A look at the memorable US Open matches
What's the story
The year's fourth and final Grand Slam, the US Open, is set to begin on August 30. Over the years, the tournament has produced a number of riveting encounters. The hard-court Grand Slam event, which is hosted by the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, is never short of drama and action. Here, we take a look at some memorable US Open matches.
#1
Federer vs Djokovic, semi-final, 2011
The incumbent world number one, Novak Djokovic, faced Swiss maestro Roger Federer in the semi-finals of the 2011 US Open. Djokovic made an emphatic comeback after losing the first two sets. He faced two match points as Federer served at 5-3 (40-15) in the fifth. The former won the final four games to win the match (6-7, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5).
#2
Nadal vs Thiem, quarter-final, 2018
In 2018, Austria's Dominic Thiem faced Spanish ace Rafael Nadal in what turned out to be an enthralling quarter-final. Thiem straightaway took a bagel before Nadal won two consecutive sets. The former bounced back again to take it to the fifth set. Nadal eventually sealed the thriller 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 that ended after 2:00 AM (nearly five hours).
#3
Edberg vs Chang, semi-final, 1992
In 1992, Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang played out the longest match in the US Open history. They met in the semi-final, which ran for five hours and 26 minutes. Edberg won the classic 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4. This was the third consecutive match won by the Swedish in five sets. Edberg went on to win the US Open after defeating Pete Sampras.
#4
Venus vs Serena, quarter-final, 2008
Serena Williams and Venus Williams met in the quarter-finals of the 2008 US Open. The Williams sisters had won eight times each against each other prior to this match. Serena won the high-octane clash, winning through a pair of dramatic tie-breaks, 7-6(6), 7-6(7). This was deemed one of the best matches of the 2008 season. Serena went on to win the 2008 US Open.
#5
Agassi vs Sampras, quarter-final, 2001
The quarter-final of the 2001 US Open edition between legends Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras remains one of the closest tennis matches. Sampras won the four-setter 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), which had as many tie-breaks. The duo didn't drop the serve even once at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sampras eventually lost to Lleyton Hewitt in the final.