Top Ten: Wimbledon Moments
Mark Molloy
Posted on: 15 June 2009 - 16:11
Tennis
It’s that time of year again. Get your Pimm’s, umbrellas and strawberries and cream at the ready. Wimbledon is less than two weeks away. Here, Sport.co.uk, relives ten classic moments from the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.
10. Game, Set and Match? (1974)
Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors went into the 1974 tournament engaged to one another and both came away with their respective singles titles in this modern-day love story. Expectation certainly didn’t seem to affect the two lovebirds, as both players made their way through the tournament in impressive fashion. Only months after dancing arm in arm at the Champion’s Ball however, the couple decided their future was not together.
9. The Upset (2003)
Australian Lleyton Hewitt joined 1966 champion Manuel Santana in becoming only the second defending men’s title holder in the history of Wimbledon to be knocked out in the tournament’s first round.
Virtual unknown qualifier Ivo Karlovic went into the 2003 tournament ranked 203 in the world, coming back from one set down, to beat Hewitt 1–6, 7–6, 6–3, 6–4, and produce one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history.
8. Rain, rain, go away … Please (1996)
One thing always guaranteed to make an appearance at Wimbledon is the rain. It just wouldn’t be the same without it. So when the heavens opened on Centre Court during the 1996 tournament, the last thing the crowd expected to see was Sir Cliff Richard grabbing a microphone. He began to deliver a rousing rendition of Gene Kelly’s, ‘Singing in the Rain’, with Virginia Wade and Martina Navratilova providing backing vocals.
Centre Court’s new retractable roof for this year’s Championship means we are unlikely to see another recital anytime soon.
7. 17 years and 227 days old (1985)
In 1985, an unseeded West German teenager became the youngest ever player to win the Men’s Singles Title at the age of 17. He happened to be Boris Becker, who went on to win a further two Wimbledon titles and six Grand Slam titles in all.
Becker, also became the first German to win the illustrious title and went onto successfully defend his title the next year. After just three hours and 18 minutes of play, Becker was presented the trophy to the euphoric applause of Centre Court, defeating eighth-seed Kevin Curren 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
6. Gibson fights back (1957)
Aletha Gibson went down in history after defeating Darlene Hard 6-3, 6-2 to become the first African-American to win a singles title in the London suburb of Wimbledon.
With the Civil Rights movement gaining momentum in America, Gibson’s rise to the peak of the sport gave African-Americans hope that one day they would be considered as equals. Gibson successfully defended her title in 1958, while also dominating the doubles tournament with three consecutive wins from 1956-58.
5. Fred Perry’s Hat-trick (1936)
It has been so long since an Englishman last won the Men’s Singles Title at Wimbledon, that the name Fred Perry is probably better known by today’s generation for it’s brand of T-shirt.
Yet in the ‘30s, English success on home soil was a regularity, with 1936 being the year Mr Perry won his third Wimbledon title in a row. Perry destroyed Baron von Cramm 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 to cement his place in Wimbledon folklore. A statue of Perry was erected at the All England Tennis Club in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his first Grand Slam win.
4. Federer’s 5/5 (2007)
Roger Federer took his place in the history books emulating Bjorn Borg, by winning five consecutive Wimbledon men’s singles title, defeating Rafael Nadal in a marathon three hour and 45 minute final.
The Swiss player, considered by many to be the greatest of all-time, was given a standing ovation from the crowd, including Borg, who looked genuinely pleased despite his long-standing record being equalled.
3. Wild Card Ivanisevic (2001)
With all the matches of the 2001 tournament still uncompleted by the end of the second Sunday, Goran Ivanisevic had to wait until ‘People’s Monday’ for his encounter with Pat Rafter.
The 30 year-old Croatian, who only made it into the tournament as a wildcard, won the support of the British public with his powerful style of tennis and role as the traditional underdog, despite knocking out British hope Tim Henman in the semi-finals.
Thousands of fans queued in hope of acquiring tickets to see if Ivanisevic could be become the first wildcard Wimbledon champion in the competition’s history, which he did, defeating Rafter 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6, 9–7.
2. Borg V McEnroe (1980)
The 1980 men’s final pitted four-time winner Bjorn Borg against a young John McEnroe who, the previous year as a qualifier, had upset the odds to make it through to the semi-finals.
The match-up produced one of the most memorable finals of the Open Era, with both players holding their nerve to produce 20 minutes of sublime, heart in your mouth tennis during a fourth-set tie-break, won by McEnroe. Borg rallied to see off his bitter rival 8-6 in the final set, with the young American returning 12 months later to avenge the defeat and claim his first Wimbledon title.
1. The Greatest Final? (2008)
This epic encounter between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was the longest men’s final in the competition’s history, stretching over four hours and 48 minutes, and considered by many to be the greatest too.
Federer was aiming to make Wimbledon history by winning six consecutive men’s titles, while his 22-year-old rival had never accomplished the feat. The Spaniard rushed into a two set lead, before Federer clawed his way back level in a fourth-set tie-break, reminiscent of the 1980 final.
With nothing separating the two players, Nadal managed to steal ahead 8-7 in the final set. After reaching match point for a fourth time, he managed to wrestle the title from Federer’s grip with a thunderous serve, which triggered the umpire to say, “Game, Set and Match” and meant Nadal finally got his hands on the Challenge Cup.