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Five Matches That Defined Your Favourite Player's 2012 Season

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#1 ·
Five Matches That Defined Your Favourite Player's 2012 Season

Okay, so the 2012 season is well and truly behind us, and most of the focus is now on the enticing 2013 season. However, I'd like to have a more specific reflection of a variety of players and how they performed in 2012.

So this is a simple exercise. All you have to do is to choose five matches that defined your favourite player's season. You can do this for multiple players, if you wish. Leave a summary with each match as to why you chose it, but only if you feel like it, and your explanations can be non-existent or they can be as long as you like.

So imagine that in fifty years' time. Someone is looking back at a certain player's 2012 season. Which five matches would best represent what this player went through.

I'll do an example.

David Goffin

Chronological Order

1) Miami Masters 1000 R64: David Goffin l. Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 2-6

Harsh lessons were learnt that day, which would ultimately go on to help him achieve a great deal later on. Almagro played a supremely dominant baseline game, and gave Goffin no room to express himself. A very astute performance from the Spaniard. He did exactly what he had to do to snuff out any chances that the youngster had. Things would soon afterwards*turn out very good for Goffin, however.

2) Le Gosier CH F: David Goffin def. Mischa Zverev 6-2, 6-2

Certainly a minor win, if you look at his season as a whole, but this was a brilliant performance, and in my view, the catalyst to go on and achieve great things during the season. Not much more needs to be said.

3) Roland Garros R16: David Goffin l. Roger Federer 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, 4-6

One of the most memorable moments of the season. The little boy playing his idol. This was a beautiful match for about ninety minutes. Both were playing some delightful stuff, but I think everyone, including Goffin, knew that Federer had some gears to find. Goffin lost momentum and faded pretty badly in the end. Still a great match from him, and a wonderful tournament.

4) Wimbledon R128: David Goffin def. Bernard Tomic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

As a fan, I've never felt so nervous watching a match as I did with this one. I really wanted Goffin to win, and for about forty-five minutes, things were going horribly wrong. However, he showed great maturity to steady the ship and take the next three sets rather comfortably, with one break in each. Tomic was in the middle of a rotten spell, but many believed a return to the grass-courts of Wimbledon would spark a revival in him. Goffin disagreed with them.

5) Valencia R16: David Goffin def. John Isner 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-4

This was topsy-turvy, to say the least. Despite not being televised, one could easily sense the tension and drama in this one. The reason I select it, is that Isner had the momentum. He had brought it back to one-set all, and he even had a break in the final set. Goffin must have been very assured, to not panic when in such a situation against arguably the best server in world tennis is a testament to his mentality that belies his age. He's already showing great signs of learning and displaying the experience, but one feels he still has much to learn.

-----

It would be nice if people tried to do different players. While it would be nice to debate the best matches of the big four, that wasn't the main purpose that i had in mind when I thought of this activity.
 
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#2 ·
Phlipp Kohlschreiber

1. Doha R1: Nadal def. Kohlschreiber 6-3 6-7 6-3

Well Kohli was in a real slump at the end of 2011 and he started of his season with a brutal draw. But he showed in this Match that there are better things t ocome this season and so Kohli was off to a great start to 2012

2. Munich Final: Kohlschreiber def. Cilic 7-6 6-3

This victory was maybe the real breakout this season, because he finally got it done the whole week. He played 4 great Matches and he won the title again on home soil

3. Halle QF: Kohlschreiber def. Nadal 6-4 6-4

Do I need to say more, finlly he won against Nadal after coming so close in a lot of Matches.Well of course Nadal was tired, but for Kohlis confidence this was maybe the biggest boost he could get.

4. Wimbledon R16: Kohlschreiber def. Baker 6-2 7-6 6-3

I couldn't decided which Match was more important, this Match or the win against Haas, but here he finally reaached the Quaters of a grand slam, which lead the way that he finally entered the Top 20

5. US Open R32: Kohlschreiber def. Isner 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4

Kohli was in a little slump prior to the US Open and played two bad Matches to reach the R 32. But then ut of nowwhere the Kohli of the spring returend and fought down the American Giant in a 5 set thriller. Isner was one of the favorites to reach the semis until Kohli came into his way.
 
