Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Babe Ruthless about which games they believe were the best of 2009.
We’ve all been enthralled by various games this year. Feel free to share yours with us. I have done some serious thinking about all the great games I have seen this year. There have been some great ones in pretty much all the major sports. But today, I’m going to step outside of the box just a tad and say the Wimbledon Final between heavy favorite Roger Federer and American Andy Roddick was the best game (or in this case, match) of 2009. Heck, there are even DVDs about this match for sale! It made USA Today’s list of the top performances of the entire decade!
Now we have showcased Federer’s greatness here on The Sports Debates back in July, shortly after this match. There is no denying the greatness of Feds, who at the time was chasing a record-setting 15th grand slam title in this match. What made this match great was the fact that the heavy underdog was able to go toe-to-toe with the one of the greatest tennis players of all time… and for a lengthy time frame, too. It was a modern day version (in sports terms) of David and Goliath.
Back and forth the two men went on the grass at the All England Club. I distinctly remember watching this match in my living room with my brother. We are both big tennis fans, and I actually having played in high school many moons ago… routinely getting destroyed, I might add!
The first four sets were split, but the fifth set made the match a classic and still has people in the tennis world buzzing nearly six months later. Neither player gave in, with both showing immaculate willpower and tremendous strength. Each man held his serve for the first 29 games of the fifth set. But in the 30th and final game, Federer was FINALLY able to break Roddick’s serve, breaking the hearts of Americans watching from across the pond, and winning 16-14. The fifth and decisive set lasted a record 30 games and a record 95 minutes. The 77 games total throughout the five sets also set a record. The entire match lasted four hours and fifteen minutes. Now, think about that in real terms. Imagine yourself trying to run back and forth, hitting a tennis ball across the court at blazing speed for that length of time, and showing no signs of quit. Can you do it? Can you even come close to doing it? Goodness, I get dehydrated just thinking about it!
The victory allowed Federer to win his record-setting 15th grand slam final, breaking the previous record of 14 held by Pete Sampras. The amount of work he had to put in to get this win made it more special for him, I’m sure. It is truly one of the more memorable tennis matches in the history of tennis, and for 2009, it is without a doubt the greatest game of the year.
