[Sjengster]

Just wondering, with regard to the thread about Grand Slam freezes, how about the opposite - those infamous moments when the favourites got bounced out of the Slams?

To start off, here's a couple of good old Pete losses:

Wimbledon 96, QF: Richard Krajicek def. Pete Sampras 7/5, 7/6, 6/4
This is the big one, 1 of 2 matches that Sampras lost on Centre Court, the other one the Federer defeat a full five years later. Moreover it was the 1 defeat in an otherwise perfect 56 match-winning span at the All-England Club.
Krajicek served 29 aces to Sampras' 13, broke in the final set off a lucky let cord and finished the match with a 122 mph service winner that Sampras barely touched with his racquet.

Australian Open 98, R16/QF (?): Karol Kucera def. Pete Sampras 6/4, 6/2, 6/7, 6/3
The lowest-ranked player in the last five/six years to take out Sampras outside the French Open until the Bastl debacle at last year's Wimbledon. As the score suggests, it was Kucera who was the stronger server, hitting 18 aces to Sampras' 7, and he kept frustrating Sampras by smacking return winners, dipping passes and just getting the serve back into play.
Sampras said "I just lost to a player who got hot tonight", but Kucera's luck didn't last, beaten by Petr Korda en route to the Czech's only Grand Slam title.

Significant others?

 

[Experimentee]

The first two finals of last year, Johansson def Safin, and Costa def Ferrero
Bastl def Sampras (Pete wasnt playing well but this was still a shocker)
Srichaphan def Agassi at Wimby (Paradorn was on the rise but still unexpected)
O. Rochus def Safin at Wimby

 

[Tennis Fool]

Probably could pick lots of matches within the last 8 or so Slams.

 

[Sjengster]

Those three Wimbledon losses you cite all happened, amazingly, on the same day - it came to be known as "Black Wednesday" at the All-England Club, a little in-joke about a certain UK economic crisis some eleven years ago.

I vividly remember how for about a day or so I savoured in the surprises, especially the Agassi defeat, then realised how it just opened the draw up for a completely upset-proof Hewitt (not, I'm sure, that you were too disappointed by that).

It was telling though how everyone of these upset merchants promptly lost in the next round in straight sets, in particular how Bastl lost to one David Nalbandian - somehow, if that had been a full-strength Sampras he'd been facing, I doubt we'd have had an Argentine finalist at Wimbledon that year.

 

[jrm]

i remember when edberg lost to volkov in us open

 

[maratski]

Who can forget black wednesday. It was terrible to see Marat lose to such a dwarf. It was more of an upset then his AO final.

A nice upset however was Hicham defeating Federer in straight sets at RG.

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

Peter Doohan d. Boris Becker 1987 Wimbledon r2 LMAO

i was laughing so much it was too funny.