#3 ·
Good thread George :yeah: Doesn't deserve to be DOA :sadface:

Barcelona Final: David Ferrer l. Rafael Nadal 6-7 5-7 - Played very well, going after Nadal at every opportunity. Yet failed to get it done in the clutch. Similar story in the first set of their Rome SF before David seemed to lose all belief in himself and Rafa won four straight blow-out sets on the clay. Sadly for Ferrer, he really struggles to take his opportunities against the top 4, which was evidenced again against Murray at Wimbledon and Federer at the YEC.

Roland Garros Quarter Final: David Ferrer def. Andy Murray 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-2 - Reached his first RG SF. Something that was long overdue.

Wimbledon Fourth Round: David Ferrer def. Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-2 6-3 - Wins handily against one of his competitors for a top five ranking and the third of a four match win streak he is currently enjoying over del Potro. He would also beat Berdych, his other rival for a top 5 place, comfortably in one of the biggest matches of each man's season.

US Open Quarter Final: David Ferrer def. Janko Tipsarevic 6-3 6-7 2-6 6-3 7-6 - Outlasts a red-hot Tipsarevic in a marathon match with fluctuating momentum, epitomising his gritty determination and reaffirming his confidence while playing those ranked below him. In doing so, he reached his second GS SF of the year.

Paris-Bercy Final: David Ferrer def. Jerzy Janowicz 6-4 6-3 - Takes advantage of an open draw and wins the biggest title of his career at the age of 30.
 
#4 · (Edited)
1. Nadal d. Djokovic Monte Carlo 6-3 6-1

May not seem like the most important one, but in my opinion it was. He finally snapped his losing streak and bounced back from that heartbreaking AO loss. Also a record breaking 8th consecutive MC crown. A loss here on his beloved MC clay against Djokovic (again) would've been terrible and would've had major consequences for his career.

2. Nadal l. Djokovic AO 7-5 4-6 2-6 7-6 5-7

Need I say more about this? Cost him a slam, but more importantly, it gave him the confidence he could beat Djokovic. On Nole's turf he had him on the ropes. And he even arrived in Melbourne after a tough indoor/off season, not expecting too much. And he played brilliantly and almost had him. Very important.

3. Nadal d. Djokovic RG 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5

Record breaking match either way, Rafa showed why he is the greatest ever on clay, finishing off a fantastic tournament in style with a win over his main rival these days. Probably would've been straight sets without the rain, but who cares.

4. Nadal l. Rosol Wimbledon 7-6 4-6 4-6 6-2 4-6

Could've easily been nr.1 this, but I chose a more positive approach. Terrible loss, end of the season, start of his injury woes. Don't want to say much more about it

5. Nadal d. Federer AO 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4

Any win over Federer in a slam just adds to that fantastic legacy of Rafa. 8-2 already, staggering numbers. And another one on Fed's beloved hardcourts, showed the world again what a brilliant tennis player he is, on ANY surface.
 
#5 ·
Very good idea for a thread in offseason :)

Martin Klizan

1. Winston Salem R32: Isner def. Klizan 46 63 75
Klizan was worried about autumn hardcourt season but this match proved him ready to compete with top players and gave him good chances to US Open.

2. US Open R3: Klizan def. Chardy 64 64 64
Yes, some people may argue that Tsonga win was bigger, but I think to beat Chardy after such a succes was a harder (and Klizan said so as well). He showed consistent performance throughout whole match and get to last 16 with perfect symetric result.

3. St.Pete SF : Klizan def. Youzhny 67 64 76
Almost 4-hour battle, this match had everything and it may be highlight of his season (in performances) and with the fact he was able to back this win up in final day after.

4. Kitzbuhel QF: Klizan def.Bolleli 16 75 61
He wasn´t really in that good form until he played Kitzbuhel. He struggled against Thiem in 1st round there and against Bolleli in first set and things looked bad for him. This result gave him his first ATP semifinal start his great summer (San Marino W, US Open R4, St.Petersburg W)

5. Paris R1: Seppi def. Klizan 62 26 76
I hope this match will force Martin to train even more and motivate him a lot during offseason. He should win this match but blew it away and it was his last match of 2012 so it stayed in his head for a time, that is sure.

