Martinez to Henin FO 2004 2005

 

Martinez to Henin FO 2004

2005 but yes a good one

 

Zheng was such a delight to watch. Absolutely incredible player who would’ve been a top 10 player in some other era. She lacked some consistency but had so many great wins and tough matches, especially at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

 

I almost forgot about that Chanda Rubin - Monica Seles AO 1996 SF (after Chanda beat ASV 16-14 in the QF deciding set). Rubin was so close and played well, Seles grit and experience got her through and the only post stabbing slam she would win.

She had a nice win over Venus too at US Open one year.

 

Kerber-Azarenka US Open (2015?)

 

Venus Williams vs Vaidisova at Roland Garros 2006

 

For me, it has to be the 2023 Montreal QF between Kasatkina and Rybakina. With rain delays and overly ambitious scheduling on the main court, it was a long wait for the match to start. But it was entirely worth it.

Playing her first quarterfinal in a big event in over a year, against one of the world's top players, it could easily have been a blowout, but Kasatkina rose to the occasion. The match lasted over 3 hours and was extremely competitive. The inside-in forehand return winner from Kasatkina to save a second of three match points at 4-6 down in the third set tiebreak will live with me forever.

I had stayed up until 8am only to watch Kasatkina lose so narrowly. One might think I would regret it. But I was so pleased with how she acquitted herself that it is one of my favourite matches I have ever seen.

 

I really like this thread idea!!! Should have saved it for offseason!!! I would like to make the title a bit more digestible. I was confused at first.

Bravery from the Jaws of Defeat?

Losing Matches Won by Sheer Grit?

 

Added "even" to hopefully clarify. Or should it be "amidst"?

 

Serena def Dementieva in the 2009 Wimbledon semis

 

I don't know if this really speaks to the topic. The level in this match was just very high throughout, but Dementieva actually couldn't raise her level at the times when it truly mattered, so not really counting that as "bravery".

The matches that come to mind for me (just for nostalgia sake):

Clijsters def. Sharapova @ USO 2005 - the way she saved those 3 MPs from 0-40 at 5-6 in the 2nd set was thrilling, and it's moments like that why people remember the WTA so fondly compared to now.

Davenport def. Venus @ US 2004 - the final game of this match was super high level, and Venus went up 2-3 notches after being fairly meh all match. So many MPs saved with winners and gutsy plays.

Sharapova def. Venus @ Miami 2004 - pretty much same as above - in the final game of the match, Venus came out swinging, with multiple winners MP down, and made Sharapova have to up her level even more to close it.

 

Kerber Zheng at the 2024 Olympics.

Angie’s last match, on clay against a Top 10 player very suited to the surface during pretty slow conditions. Yet she put up one hell of a fight until deep in the third. Her whole career summarised in a match, fight fight fight.

 

Cornet saying vamos despite losing to Errani in Toronto 2013

 

Azarenka vs Ivanovic, 2013 USO R4. A fun, dramatic match that went down to the wire. I genuinely think Ana would’ve made the finals that year if she could’ve gotten over the line 💔

 

Yes out of all Ana’s matches, this would be the one. She did lose a few extremely competitive heartbreakers to Sharapova but all those matches involved Ana’s choking at some point. But this match was different. She was up to the task from beginning to an end but Azarenka was at her peak. Some of the forehand winners down the line whenever she was close to defeat were mouthwatering. Eventually she did lose and I also think she could’ve been the finalist that year had she somehow edged Vika. But an inevitable loss to Serena in the grand slam final would follow anyways. 🙂

Nonetheless it was an early intro to 2014 and her comeback to the top 5. She already had the Serbian team that US open and the change was obvious so fast. I’m still baffled that she fired Kontic after just a year. Who the hell knows what happened there.

 

Venus Vs Hingis USO SF 2000

Venus was not playing great but then stepped it up at 5-5 in 3rd set (despite how highly some people talk up this match I always found their Wimbledon QF earlier that year much better quality)

 

Great pick! As she said herself- UNBELIEVABLE.

