Matches of the Year: Honorable Mention Part 1

The Grandstand presents its 2013 Matches of the Year, starting with an honorable-mention group of Nos. 16-20. It includes the early stages of Rafael Nadal’s hard-court streak and a comeback from two sets down by Andy Murray.

Rafael Nadal d. Ernests Gulbis 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 – Indian Wells fourth round

Gulbis had won Delray Beach as a qualifier and had also qualified for the Indian Wells main draw before reaching the fourth round. The on-fire Latvian continued to astound by stealing the first set of this one. Nadal even found himself two points from defeat serving at 4-5, 15-30 in the decider. At the end of a high-quality affair full of incredible rallies, however, the Spaniard proved to have too much mental toughness for his underdog opponent. Nadal broke for 6-5 then capitalized on his third match point with a vicious forehand. These two also faced each other one month later on the clay courts of Rome, where Nadal again trailed by a set before recovering for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory.

John Isner d. Ivan Dodig Dodig 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) – Miami second round

This was a typical Isner match: he fired 24 aces without double-faulting, looked down and out some if not most of the way, then ended up prevailing in a third-set tiebreaker. Dodig not only led by a set, but he also went up a break in both the second and third sets. The Croat dropped serve at 4-3 and 5-6 in the second but eventually found himself serving for the match at 6-5 in the third after initially trailing by a break. On break point in the 12th game, Dodig appeared to fire a service winner—but it was incorrectly called out and he was forced to replay the point instead of being awarded the game. Isner eventually won that point to break before taking the tiebreaker, converting his third match point with a booming first serve out wide.

Jarkko Nieminen d. Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-2 – French Open first round

Nieminen-Mathieu at Roland Garros was easily one of the most underrated matches of the year. Over three hours and 42 minutes—especially throughout the first four sets—the two veterans sustained remarkable quality. Even a relatively-lopsided fifth set scoreline had more to do with Nieminen’s level than with the fact the Mathieu ran low in his gas tank. The Frenchman may have had chances to finish it off being going the distance. He went 0-for-2 on break points in the first set and had a set point in the third-set tiebreaker. It was Nieminen, however, who saved six of seven break points during the match and came up big in the crucial moments.

Andy Murray d. Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 – Wimbledon quarterfinals

Seemingly bogged down by unbearable pressure, Murray looked like he would lose to Verdasco for just the second time in 10 matches at the ATP level. The second-ranked Scot trailed two sets to love after one hour and 20 minutes. Refusing to go away quietly in front of the adoring London faithful, Murray mounted a spirited charge. It culminated with decisive service breaks at 3-3 in the fourth set and at 5-5 in the fifth. Of course, this was one of those matches that became even bigger in the days ahead. Murray went on to beat Jerzy Janowicz in the semis and take down Novak Djokovic for the title, become the first British man since 1936 to triumph at the All-England Club.

Mikhail Youzhny d. Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 3-6, 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5 – U.S. Open fourth round

At 32 years old, Hewitt had enough left in the tank to play some bizarre five-set matches at Grand Slams in 2013. In the first round of the French Open he trailed Gilles Simon 5-0 in the decider before storming back to win five games in a row only to lose it 7-5. Against Youzhny, it was Hewitt who led most of the way. The Aussie was up two sets to one, 4-1 in the fourth, and also 5-2 in the fifth. Every time, though, Youzhny recovered. Always a force in New York, the Russian somehow managed to book his spot in the quarterfinals after three hours and 58 minutes of play. While the scoreline may suggest a choke on Hewitt’s part, it was mostly Youzhny who seized the moment by winning the majority of important, grueling rallies. “It’s obviously disappointing to lose, but I left it all out there,” Hewitt assured. “There’s not a whole heap more I could have done.”