Plus - all 3 matches against Cilic this year. In every match, he had chances to decide in important sets, but couldn´t take opportunities and it was breaking point in whole matches. He was able to be good for set or two in every match but couldn´t deliver. I hope it will help him in 2013.


Lukas Lacko

1. Helsinki F: Lacko def. Nieminen 63 64
Great way to end up-and-down 2012. 125 points for a win in tough challenger and first time in top 50 after this tournament. It also brought him good mood into offseason for sure and may kick him up for a good start in 2013.

2. Wimbledon R2: Lacko def. Melzer 64 67 36 63 64
This match helped Lacko gain some points during his drought between Miami and Tokyo (yes, quite a lot of tournaments). Win in 5-setter in GS is always very important and he could play at big court for a first time (@Wimbledon).

3. Tokyo R1: Lacko def. Ramos 60 62
Ending of streak of 9 consecutive loses was in style. 45 points for this win and chance to play Murray in next round was a nice, too.

4. Dubai R2: Berdych def. Lacko 61 62 /Tokyo R2: Murray def.Lacko 61 62
A fine proof that top players are still far far away from his level. First match was in February, second one in October - and nothing really changed (in fact, his form got even worse - but improved in the end of season). Lukas really sucks against top players, got straight-setted by Tsonga, Nadal, Federer or Ferrer without any chances in each set. Last time he played good against top player was that bagel against Nadal.

5. Bucharest R1: Balasz def. Lacko 67 76 64
Start of his early decline in 2012. Clay court. Weak opponent. Weak tournament. First set won so-so. Second set lost in tight moments. Third set lost as well and mental problems with clay were back. So simple.
 
#6 ·
Fed lose to dull AO

Fed def Nadal indian wells

Fed def djokovic wimbledon

Fed def Mugray wimbledon

Fed def del potro olympics
 
#7 ·
I'm actually going to do 9 matches of Nadal that defined this year.

1. AO QF vs. Berdych- Berdych has success vs. Nadal on hard courts in years past, and had a set up and a set point to take it 2 sets up, but Nadal just fought hard and came through with a defining win, imo. We saw how Berdych can take out a top seed in a HC slam at USO. This was a big match for Rafa to get through.

2. AO SF vs. Fed- Nadal's win over Fed in AO 09, many thought was a fluke blah blah blah, this was a big match for Nadal over Fed in a hard court slam.

3. AO F vs. Nole- 6 hour war, incredible stuff

4. Fed in IW- First time Nadal lost to Fed on an outdoor hard court since I think Miami 2005?

5. Tsonga in Miami- Nadal should have wrapped this up in 2, but struggled in 3 and his body paid the price.

6. Nole in MC- First time beating Nole since 2010 WTF, meant a lot to him.

7. Ferrer in Barcelona- Only Ferrer and Nadal can play a 2 set match that lasts over 3 hours, and what a match it was. Truly Ferrer's best chance to beat Nadal.

8. Djoovic RG final- Cemented legacy as greatest clay courter of them all.

9. Rosol match at Wimbledon- Not much more needs to be said, really.
 
#22 ·
1. Nadal d. Djokovic Monte Carlo 6-3 6-1

May not seem like the most important one, but in my opinion it was. He finally snapped his losing streak and bounced back from that heartbreaking AO loss. Also a record breaking 8th consecutive MC crown. A loss here on his beloved MC clay against Djokovic (again) would've been terrible and would've had major consequences for his career.

2. Nadal l. Djokovic AO 7-5 4-6 2-6 7-6 5-7

Need I say more about this? Cost him a slam, but more importantly, it gave him the confidence he could beat Djokovic. On Nole's turf he had him on the ropes. And he even arrived in Melbourne after a tough indoor/off season, not expecting too much. And he played brilliantly and almost had him. Very important.

3. Nadal d. Djokovic RG 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5

Record breaking match either way, Rafa showed why he is the greatest ever on clay, finishing off a fantastic tournament in style with a win over his main rival these days. Probably would've been straight sets without the rain, but who cares.

