The top five Grand Slam matches of 2013

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 11: Rafael Nadal of Spain hits a backhand

Without a doubt, it’s been a magnificent sporting year, with so many highlights to choose from – and the same can very much be said of the last few months of tennis action. There have been so many highs and lows as the best of the best have battled valiantly in an effort to taste glory and capture some of the most highly-sought prizes in the sport.

Roger Federer crashed out of Wimbledon early, Nadal got his hands on the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the eighth time and Serena Williams continued to dominate the women’s game.

So, with the calendar year drawing to a close, the ATP tour done and dusted and all of tennis’ most important honours having been lain claim to, it’s time to take a look back at a handful of the most entertaining matches we’ve seen.

Novak Djokovic vs Juan Martin Del Potro (Wimbledon)

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 05: Novak Djokovic of Serbia shakes hands at the net with Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina after their Gentlemen

Having already beaten the Serbian in the Olympics, it was clear that Juan Martin Del Potro had the measure of Novak Djokovic, and while many knew that this was certainly not going to be a walk-over for the former Wimbledon champion, there can’t have been many who would have foreseen such a marathon of a match.

But that’s exactly what they got as two giants of the game served up a veritable feast of exquisite tennis. One after the other they procured gravity defying shots and mind-boggling techniques as the matched edged on to its inevitably climactic conclusion. Neither player looked like giving up the ghost as they both strove to snatch victory from under their rival’s nose – showing tremendous energy and conviction as they did so.

In short, it was arguably the best match of the year and a real treat for the fans.

However, in the fifth set of the tie, and after four hours and 42 minutes of tense, riveting action, a victor was finally found in the form of Djokovic – a forehand down the line eventually beating a tired looking Del Potro who had given his all and then some. It surely was a match to savour and one that will live long in the memory of both players and the SW19 spectators. A fantastic advertisement for the game.

Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic (US Open)

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 10: 2013 US Open Champion Rafael Nadal of Spain poses with the US Open Championship trophy, following his victory

With Rafael Nadal missing out on the Australian Open at the start of the year as part of his seven-month injury lay-off, the Spaniard was always going to be a step or two behind his competitors having not been able to come out of the blocks as he would have liked. But when he fell to a second consecutive premature exit from Wimbledon, it seemed as though the Manacor-born star was in for a rather turbulent year of tennis.

But his mentality was strong.

Not only did he manage to fight back with vigour and a dash of some much-needed self-belief, he did so with a comparatively small amount of competitive minutes under his belt compared to his peers; this is what makes his emphatic turnaround all the more impressive.

Taking nothing away from his fantastic win at the French Open, it was his victory in the States that really captured the people’s imagination. After all, it’s second nature to him to grab a win at Roland Garros. But going in to his final day clash with Novak Djokovic at the Arthur Ashe stadium, many had hoped that he could get the win he so desperately craved; clearly galvanised by the time he was forced to sit on the sidelines.

In terms of sheer entertainment and skill, it may not have been the best match of all time, although it was interspersed with touches of class – in particular, the 54-shot rally towards the end of the first set was an absolute joy to watch – however, in terms of the sheer drama and romance, it was truly a memorable occasion as the balance of power ebbed and flowed before eventually swinging back in Nadal’s favour in a crucial third set.

Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray (Wimbledon)

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Andy Murray of Great Britain poses with the Gentlemen’s trophy

The year started so brightly and full of hope for Novak Djokovic with a win at the Australian Open, but having lost his world no. 1 title since, it’s obvious that the Serbian will have his sights set firmly on reclaiming top spot with a string of big wins in 2014 – starting, he’ll hope, with a successful defence of his Aussie Open title.

So, it’s unlikely he’ll spend too much time looking back – something Andy Murray will have done plenty of in the wake of his hugely significant win at SW19 back in July.

Despite not being a classic, five-set thriller, this encounter certainly packed a punch, especially for fans of the Scotsman who had the pleasure of watching him build upon his 2012 US Open win by overcoming Djokovic 4-6 5-7 4-6.

It was a fantastic spectacle watching two of the world’s best going toe-to-toe on the grass, but the context made it all the more intriguing and captivating.

The wait was over. A weight was lifted. And Murray could at long last breathe a huge sigh of relief at having not only come out smiling after some smart, industrious play against the world no. 1, but at having ended a 77-year drought for British players at their home tournament.

Marion Bartoli vs Sabine Lisicki (Wimbledon)

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 06: Marion Bartoli of France poses with the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy after her victory in the Ladies Final

Coming very shortly before Andy Murray’s historic triumph at Wimbledon, it was rather unfortunate that Bartoli’s ladies single’s final victory became somewhat overshadowed in the aftermath. Nevertheless, her triumph was not any less as significant, nor should it be overshadowed to any degree, because it was a terrific achievement – amazingly, it was her first-ever grand slam win.

Even more impressive was the fact that Bartoli managed to claim her Wimbledon crown without dropping a set and after months of shock defeats and unexpected losses against completely inferior opposition. With her June performance, she didn’t raise the bar – she crafted a new one to suit her needs.

In the match itself, a joust sprinkled with touches of panache, the French star battled hard to ensure she always stayed on top of Lisicki whenever she made a move to get within touching distance, and eventually her convincing play and hard-hitting style paid huge dividends – £2 million worth, in fact. And in the end, she stormed to victory by taking all three sets against the German-born 24-year-old.

Now retired due to the strains of playing tennis at the toughest level, Bartoli can rest easy in the knowledge that her name is etched in SW19 history – just recognition for one of tennis’ most hard-working professionals. But with whispers abound that she could return at some point in the future as reported by the Telegraph, let’s hope the rumours are true – more matches like her duel with Lisicki would be a welcome sight indeed.

Novak Djokovic vs Stanislas Wawrinka (Australian Open)

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 20: Novak Djokovic of Serbia plays a forehand in his fourth round match against Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during day seven of the 2013 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 20, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic was constantly pushing for victory in 2013, and although he only won one grand slam, he will no doubt gain heart from the fact that he competed in three of the major finals and showed great resilience to continue to search for the big wins.

And while he ended the year worse off than he started it, his supporters will be keen to see that he learns from the year gone by in the hope that it will strengthen him for the next year ahead.

One match that is sure to motivate and spur him on to achieve greatness once again will be his Australian Open fourth round epic encounter against Stanislas Wawrinka back in January – he showed great courage and heart that day to emerge victorious 1-6 7-5 6-4 6-7 12-10. It was unique to say the least. No doubt, it is that win and not his losses that will keep him focused and should act as a reminder to him that he can produce the goods under pressure.

Carrying out a smash and grab in the first set, Wawrinka placed the onus firmly upon Djokovic’s shoulders to mount a challenge in rebuttal, and he delivered. What followed was an enthralling five-set encounter whereby the balance of power swayed precariously back and forth with some vital swings of the racquet.

Slugging it out and putting on a real show with exceptional tennis to match their hard-working display, the crowd gladly lapped it up. And with not long until the Australian Open gets into action once again, let’s hope there are more matches like this to sate our appetites.