US Open: best men’s singles finals

Best finals in US Open history:

1980 US Open final: John McEnroe beats Bjorn Borg 7-6(4), 6-1, 6-7(5), 5-7, 6-4

A few weeks after the memorable Wimbledon final, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg met in the 1980 US Open final.

Borg broke twice in the first set, but McEnroe forced a tiebreaker with a reverse break at 5-4. He won the tiebreak 7:4 and won the set. Taking advantage of his momentum, the American quickly cruised through the second set, losing only one game. Borg lost 14 of his first 22 serves.

However, the Swede, who had lost in two previous US Open finals, was not going to go away without a fight. He failed to come back in the third set, losing 3:5. He then won the tiebreaker and then the fourth, 7-5.

Borg had not lost 13 consecutive fifth sets in 4 years at the time and hoped to continue the streak. However, his service issues came back to 3–3, and that was enough for McEnroe to put the finishing touches on his opponent and win the US Open.

They found themselves in the final the following year, but the result was the same: McEnroe won in four sets.

1999 US Open final: Andre Agassi defeats Todd Martin 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2

On paper, the ending is not the most brilliant. Andre Agassi enjoys a second wind by winning his first title at Roland-Garros (fifth in the Grand Slam) and reaching the Wimbledon final. Todd Martin, meanwhile, was competing in his first US Open final and second Grand Slam final.

A semi-final victory over Yevgeny Kafelnikov secured Agassi’s top spot in the ATP rankings.

Agassi broke at the end of the first set and won the match, but Martin did not come away.

The second and third sets were decisive, which surprisingly worked in Martin’s favor as he moved closer to becoming one of the most sensational US Open champions. History was against Agassi: no man since 1973 (John Newcombe) had won the US Open after being down 1-2 in straight sets.

But Agassi began his comeback in the fourth set, winning it easily 6:3. In the fifth set, two more breaks followed and Agassi won 6:2, and with them the match.

US Open 2009 final: Juan Martin del Potro defeats Roger Federer 3-6, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2

This is one of the biggest disappointments of a Grand Slam final for several reasons. Roger Federer is the undisputed king of New York, winning his last 40 matches and five titles.

He had a 6-0 record against Juan Martin del Potro, including an impressive victory in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open that year. However, their semifinal match at Roland Garros that year was more dramatic: Federer fought back during the match, but still advanced to the final and won the title.

Federer arrived in New York just after winning a record 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and is set to become the first tennis player to win the US Open six times in a row. Del Potro, however, had other plans as he scored a stunning 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.

Federer and Del Potro lost only two sets en route to the final.

Federer won the first set 6-3. In the second set he led 5-4, but never served for the set, and from that moment Del Potro’s comeback began. The Argentine leveled the score and won the tiebreaker.

Taking advantage of this momentum, Del Potro led 4-3 with a break, but Federer broke his serve twice to win the third set. Federer had never lost a Grand Slam final after leading 2-1 in sets, but that would change that day.

After trading breaks early in the fourth set, another tiebreak followed, which Del Potro won. And in the fifth set, the Argentinian simply went into beast mode. He hit his forehand with such ferocity that Federer didn’t know what to do. The Swiss gave up his serve twice and lost the final match.

US Open 2012 final: Andy Murray defeats Novak Djokovic 7-6(10), 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2

This was not the first time that Murray appeared in the final of a Grand Slam tournament, but he lost all 4 matches. And it’s worth noting that no man in the Open Era lost his first five Grand Slam finals. After an epic battle lasting nearly five hours, Murray made sure he didn’t come out on top.

Murray needed six set points to win the first set. He won the marathon tiebreaker by 26 minutes. Murray led 4-0 in the second set, but Djokovic fought back to level the score. But there was still no tiebreaker: the Scots won 7: 5 and led 2: 0.

No man since Pancho Gonzalez in 1949 – and no one in the Open era – has won a US Open final after losing the first two sets. However, Djokovic had no intention of leaving. Murray himself also found himself in uncharted territory: for the first time in five Grand Slam finals, he won two sets, let alone led 2-0.

Djokovic won the third and fourth sets and tied the score.

But in the fifth game, Murray led with two breaks. Djokovic quickly pulled back a point, but it wasn’t enough to achieve more: the Scot won the deciding set 6:2.

Britain has a new TBS champion after 76 years and 287 Grand Slams

US Open 2020 final: Dominic Thiem beats Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(6)

Six years after Marin Cilic’s victory at the US Open, the US Open has a brand new Grand Slam champion.

Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev met for the 2020 title. Tim has taken the big stage before – three times, to be exact – and each time he came away empty-handed. But for Zverev, it was his first TBS final.

The German, who scored 116 aces in six matches, highlighted his most dangerous weapon. Four more aces in the first set brought the score to 120, and 16 winners and two breaks from Thiem’s ​​serve allowed Zverev to win his first set in a Grand Slam final on his first attempt.

Zverev won the second set and took a 2-1 lead in the third. The Austrian was desperately looking for something to hold on to. And he was saved by the service of his opponent, who literally abandoned Zverev in the eighth game of the set. Thiem evened the score and quickly won the third set 6:4. The fourth set was also won by the Austrian 6:3, but in the fifth the decisive battle ensued.

Both players committed numerous double faults. Zverev even served for the victory, there were 2 points left to win, but Sasha did not put pressure on his opponent and gave up his serve. Other dramas followed. It was Tim’s turn to call the shots, serving for the match. As a result, a tie-break followed. The Austrian wasted two match points, but still finished Zverev on the third attempt.

Tim became the first since Pancho Gonzalez (1949) to win the men’s singles, losing 0:2 during the match.

Vyacheslav Gorbachev, Athletistic