4. Nadal l. Rosol Wimbledon 7-6 4-6 4-6 6-2 4-6

Could've easily been nr.1 this, but I chose a more positive approach. Terrible loss, end of the season, start of his injury woes. Don't want to say much more about it

5. Nadal d. Federer AO 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-4

Any win over Federer in a slam just adds to that fantastic legacy of Rafa. 8-2 already, staggering numbers. And another one on Fed's beloved hardcourts, showed the world again what a brilliant tennis player he is, on ANY surface.
What these two said. :angel:
 
#8 ·
Del Potro

1. Lost to Federer at Australian Open quarterfinals 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Showed how far off the top players, namely Federer, Del Potro was at the start of 2011. This result was followed by similar beatdowns in Rotterdam and Indian Wells, showed how much work he needed to do.

2. Beat Berdych 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 in round 4 of Roland Garros

First match since his comeback where he really hit his FH with same devastating power and metronomic consistency he used to back before surgery. He beat Berdych despite an injured knee and came within a whisker of doing the same against Federer in the following round. He had already got back what he needed to emerge into a threat again.

3. Lost to Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5), 17-19 in Olympic semis

Showed how much progress he had made since the start of the year by reaching the semis at the Olympics and pushing Federer to the very limits on the latter's best surface. It was arguably the match of the year with JMDP giving Federer all he could handle and, despite losing, essentially ending his chances at the gold medal. He showed he belong with the elite again in this match.

4.Beat Djokovic 7-5, 6-4 in Olympic bronze medal match

Confirmed his return to contention by beating the world's best player in an Olympic medal decider in emphatic fashion. A horribly timed left wrist injury set him back during the American hardcourt season but even then he was only derailed by Djokovic, but he'd be back strong in the indoor season.

5.Beat Federer 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3) in the Basel final

He desperately needed a win over Federer and he got it in the lion's den no less. He went on to beat Federer again at the World Tour Finals and then narrowly losing the semis to Nole, showing once again he's getting closer to the top guys.
 
#9 ·
^
i agree and except maybe i would substitute the loss to djoko at the USO with the federer one at the ao
 
#10 ·
He had a left wrist injury during the entire American hardcourt season and couldn't attack with his BH, he couldn't be realistically expected to beat or even push someone like Djokovic, he made that match as close as entertaining as he could.

He still put up a much better fight than against Federer at AO, where he was simply blown off the court easily. Despite BH issues at USO, he forced Djokovic to come up with some great tennis to beat him in sets 2 and 3.
 
#11 ·
Roger Federer

Wimbledon Final: Roger Federer defeats Andy Murray 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4: Return to winning slams after failing to do so in 2011. 7th Wimbledon title, tied for most Wimbledon titles. Winning this match and title allowed Roger to retake his rightful spot at the top of men's tennis. Roger was able to bring his best tennis to defeat Murray in the finals. Great quality in end of set 2 and sets 3 and 4.

Cincinnatti Final: Roger Federer crushes Novak Djokovic 6-0 7-6: The true HC King showed how tennis should be played on the surface. Beautiful display of attacking tennis. Not broken all tournament. (shame there are so few fast surfaces nowadays)

Olympics Semis: Roger Federer defeats JMDP 3-6 7-6 19-17: This match showed how much Roger wanted the gold in singles. It was a brutal match that lasted roughly 4:30 hours. Unfortunately Roger was too tired and gave no fight whatsoever to the eventual winner. But there is still Rio in 2016. :yeah:

Madrid Finals: Roger Federer defeats Tomas Berdych 3-6 7-5 7-5: First title on clay in almost 3 years. Showed the crying, complaining self-centered divas how to adjust to different surfaces like back in the day where the surfaces weren't all identical. Great tournament overall and one more important step in the quest to regain world #1.

Wimbledon R32: Roger Federer defeats Julien Benneteau 4-6 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-1: The fighting spirit Roger showed and the will to win were fantastic. Roger battled back issues and was able to outlast an inspired Benneteau. This match showed that Roger really loves the game of tennis and especially Wimbledon.
 
