The Most Memorable Moments in Tennis History
Since tennis first arrived on the sporting scene back in the late 1800s, there have been a wide array of memorable moments. Many of them will continue to be iconic moments that inspired a sporting generation, or created glorious memories for thoughts who witnessed them. It's difficult to make a small definitive list of the most memorable moments in the history of tennis, but here are just a few that will no doubt remain in people's minds for years to come.
First Ever Wimbledon Tournament in 1877
Wimbledon made its first appearance in 1877 with 22 male players competing for the inaugural championship. Spencer Gore became the first winner after a relatively straightforward 6-1 6-2 6-4 win in the final. Gore said that he thought the game of tennis was boring and decided to quit the game after losing his title defence the following year.
Ted Shroeder Winning Wimbledon 1949
American Ted Shroeder became known as 'Lucky Ted' after this championship and it is not hard to see why. He fought back in his first round match from two sets down to progress, and then followed that with a lucky miss-hit winner in the quarter finals. If that wasn't enough, his semi-final and final match all went to five sets. Remarkably, this was the only Wimbledon championship that Ted Shroeder competed in.
Arthur Ashe Winning Wimbledon 1975
Arthur Ashe made history in 1975 by becoming the first male African-American player to win at Wimbledon. He did so after beating Jimmy Connors in the final. It looked like Ashe was going to run away with it when he won the first two sets 6-1 6-1, but Connors fought back and forced a fourth set, where Ashe went on to make history.
Monica Seles Vs. Steffi Graf at French Open Final 1992
This truly was a clash of the titans game and it showed from start to finish. Even when it looked like Seles was about to take the title in the deciding set, Graff fought off four straight match points to keep the game going. Despite her strength, Graff eventually was worn down as she gave up the final set on an unforced error. It was a game that became an example for women's tennis, proving they could be just as athletic and as determined as the male players.
John Isner Vs. Nicholas Mahut at Wimbledon 2010
Even though this was only a first round game, the clash between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut become one of the longest and most infamous tennis games in history. Playing on court for a massive 11 hours and five minutes over the course of three days, Isner finally won the tie-break in the deciding set 70-68. It attracting the attention of the entire world and made news headlines everywhere. Never has a match in the first round of a tournament become so infamous.
Andy Murray Winning Wimbledon 2013
After nearly 80 years since the last British winner of Wimbledon, the wait was finally over when Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in the final. Despite winning the first two sets in the sweltering heat at SW19, Djokovic fought back and forced Murray to play another difficult set before the Scotsman won the title. Nothing will have inspired a generation more than watching Murray make history in the manner that he did.
Here's a link to the very impressive
Timeline, enjoy
