Isner loses in 5 sets to Kohls in R3 of a Slam, argues with an ump, smashes his racket, and gets a point penalty. What an homage to Rod.
— Lindsay Gibbs (@linzsports) September 3, 2012
(Is it tacky to post your own tweets in your own post? OH WELL.)
I could have talked about any of Isner’s 2012 Grand Slam performances on this list though. LOOK AT THESE SCORELINES:
Australian Open R3: Feliciano Lopez d. John Isner 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-7 (0), 6-1
French Open R2: Paul Henri-Mathieu d. John Isner 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16
Wimbledon R1: Alejandro Falla d. John Isner 6-4, 6-7(7), 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5
The silver lining? Isner has a lot of opportunities to make up ranking ground at Grand Slams next year. I’ve learned my lesson though, and won’t be holding my breath.
3. Agnieszka Radwanska d. Maria Kirilenko 7-5, 4-6, 7-5; Wimbledon QFs
OF COURSE THERE WAS A PROBLEM. Radwanska battled a ferocious Kirilenko, her own errors, and multiple rain delays to get the monkey off her back. It was not easy. The first game of the match lasted nine minutes. There was a rain delay at 4-4. It took her eight set points to convert the first set. She got up an early break in the second set, but gave it right back. After she lost the second set, there was another rain delay.
At 7:45 in the evening, at 4-4 in the third set and following an unheard of six straight nerve-wracking holds of serve, they decided to move the match. This time the girls had to wait an hour and a half for Centre Court to be cleared so they could finish their match underneath the roof. When they finally got out there, Kirilenko held for 5-4 and was one game away from ENDING MY LIFE.
But then Kirilenko’s aggression that had kept her in it this long got the best of her, and the Polish ninja squeaked out the final three games of the match to make it to the semifinals. Turns out some heart attacks are worth it.
4. Martin Klizan d. Mikhail Youzhny 6-7(11), 6-4, 7-6(3); St. Petersburg Semifinals
Set 1: Klizan led 5-3, but Youzhny came back to win it 13-11 in the tiebreak after saving three set points.
Set 2: Youzhny led 4-2 before dropping four straight games.
Set 3: Klizan led 5-2, then Youzhny won three straight games without dropping a single point. He double faulted at the beginning of the TB, and that was pretty much all she wrote.
Overall, the match lasted three hours and 49 minutes and involved 34 break-points and countless R-rated Youzhny moments. After a rough second half of the season, I had so wanted Youzhny to make the finals in front of his hometown crowd, but alas it was not to be. It’s excruciating being a Russian tennis fan. But hey, at least there was no blood?
5. Angelique Kerber d. Venus Williams 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; US Open 2nd Round
I wouldn’t call this match high-quality, but it was intense. Every single point seemed to be played like it was the last point of their lives. I couldn’t hear their screams because I was screaming so loudly because there was no such thing as a safe shot in this match. It was as if neither one of them had ever heard of the “middle of the court.” They both left every single ounce of themselves out there, and the New York crowd was so appreciative.
The match lasted for two hours and 45 minutes, with the second set alone taking 76 minutes. I haven’t done the math, but there were a lot of deuces. It was soul-crushing, head-banging, awe-inspiring, gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping, eye-rolling, chills-inducing tennis.
But Venus had 60 UFEs. And Venus lost. And I may or may not have cried. A lot.
6. Novak Djokovic d. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1 5-7 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 6-1; French Open QFs
This match started out like everyone expected it to — as a rout for Djokovic. He won seven of the first eight games, and up a set and a break everyone was penciling him into the semifinals. But then, for three sets, Tsonga woke up. He played the kind-of aggressive, smart, and error-free tennis that we all know he’s capable of. The kind that makes him a dark horse threat in every tournament he enters. But I’ve been a Jo fan for a long time, and just like in the Benny match above, I knew not to hope.
But I’m not a robot. How can you not get up your hopes when there are four match points? How can you not start to dream when one of your favorite players has a chance to take out the No. 1 player in the world in front of his hometown crowd at his hometown Grand Slam? Seriously, I’m asking … HOW? Because I knew better. I did. But I went there. For a second I pictured the celebration and the headlines and the post-match presser. For a second I pictured a world where Jo-Wilfried Tsonga lived up to his potential. For a second I was a fool.