#12 ·
In chronological order:

1. Djokovic def. Nadal - AO - 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7, 7–5

A brutal match that cemented Nole's greatness and gave him the chance for a non-CY Grand Slam. Played some phenomenal tennis during the second and third sets but ultimately won the match via determination, durability and a bit of luck.

2. Isner def. Djokovic - IW - 6-7, 6-3, 6-7

Lost another two tie breaks in a big match and an early indication that Nole 2.0 had regressed into Nole 1.5 territory.

3. Nadal def. Djokovic - RG - 4–6, 3–6, 6–2, 5–7

As above, really. Nole's level dropped enough that Rafa won three in a row in clay finals, most importantly at the final of RG of course. Still showed glimpses of supreme tennis - absolutely bossing the fourth set.

4. Murray def. Djokovic - USO - 6–7, 5–7, 6–2, 6–3, 2–6

Another crucial tiebreak loss that set the tone for the first half of the final. Disappointing to see his usually great stamina/fitness let him down a bit in the final set and also disappointed by how long it took him to adapt to the dreadful conditions.

5. Djokovic def. Federer - WTF - 7-6, 7-5

Highly entertaining match of great quality with Nole reinforcing that he's still the best player around by some distance even if he didn't bring his A game at some important moments during the year.

--------------

Choosing 3 losses feels weird :eek: But it was an odd year for Nole imo.
 
#20 ·
5. Djokovic def. Federer - WTF - 7-6, 7-5

Highly entertaining match of great quality with Nole reinforcing that he's still the best player around by some distance even if he didn't bring his A game at some important moments during the year.

--------------
Really?
He beat Federer with difficulty while he got bageled easily by the same guy, and you call him the best player around by some distance?


Choosing 3 losses feels weird :eek: But it was an odd year for Nole imo.
Odd year?
More like 2011 was an odd year for Djokovic.
Or did you start watching tennis in early 2011?
 
#23 ·
Really?
He beat Federer with difficulty while he got bageled easily by the same guy, and you call him the best player around by some distance?
I bet Roger would trade those results in a heart-beat: don't you think he would have preferred to lose in Cincy to Nole (even being bageled, at least it's not a grand slam final :devil: ) and instead finish the year by winning the WTF undefeated, beating Djokovic in the final?
The fact is that the H2H between Roger and Nole is 3-2 for 2012. One win each in Masters, one win each in Grand Slams and the decider at the WTF, which last year were elevated to Grand Slam status, but I guess they've been demoted back to where they belong this year. :devil:
And yes...If in a season as tough as this, with 4 different players winning the 4 grand slams there is one player who ends the year on top and gets 25.8% more points than the #2 player and 61.5% more points than the #3 player, that's what I would call some distance. It's not as if he got the #1 by 10 points (remember 2008?).



Odd year?
More like 2011 was an odd year for Djokovic.
Or did you start watching tennis in early 2011?
2011 was one of the best seasons in the open era. In that sense it was odd... But not for Nole, since he ended 2012 as the #1 player as well... I didn't start watching tennis in 2011, so I can understand how rare it has been in recent years for a player to end the year as #1 in 2 consecutive years... in fact, it hasn't happened in 5 years. It means that 2011 was not a complete anomaly. To be the first guy in 5 years to be able to defend his year-end #1, with the quality of the competition he faced in 2012 is almost as amazing as what he did in 2011, in a sense, even more difficult. So maybe Novak has had 2 odd years, may he have a 3rd odd year in 2013. :)
 
#14 ·
Andy Murray

1. Djokovic def Murray Australian Open semis 6-3 3-6 6-7 6-1 7-5.. or the match that made fans believe this Lendl arrangement might pay dividends. You could see already the difference in Andy on the court.

2. Federer def Murray Wimbledon final 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4

3. Murray def Federer Olympics 6-2 6-1 6-4 - #2 and #3 will be tied together for many years to come. Without the Wimbledon final disappointment, you don't get the preparation that leads to this.

4. Murray def Cilic US Open QFs 3-6 7-6 6-2 6-0 - Every year Murray has at least one match where he pulls a rabbit out of the hat and storms back from a deep deficit against an underdog. While he did not have a two-sets-to-none comeback this year, he did have this match to get to #5.

