Match of The Year 2017

Strangely, I remember only a few matches from this year, and most of them were from its beginning!

Federer - Nadal AO final

Epic match. 
It deserves a novel.

I am still on a high from it.

Fed must have played well in Wimbledon too, but all I can remember is how good and hungry he was in AO and IW/Miami swing. In hindsight, I am glad he played those tournaments even if they wore him out. It was a sublime stretch.





Federer-Kyrgios (Miami)

This match was probably the pinnacle of quality in terms of tennis.
The speed was fast, Fed’s “Simply The Best” pride was on the line...he had to teach this kiddo a lesson, but the kiddo was pretty good himself!
Not to mention the chasm of personalities and “image”...



Nadal- Dimitrov (AO SF)

Great drama and fight from Dimi after which I forgave him all the scrapping he was doing from Rasheed’s days.
He probably won a set for Fed in the final by draining Nadal in that 4h 44 min SF 5 setter.
And I am glad he won WTF, it’s an appropriate reward for this loss and all the work Dimi has been putting into his game over the years.





Shapovalov-Nadal (Toronto)

The new star was born on that night...and in the nick of time!
Shapo will carry the torch from Fed.

And may it burn long and brightly!





What are your choices and impressions?

Quality wise Federer Kyrios.

Drama wise Federer Nadal.

Overall Federer Nadal AO17 by a mile

The AO final. No contest. Quite possibly one of the most important wins of Federer's career.

I read in one of his recent interviews that Federer still cin-cins and drinks to his AO win with his team.

I think that title is worth all his previous ones put together in some way.

Because just imagine if it didn’t happen.

If Federer didn’t submit his nemesis with the neobh and made Nadal look clueless across the net...after years of seeing the opposite - a smug, no sweat, 1d BH bludgeoning scenario from him.

Easy - the AO final had it all, quality (although I'd agree Kyrgios was better), drama, and being a huge part of a much wider tennis story.  

I agree with BB that it's one of Federer's most important wins in his career; I'd go further and say probably his most important.  

Looking back over his career Federer has not played another match which both contestants knew beforehand had the potential to have such a huge effect on how their comparative careers will be viewed by posterity.  Wimbledon 2008 and AO 2009 were the previous 'biggies', and they were seen as such beforehand, but this match had so much more obviously on the line beforehand for two main reasons: (i) Nadal could bring the gap to only 2 slams; (ii) at their ages Nadal could expect more opportunities than Federer.

I'd go the AO Final too. It was almost story book mode when Federer took the first set and there was a phew we have a contest and it looked for the longest part as if the match would go the way of a Nadal success when he took the second and I think Federer winning that 3rd set was paramount.

I know this sounds odd, but it didn't quite have the feeling of a typical Federer/Nadal match. It had a new freshness about it. Marked a new chapter I felt in their rivalry which I hope carries through to 2018.

legendkillar wrote:I'd go the AO Final too. It was almost story book mode when Federer took the first set and there was a phew we have a contest and it looked for the longest part as if the match would go the way of a Nadal success when he took the second and I think Federer winning that 3rd set was paramount.

I know this sounds odd, but it didn't quite have the feeling of a typical Federer/Nadal match. It had a new freshness about it. Marked a new chapter I felt in their rivalry which I hope carries through to 2018.

Those aces to save 3 (or 4?) break points in the 1st game of the 3rd set, all to the same spot. Incredible.

Followed by an immediate break and the 3rd set.

I still have it on my Sky box. I'd been abroad that weekend and was flying home during the match so my son had recorded. On landing I'd told him just to text me the winner, no details. I was able to get home and watch a match of incredible drama knowing the result was safe yet unknowing of the drama. It was such a lucky outcome as I really doubt I could have stood that match; the despair at going behind a break in the fifth would have been too much.

bogbrush wrote:
I still have it on my Sky box. I'd been abroad that weekend and was flying home during the match so my son had recorded. On landing I'd told him just to text me the winner, no details. I was able to get home and watch a match of incredible drama knowing the result was safe yet unknowing of the drama. It was such a lucky outcome as I really doubt I could have stood that match; the despair at going behind a break in the fifth would have been too much.

That's cool. Strange how we still get the drama in spite of knowing the score.

Watching live was even better though..well more pain throughout but the last game was a joy!

We’ll happily I only knew the outcome not the score. If I’d know the score then much of the fun would have been lost. After the first set I thought it was straight sets for sure. After the 4th I glanced at a news report just to confirm it wasn’t some catastrophic error!

I don’t know how you endured it.

Tenez wrote:Quality wise Federer Kyrios.

Drama wise Federer Nadal.

Overall Federer Nadal AO17 by a mile

This exactly.

I don't know how many times I have seen the AO final set by now.  But at 15-40 in the final game I still get nervous every time.  Federer FH winner at 30-40 may not look so spectacular but it is not easy; he could have so easily pulled it wide - break back, all square, and a disaster looming right there.

I did like the final set TB vs Kyrgios too.  Kyrgios was up a mini-break and if I remember it correctly he was landing his first serves, but Fed managed to put them in play and somehow claw his way back.