Fun fact: I’ve lived my entire life in the fetal position since this match, choking back sobs. It’s not cute.
Honorable Mentions:
Tsonga/Nadal in Miami, Sharapova/Kvitova Australian Open Semifinal; Kanepi/Wozniacki French Open disaster, and the Cilic/Nalbandian error-fest 2012 Davis Cup masterpiece.
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What about you guys? What tennis matches this past year left you questioning your very existence and sanity? Please share so that I know I’m not alone.
That Venus match still gives me nightmares and don’t get me started on fed having set points and losing WTF
Isner v Nalbandian at the Australian Open. I’d say more but I suddenly feel demoralised and am shaking my head uncontrollably just thinking about it.
I’d been doing such a good job repressing the memories (as I had with your number 5). Why, Lindsay!? What the fuck is wrong with you?
Hahahahaha–I don’t know what is wrong with me, but when I sat down to write a re-cap of the year this was what came out. Isner/Nalbandian was tragic, as was Isner/Malisse…what is wrong with Isner at Grand Slams? SIGH.
Del Potro blowing a two-set lead to Federer at the French Open and then losing a 17-19 third set to Federer at the Olympics. At least he turned things around at Basel and the WTF.
OMG I have blocked out Delpo’s two set lead at RG. OUCH!!!
The worst thing about that Delpo/Fed match at RG was how inevitable it was starting in the third set. The suspense was gone. The Olympics match was awful too. Why tennis…whyyyy?
AAh such angst. As a Carlos Berlocq enthusiast there was joy and despair when he lost the Vina Del Mar final to Juan Monaco (sadly always likely). He lost the first, won the second on the tie-break and played some great stuff. but ran out of gas in the third.
The number of Berlocq & Starace finals left may be very finite and I want one to win a title at least before the Mayans kill us all.
I can only sympathise with your Benneteau pain.
I love that you’re a Berlocq enthusiast, and it even makes me think of handing over my angst crown to you. And Starace might put it over the edge!
Venus Ebony Starr Williams,what can I say? her matches do not make me nervous no more, although I wish she wins every single one she plays,my admiration is now somewhere else with Vee,the fact that in spite of everything going on she still wants to come and gut it out and play,lovely huh?
The match in which she played that I watched and walked in cirlces from start to finish was the one in Miami against Wozniack,now that one had me “hyper-ventilating” full time:))))
The Wozniak/Vee match was the same night as Roddick/Fed. I had a friend’s concert to attend so I followed both by livescores on my phone, but I STILL consider it one of the best tennis days of my life, haha.
The Wozniacki-Kanepi match was a complete disaster, as was the match against Paszek in the first round of Wimbledon. Also the US Open men’s final was a disappointment after Nole stormed back from two sets down to play a mediocre fifth set. The women’s final wasn’t too much better, as Vika was broken at love when serving for the match. BAH, HUMBUG!
Bah, humbug indeed! I remember Wozniacki/Paszek being really, really fun to watch and pretty high quality. And I was at Serena/Vika live an it was incredibly–nerves certainly came into play but it was a blast. we agree on the other two though.
THAT FIRST ONE!!!!
I couldn’t bear it after the second set went to a tiebreak and after Roger lost it I went angrily grocery shopping for the third set >:(
the venus/kerber match damn near killed me. it’s been a long time since i felt like that and…i don’t like feeling that that. i don’t even have anything else to add, that match just hurt. it still hurts.
I agree. I was there, and it was just devastating to watch. It was never a great quality match but the crowd’s intensity was amazing. Still, SOB!!!
the quality was part of what made it hurt. and i don’t remember the last time i heard a us open crowd be that behind venus. i think serena was right when she said that this year was the most support she ever had at the uso. i think that’s true for venus as well.
The women’s US Open final. For a moment I really believed that Vika could do it, but Serena as she has done so many times over the years just managed to get out of such a massive hole, albeit with some help from Vika. She has done that against my favourites so many times over the years. You just have to wonder if her luck will eventually run out…
DelPo-Fed Olympics for sure.
Vika was not broken at love serving for the match,it was first love 40, but then she played a beautiful gutsy point and moved it at 15-40,then got broken:)which pretty much made my year,couldn’t possibly take another loss for Serebaby at the US open:)
just fun fact checking….