5. Murray def Djokovic US Open final 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2
 
#15 ·
Tomas Berdych

Australian Open R4 - Beat Almagro 4-6 7-6 7-6 7-6
High quality match against a fellow top player but also a key match in starting his year well. Kept all the pressure within himself when big moments arrived and produced the goods when needed. Also no doubt one of the most controversial moments of this year at the end.

Australian Open QF - Lost to Nadal 7-6 6-7 4-6 3-6
Finally a big match against a big player not named Federer which he's shown up at. In my opinion played as well as he could have but on a court as slow as that, Nadal's best was always going to be too good. Regardless of him losing I don't think anyone was going to beat Nadal playing the way he was, definitely the best hardcourt match Nadal has played in years, forehand and serve were absolutely incredible from him.

Wimbledon R1 - Lost to Gulbis 6-7 6-7 6-7
The best match to describe how much Berdych's game has changed the last few years. Before 2010 there's no way he would have let Gulbis dictate him off the ground the way he did, yet it happened here. Berdych is a far more controlled aggressor now and it showed in this match more than any other the last few years. Gulbis probably played the match of his life but still I'm disappointed that Berdych didn't at least try to revert back to his old game and at least put Gulbis on the backfoot when able to.

US Open QF - Beat Federer 7-6 6-4 3-6 6-3
Definitely Berdych's match since Rome. Didn't let Federer have any rhythm at all and forced his opponent to go for more than he's comfortable with. Also arguably the best mental performance Berdych has ever put in a big match, after losing the third having been a break up, the fourth set from him was world class considering how he not only maintained his level but raised it.

Davis Cup Final - Beat Almagro 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-7 6-3
Not the greatest match quality wise but a massive match for Berdych to win given had it lost it Spain would have gone 2-0 after the first day. Berdych's form the few weeks prior to the match wasn't great so it always had the potential to be tight, but like that match against Federer at the US Open he produced the goods when he needed to, especially early on in the 5th set saving quite a few break points. Definitely the man who won the Czechs the Davis Cup this year and a great way to end a great year.
 
#16 ·
Richard Gasquet
1. Gasquet def Tipsarevic, Australian Open 3rd Round 6-3 6-3 6-1. He didn't just beat Janko. He demolished a top ten player.

2 (tie). Gasquet def Haas, French Open 3rd Round 6-7 6-3 6-0 6-0
Murray def Gasquet, French Open 4th Round 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-2
First of all, your eyes are not deceiving you. In a span of three consecutive sets, Gasquet lost one game including a double bagel. However it's inevitable that a streak like this would involve Andy Murray crashing it, as they're so intertwined at the majors. Richard actually did beat Andy in Rome this year but he was at 4-all in the second set and next thing you know, he's lost the second and third set. If he'd actually won that second set... well, he's blown two-sets-to-none leads to Murray twice before.

3. Benneteau/Gasquet def Lopez/Ferrer, Olympics bronze medal match 7-6 6-1. If you saw this match, you witnessed the rare sighting of Richard Gasquet having fun on the court as he bounced around and got to absolutely everything, starting from an insane set point shot. The confidence from winning a medal directly led to his run at Toronto.

4. Gasquet def Isner Toronto SFs 7-6 6-3. You know how when Isner plays, he's usually the one controlling the match with his serve? In this match, Gasquet was the one controlling the match with a three-quarter pace serve that he just was not missing.

5. Gasquet def Simon 6-2 6-1 Bangkok final. There were two different matches earlier in the week in which Gasquet's opponent served for the match and choked it away (Dimitrov, Nieminen) so it was tough to say how his form was going into the final. Well, there's something about Simon's game that Gasquet feasts upon. An easy and stress-free final. First title in two years. The push (along with a run in Basel) to finally return to the Top 10.
 
#17 ·
Doha F Tsonga def Monfils 7-5 6-3: Bigger clown won :worship:, but it was a small tournament unfortunately

Roland Garros QF Djokovic def Tsonga 6-1 5-7 5-7 7-6 6-1: Jo fought very hard, but in the big moments he was simple outplayed :(

Wimbledon R1 Tsonga def Hewitt 6-3 6-4 6-4: Tsonga routines an old bogan- happened a lot this year.

