Monthly Archives: December 2018

Memorable tennis finals

Taking place in January every year, the Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of the calendar year. There is still a few weeks to go until the tournament begins, but the Australian Open 2019 betting sites suggest that Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal,and Roger Federer are the favourites to win the title.

A tightly contested final is expected, but we’ll have to wait to see who it will be fought between. Over the years there has been some great finals, but here’s four of the best.

Björn Borg vs John McEnroe –Wimbledon 1980

If you play a sport then you’ll know that every match is fiercely competitive,regardless of who you’re playing against. This is also true in tennis. However,there is one match that stands out above the rest – Björn Borg vs. John McEnroe.

The match was one of the most anticipated matches of all time due to their ranking sat the time, the rivalry between the two and their opposing personalities. Borg was renowned for his cool demeanour on the court, whilst McEnroe was known foroften pulling tantrums on the court. In a tightly contested match, it was Björn Borg who eventually came out on top by winning 1–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(16–18), and 8–6.

Since the match has been played, the game has been labelled as one of the best sporting matches of all time and has even had a movie made about it.

Video Source: youtube.com

Roger Federer vs RafaelNadal – Wimbledon 2008

Whilst the Borg-McEnroe might be considered the greatest match of all time, the game between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal isn’t far behind, and is considered oneof the greatest matches of the 21st century.

The build-up to the game was intense due to the success of the players in the past few years who looked unstoppable in their prime. Between them, both players had won 14 of the previous 16 Grand Slam titles available.

The two had played against each other before, but this match saw both players play some of the best tennis of their career. The match was the longest singles final at Wimbledon and the spectators saw Rafael Nadal beat Federer 6–4, 6–4,6–7(5–7), 6–7(8–10), 9–7.

Video Source: youtube.com

Ivan Lendl vs John McEnroe –French Open 1984

Following his defeat to Björn Borg at Wimbledon in 1980, John McEnroe went on to dominate the start of the decade by winning six Grand Slam titles in four years. The American almost made it seven, but he suffered a crushing defeat in the 1984 French Open final.

In the build up to the game, McEnroe was the favourite thanks to his recent 42 match winning streak. Meanwhile, Lendl was just coming into his prime and was yet to win a Grand Slam tournament. Despite his inexperience, the French crowd saw Lendl recover from two sets down to claim the French title 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 7–5,7–5.

Video Source: youtube.com

Roger Federer vs RafaelNadal – Australian Open 2017

Both Federer and Nadal appear on our list once again, this time in the 2017 Australian Open final. Nine years after their Wimbledon match in 2008, the two rivals found themselves in a Grand Slam final again.

Although it wasn’t hyped up ‘greatest match of all time’, the final was a dream for most tennis fans as it saw two elite players reaching a major final despite being written off. Both players had pulled out of a couple of tournaments over the past few years due to injury, and many fans and pundits believed that they wouldn’t be able to bounce back to their previous heights.

In the end it was Roger Federer who managed to edge out the Spaniard 6-4, 3-6,6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Video Source: youtube.com

Djokovic, Federer or Nadal – who will win the Australian Open?

Image Source: wikipedia.org

Founded in 1905, the Australian Open is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in the world.

The tournament is the first Grand Slam tennis event of the year and this year’s Australian Open betting odds suggest the current world number one, Novak Djokovic, is the favourite to win it for the seventh time.

The Serbian is the favourite for the tournament, but there are a couple of other competitors who also have their eye on the trophy.

Novak Djokovic

As mentioned earlier, world number one Novak Djokvic is the current favourite amongst the bookies to win the Australian Open. Since starting his professional career in 2003, Djokovic has experienced the most success in the Australian Open, winning the Grand Slam tournament six times, with his most recent win coming in 2016. 

Since his victory in 2016, the Serbian has unperformed in Australia, being knocked out in the 2nd Round and 4th Round in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

His performances in the Australian Open in the past couple of years might not inspire much confidence in those who are looking to place a bet on him, but he has won the previous two Grand Slam tournaments available and will be looking to make it three in a row

Roger Federer

Every year it seems like Roger Federer is being written off by the pundits, yet he keeps proving them wrong. At the end of 2016, it seemed like the predictions of Federer’s downfall had finally come true. The Swiss man had only won two Grand Slam titles since the start of the decade, with his last title coming in 2012.

However,2017 seemed to be a ‘revival’ year for Federer as he managed to win two Grand Slam titles – the Australian Open and Wimbledon. The Australian Open win was the first time in five years he had won a Grand Slam, and the first time in seven years that he won the Australian Open. His victory against Rafael Nadal meant he was the oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1972.

Federer managed to regain his title last year with victory against Marin Čilić and will be hoping to make it three in a row in January after going on a good run of form at the end of

Rafael Nadal

Like Federer, Rafael Nadal has also been written off multiple times in his career,primarily due to his injury record. His aggressive and physical style has meant injuries have been a regular occurrence throughout his career. As a result, his longevity in the sport has been questioned. 

Despite this, Nadal has maintained a respectable Grand Slam record throughout his career with 17 Grand Slam titles to his name. His most recent tournament win came earlier this year when he won the French Open.

Although he is regarded as one of the best tennis players in the world, Nadal has an abysmal record in the Australian Open, only winning it once in thirteen attempts. His sole win came back in 2009, but he had reached three finals since then. Compared to Djokovic and Federer, it seems like a Nadal win is unlikely.However, his two consecutive semi-final finishes at Wimbledon and the US Open could give him a boost in Australia.