Even Richard left the stadium when she was down 3-5 anticipating a loss.

 

Emma v Zhang Shuai, San Jose 2021. 2-6 3-6.

Maybe not the match itself, but the assertive mental response 'I won't lose to any more scrubs for the rest of this US swing'.

 

For me Kerber against Halep Australien Open 2018. At first the defend was painful, but luckily she won Wimbledon later that year.

 

The US open final that shall not be mentioned

 

Her potential career-best season about to be upended, shoulder practically broken, serve in tatters, a hauntingly painful choke against the same opponent in the same round at the same tournament 2 years ago somehow repeating itself, but started swinging for the fences (even for Maria's standards) with this very memorable point and reaction as a result. Although I feel like her intensity here belied a certain desperation that she knew she wasn't going to get over the finish line with a win in this one and that her season (career?) was in jeopardy.

 

Ugh this video reminded me how much I loved Maria’s topspin BH.

 

 

The 2010 Madrid win over Dushevina is the longest match of her career.

 

Date vs Venus Wimbledon 2011 R2

 

Also, kind of a random one, but Venus losing to Jankovic @ Wimbledon in 2006 included the same energy as the aforementioned Venus matches in this thread. Just banging screaming winners at 2-5 down in the 3rd but her UE count was also insane in that match. I feel almost all the 3-set matches she lost in 2006 had about 50+ UEs minimum, and it was probably the most hyper aggressive she had played in her whole career.

 

Wimbledon truly was JJ's garden beating defending champions Venus and Kvitova, on top of her slam win.

OT : Davenport vs. Venus Wimbledon 2005

 

Sharapova def. Kvitova at the Semifinal of Australian Open 2012

 

OH. MY. GOD.

YES.

Kvitova’s true second slam RIP

 

Jankovic def Paszek AO 2008 R1

Jankovic def Serena Rome 2010 SF

Serena def Henin Miami 2007 F

Venus def Cariapti Miami F 2001

 

for some reason these matches come to mind:

Myskina lose to Serena Williams YEC 2004 RR. To go against that crowd and come up with some great points! Wow!

And on the opposite end, Serena lose to Qiang Wang AO 2020 R3

Qiang was fighting but so was Serena!

your mention of JJ reminds me of this disaster of a match, where JJ really fought hard to stay in this match despite getting dominated in the 1st set, being down 3-5 in the 2nd, and going down 0-5 in the 3rd but to no avail in the end. JJ was throwing all sorts of defense which Serena struggled to deal with.

JJ lose to Serena Miami 2008 F

 

Probably Sharapova vs. Henin 2010 RG. Nobody gave Sharapova any inkling of a chance considering the surface and her form at the time.

She played what was then her best match on clay in a respectful defeat where she was getting the better of Justine for a stretch.

Was really entertaining by both and she left with her head held high.

 

Dulko Vs Serena AO 2009. So many great shots from Dulko even if the 63 75 scoreline looks unremarkable. Not sure if there was a big choke from Dulko though (she had a healthy lead in the 2nd set). I first saw Dulko Vs Dementieva in Wimbledon 2008 and thought her forehand was incredible...glad she got to show it on the big stage a few months later!

 

I have to go back in time to the Wimbledon final in 1991.
Steffi Graf defeated Gabriela Sabatini 6-4, 3-6, 8-6
Twice Gaby was two points away from the title. If she had just knocked that backhand volley harder and out range Graf would have been unable to recover it. She would have had a championship point and who knows how that might have gone down. It also turned out to be Gaby’s last. appearance in a major file.

 

One that springs to mind is Pierce vs Venus in the Wimbledon QF 2005.

Venus was in absolutely rock solid form (I don't think she ever faced a single BP) and Pierce was forced to come up some of her most brutish tennis just to make it competitive. The second set still features some of the boldest ballstriking ever in women's tennis.