Olympics Tsonga def Raonic 6-3 3-6 25-23: Jo gruels out a win, but again he is prolonging the match by giving away too many easy returns.

WTF Djokovic def Tsonga 7-6 6-3: Yet another loss to Nole. :sad: Again, he started out strong, trading blows with Djokovic, and then faded after the first set.
 
#18 ·
Novak Djokovic

I'm going to do 8 matches that defined his season, I couldn't get it down to 5. In chronological order:

1. Australian Open Final: Djokovic def. Nadal 5-7 6-4 6-2 6-7 7-5
A 6-hour long epic battle, 2 days after playing a 5-hour semifinal against Andy Murray. Novak started the season defending his Australian Open crown. It was also the 7th straight win over Rafa in a final. Nole started the year very well. Things were looking good, the summer of disappointment was a long way away. :D

2. Roland Garros semifinal: Djokovic def. Federer 6-4 7-5 6-3
After the 2011 Roland Garros semifinal, when Roger broke Novak's winning streak, it was important to win the rematch, in straight sets even better. It was a very good performance by Nole. The body language showed how important this was for Nole. Not only because of what had happened the year before, also because Novak stated at the beginning of the season that his 2 goals were Roland Garros and Olympic Gold. :D

3. Roland Garros final: Nadal def. Djokovic 6-4 6-3 2-6 7-5
A final played over 2 days, interrupted by rain. This was a painful loss for Novak. He started slowly, and when he was on a roll, really dominating play, the match was suspended. The next day Novak, as usual, started slowly and lost the break advantage he had from the previous day. Rafa cruised and won his 7th Roland Garros title. Novak had failed to achieve one of his main goals for 2012. :sad:

4. Wimbledon semifinal: Federer def. Djokovic 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3
This match was important on several levels: Novak failed to defend a grand slam itle, he lost the #1 ranking to Roger, once Roger won the title. For me it was distressing because I felt that Nole sort of gave up at some point. Roger was playing great, that's true, but Novak seemed without energy, out of sorts. :sad:

5. Olympics Bronze Medal match: Del Potro def. Djokovic 7-5 6-4
Another very painful loss for Nole: he failed to achieve his second goal for 2012, to win a medal for Serbia. Del Potro was painting the lines and playing fantastic tennis. Novak was outplayed. :sad:

6. USO final: Murray def. Djokovic 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2
Yet another defeat in a grand slam final. Again the bad weather disrupted play. And bad scheduling meant that Novak had to play 3 days in a row, worse than Super-Saturday. He started the tournament really well, winning all his matches easily, saving energy, but it proved irrelevant. Again he started slowly and had to attempt a comeback, but his legs gave up in the 5th set and Murray was not to be denied this time. :sad:

7. Shanghai Masters final: Djokovic def. Murray 5-7 7-6 6-3
This match was very important, especially after all the disappointments during the summer. Again Novak started slowly and had to come back. He saved 5 MPs to win this title. One of the best matches of the year, in my opinion. :yippee:

8. WTF final: Djokovic def. Federer 7-6 7-5
This match, and indeed the whole tournament were incredibly important for Novak. He had already secured the year-end #1, but some pundits commented that maybe the year-end #1 didn't really mean much, that maybe another player could reasonably be considered the Player of the Year. This narrative got momentum, and at some point the accepted narrative was that the WTF would decide who the Player of the Year was. So this tournament was crucial for Novak. He got to the final undefeated. The match was electrifying in its intensity: Roger won the first 9 points in about 2 minutes and he was up 3-0 in about 5 minutes...But again Nole turned it around and managed to win the title in straight sets. :bounce:

Along the way, he beat Murray and Delpo, and accrued a lead of 2665 points over Roger and 4920 points over Murray. Not to mention proving to doubters that he was, not only the year-end #1, but also the Player of the Year. :banana:

