Top 5 Wimbledon Finals of All Time

When it comes to tennis, most people have no idea what a Grand Slam title is or that there are more matches than Wimbledon. For those less knowledgeable in the ways of the racket, there are other competitions, but none so coveted as the Wimbledon match. One of the most famous competitions in the world of tennis, this championship has offered some real knock down, drag out fights. There have been colossal wars waged upon the grass court of England, and there are still many more exciting matches in the future. There have been some stars that have just dominated on this field as well. This is the only reason Billy Jean King is not mentioned here. She was so talented, there was hardly any competition for this star. There are others that have just destroyed the competition. There have even been a couple sweeps in the history of the game. The sweeps, while they do showcase the winner's talent, are about as exciting as watching the Padres get trounced by the Yankees in the '98 World Series. Here are some match ups that not only went to the max number of games, but one of them set a record for the longest. They are not necessarily in order of best, but in chronological order.

1980 Borg Vs. McEnroe

This match is one for the ages. It will often be recalled by many simply because of the intricacies of the match. The entire competition had been plagued by rain and some young upstart named McEnroe had actually beaten the '79 Champion, Connors. Starting from a very low seed, McEnroe was truly a "Cinderella story" as he rolled into the final match. The crowd did not like this kid and gave him a rather cold reception when he was introduced. Once the first serve was made, the crowd was in awe. These two gave a performance that had surpassed any prior to it. It was a true battle of two very skilled players, equally matched in talent and ability. Going all the way to the tie break match, It was like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel. These two "artists" dazzled the crowds in some of the best play to ever occur on the grass in England. Just as all competitions must, this one did finally end with only one winner. Borg, attempting to be the first to win the championship for five consecutive years, really turned up the heat in the fifth match. McEnroe just could not recover from missing a low volley and ended up losing the match, giving Borg his fifth title in as many years.

1987 Connors Vs. Pernfors

While this match was not for the championship and Connors was later eliminated, it was one of the best comeback matches to ever be played at Wimbledon. This match said a lot about Connors. Most people had written him off as being too old and past his prime. All of the pundits had a lot of proof to back up this claim as well. Connors was on the verge of being eliminated in this match up, but that is when he turned it up a notch. Connors came back and trounced Pernfors. After scoring 14 straight points, he came back to win the match. Everyone was amazed at his performance in the final portion of the round. It was an amazing show of skill and athletic ability.

1992 Agassi Vs. Ivanesivic

The bad boy of tennis, Andre Agassi, should have walked away with the win without breaking a sweat in '92, but Ivanesivic decided to play a little differently. Known for his serving prowess, Ivanesivic was heralded as one of, if not the, best servers to play the game. With ace after ace, he could destroy any competitor with his serves. The only problem was that he was seen as not being able to do much else after that. Agassi is one of the best back court players to play the game and gave Ivanesivic a run for his money. Since Agassi was able to return these serves, Ivanesivic had to adapt his style to go beyond the serve. This match brought a very lively bout between two great players. In the end though, it came down to the serves. With Ivanesivic transitioning into a back court player for this match, he lost a little bit from his serve. In the final game of the match, Ivanesivic dropped his serves and gave Agassi the advantage. Agassi was able to pounce on the opportunity and won the title off of three very bad serves from Ivanesivic. This game is one of the best based on the sheer talent of the two players and their desire to win. It was truly an epic battle of skill and might as they both were forced to deviate from the status quo.

2008 Nadal Vs. Federer

This game has been declared as the best finals match in the history of Wimbledon. It holds the record for longest, but time is not a determining factor in a great game. This was a battle that both men could taste victory on. The lead kept being passed back and forth. There were several tie breaks as they both bounced back to take points. It was amazing to watch this match as both men gave awesome displays of talent and ability. With two rain delays and the final game played in near darkness, this game was an emotional roller coaster for the two players. It was truly an amazing battle of tennis stars. Sadly, there can be only one winner. Nadal was able to eke out the final point in the darkness and went on to hoist the trophy. There are several what if scenarios for this game, especially with Federer having no night vision and the game finishing in the dark. It was truly an amazing match to watch. Upon completion of the match, Nadal even toured the stands before heading to the Royalty box to greet the monarchs.

2008 Williams Vs. Williams

There have also been some impressive Women's matches as well. The women's field is usually not as dramatic since there are few amazingly great women to play the sport. These few really just need to show up and collect the trophy. In 2008, there were two highly talented women to play at the same time. This not only led to a showcase of talent, but the two women happened to be sisters. This sibling rivalry was amazing to watch. While you may think that it would just be a friendly little family game, it was brutal. From nailing each other with 125 mile per hour serves, to Serena's obvious disdain of Venus lifting the championship dish at the conclusion. This was one of the most intense games I have watched. It was filled with emotion and both of the sisters were out for blood in this match.

There are several other great matches in the history of tennis, and Wimbledon is not the only venue for classic tournaments and quality tennis. These matches were extremely entertaining and pulse pounding as the competitors went all out to get the trophy. This amazing showcase of talent and comeback victories is just a sampling of the great matches that are played on the grass here at Wimbledon.

Sources:

Top Ten Greatest Wimbledon Matches in History

Wimbledon: Six of the Best

Roger v Rafa - The Best Final Ever?

The Championships, Wimbledon Wikipedia