After the USO final I thought Novak was going to have a confidence crisis, but quite the opposite happened: he won 3 titles (Beijing, Shanghai and WTF) and 3000 points after the USO final, much like Roger did in 2011. He also beat his main competitors, the ones who inflicted the most painful losses over the summer: Delpo, Andy and Roger. Unfortunately he didn't get the chance to play another match against Rafa... I'm hoping he'll get the chance in Australia... I'm also hoping that he'll use the momentum gained at the end of the 2012 season to solidify his position at the top of the rankings...Finally, I'm also hoping he won't start his matches so slowly this year, my heart is not getting any younger. ;) :cool:
 
#19 ·
Tommy Haas (though I have many kinda co-favorites)

1 Haas d Volandri 6-3 0-6 6-4 6-4 This match ended up being the building block for Tommy's season, really started his upward trajectory
2 Haas d Berdych 6-4 3-6 7-5 Shocking win against a bad match up, just sublime play
3 Haas d Federer 6-4 7-6 Federer was bad, but beating someone who became world #1 two weeks later is quite an achievement
4 Gulbis d Haas 3-6 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-3 This was the Haas of old, choking away a seemingly insurmountable lead. Disappointing yet overdue for a huge choker who had been pretty clutch for a while
5 Haas d Tipsarevic 6-2 6-1 Brilliant play, though he missed a lot of the rest of the year
 
#24 ·
Nole was messed up in the head in Monte Carlo & French Open. Those are hardly great matches or tourneys for him. More bitter for Djoker than Nadal because there were only a few great clay matches for Nadal opponents since 2004.
 
#29 ·
Nadal's level on clay in 12 >>>>>>>>>>> in 11.

2011 was arguably his worst in years, look at Isner taking him to 5. Roger keeping it very, very close :facepalm: Even having trouble against guys like Andujar. Only the Soderling match was really great.

And then look at RG 2012, guys were happy to win more than 5 games! Monaco grabbing 2. Ferrer, great clay player, sent packing with 5.
 
#30 ·
The Monte Carlo clay was flying into the air, which was new to Djokovic and he clearly was distressed off court too. He was messed up for 4 months before he finally focused again in October.
 
#32 ·
Tuna Altuna:

1. Kumantsov def. Altuna 3-6 7-5 7-6(2)

I don't think this one was streamed, but Altuna really troubled a player ranked some 500+ spots ahead of him.

2. Desein def. Altuna 5-7 6-2 6-1

I don't think this one was streamed, but Altuna really played well in his first QF of the season. You could just tell that he put 110% into this match.

3. Ergeneman def. Altuna 1-6 7-6(6)

I don't think this one was streamed, but this was a tough blow for Tuna. A shoulder injury right in the middle of his breakthrough season?! Maan this was one tough blow.

4. Giustino def. Altuna 6-3 6-0

I don't think this one was streamed, but Tuna really struggled in this encounter with his former compatriot.

5. Dzumhur def. Altuna 7-5 6-2

I don't think this one was streamed, but I don't think Tuna ever really recovered from this one.


Wow, I can't believe I chose 5(!) losses for Tuna!
 
#35 ·
Don't lie.
 
#36 ·
:haha: There is acutally a player called Tuna Altuna! I didn't believe Freaky at first, then I looked it up on the ATP website. :haha:

My life is now complete.
 
#38 ·
Lukas Rosol:

1. Australian; Petzschner def. Rosol 6-0 6-0 6-2

Rosol was a figher in this match scratching out 2 games in the third set to avoid the triple bagel.

2. Prague CH; Bedene def. Rosol 3-6 6-4 6-1

Again, amazing effort avoiding the bagel in the third set.

3. Roland Garros Monaco def. Rosol 7-6(4) 6-0 7-6(5)

Tiebreaker and bagel sandwich. Tasty!!!

4. Dallas CH Cilic def. Rosol 6-0 7-6(2)

Bagel and tiebreak. A Rosol special.

5. Wimbledon Rosol def. Nadal 6-7(9) 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4

Easy win over clay court specialist. Never in doubt. But as Rosol understands, a great champion will always take care of business against an opponent he's expected to beat. Especially in the 5th set. Routine wins are sometimes the most important.
 
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