Posted on
February 10, 2010 by
Claudia Celestial Girl
The 2005 Australian Open semifinal between Marat Safin and Roger Federer was a classic.
This is part of a series of articles that outline the stand-out matches of Roger Federer’s career. The impetus of this series was a discussion of the Greatest Matches of the Decade – in which Roger was not mentioned very often. We thought that perhaps it was time to review some of the stand-outs.
Mercury is a very smooth element – gleaming silver and round, when positioned still on a tabletop, like an old-fashioned doorknob.
Coming into the AO in 2005, Roger Federer was smooth. Possessor of the most complete game in the sport, the deceptive forehand, and the greatest amount of topspin in the game, Roger had won every Slam but the French, where he fell to clay-court specialist Gustavo Kuerten in straight sets.
Otherwise Roger owned the field. 2004 was one of his signature years, with lopsided wins over Marat Safin at the Aussie Open, Roddick at Wimbledon, and Lleyton Hewitt at the USO. He would lose only 6 times (one of them to Kuerten at the French, and another in Miami to a 17-year old Spaniard from Mallorca.)
Starting the 2005 tennis year, would it be the same steam-roll? Or would Roger and is opponent create one of the greatest matches is Aussie Open history?
Mercurial was the word most often used to describe Marat Safin. Power was another word associated with Safin (more so than with Roger in those days). In 2000, he’d rocked Pete Sampras at the USO, and out-powered him with the forehand 4-3-3, to win his first major. Safin ranked somewhere in the top five in all aspects of the game, but his temperament saw him often demonstrate a tendency for the erratic. Read the rest of this entry →
Few gave Buster Douglas a chance against Mike Tyson.
It was one of the most stunning and shocking upsets in boxing history. The unbeatable fighter beaten by a classic underdog.
Before February 11, 1990, there was a growing belief that Mike Tyson (known as the baddest man on the planet) could not be defeated.
Few believed that James “Buster” Douglas, who had lost the IBF title to Tony Tucker in 1987, would be more than another early casualty when he faced the dominant Tyson in Tokyo. He was considered a 42 to 1 longshot by Las Vegas.
Though the fight was close from the beginning, when Tyson knocked down Douglas in the ninth round most experts believed it was over.
However, rather than fading away, Douglas regained his strength and in the 10th round threw the punch that would forever change boxing.
Instead of a decade of Tyson dominance, the 1990s saw a plethora of boxing champions and began its slow fade from relevancy.
The loss also proved the beginning of the end for Tyson. His dominance now broken, Tyson was never again the Baddest Man on the Planet and eventually landed in prison and then obscurity.
Below are highlights from the fight, including the deciding blow by Douglas.
Drew Brees secured his place among the NFL elite with his MVP performance in Super Bowl XLIV.
No, the headline above is not a typo, the New Orleans Saints are lovable losers no more. After 43 years, the New Orleans Saints have reached the NFL mountaintop with a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
When Peyton Manning and the Colts marched methodically down the field to score the first 10 points of the game it looked like the Saints might be in for a long day.
However, this is not your father’s New Orleans Saints and instead of folding under pressure, this New Orleans team responded with spunk, determination and guile.
Inspired by their head coach, Sean Payton, who made a number of bold decisions that got the Saints back in the game, New Orleans came storming back to seize control.
Even after failing on a fourth and goal play late in the first half, the Saints rallied to make the game 10-6 at intermission.
Then, Payton made his boldest call as they started the second half with an onside kick. Had the Colts recovered, they would have had great field position and might have been able to put the game away.
Instead, the Saints recovered and quickly marched down the field to take their first lead of the game 13-10.
Illustrating why he is among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, Peyton Manning led the Colts right back down the field to take a 17-13 lead.
With the Colts clinging to a 17-16 lead, they had a chance to extend their advantage, but a 51-yard field goal by Matt Stover faded to the left at the end and fell no good. Read the rest of this entry →
Bird and Person battled in an epic and deciding Game Five in the '91 NBA Playoffs.
In the ’90-’91 season, the Celtics were still one of the top teams in the NBA. They finished with a 56-26 record under head coach Chris Ford and won the Atlantic division. However, everything wasn’t rosy for the Celtics especially with Larry Bird.
Age and injuries were catching up with the “Big Three”. Kevin McHale only played 68 games, Robert Parrish miraculously stayed healthy and only missed one game, and Larry Bird missed 22 games to due to a compressed nerve in his back. This would be the injury that would cause Larry Legend to retire after the following season.
Bird, at age 34, would still have a productive season. He averaged 38 minutes per game, 19.4 points (which led the team), 7.2 assists, and 7.6 boards. However, he was a far cry from the Larry Bird of old.
The Celtics faced the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs that season. Boston would split the first two games at the Garden before traveling to Indiana for Games 3 and 4. The Celtics would take Game 3 112-105, but they couldn’t close out the scrappy Pacers in Game 4. The series was tied 2-2 and set up a winner take all Game 5 back in Boston.
Larry Bird spent the night of May 4, 1991 in the hospital in traction due to his insufferable back pain. No one really thought Bird would be able to play in the deciding Game Five versus the upstart Pacers.
However, as people learned throughout Bird’s whole career, never count him out.
Jennifer Capriati defeated Martina Hingis in a memorable 2002 Australian Open final.
Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis competed against each other in one of the finest women’s matches in the past decade at the 2002 Australian Open.
Ironically, both started playing competitive tennis at an extremely young age and enjoyed immediate success and acclaim. But both endured controversy and ended their careers prematurely.
Capriati was pushed along early by her father, playing her first professional match in 1990 a couple of weeks before she turned 14. The teenager astounded the tennis world by upending some top-ranked players as she skyrocketed to the No. 8 ranking by the end of the year. She even made the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Capriati was young, bubbling over with enthusiasm. The public and the press adored her.
In 1991 she reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. In 1992 she won a gold medal at the Olympics. The more success she enjoyed, however, the more pressure people exerted upon her to do more—win more. Read the rest of this entry →
Happy 68th Birthday to three-time Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali.
In honor of the 68th birthday of one of the great sports personalities of the 20th Century, Sports Then and Now has selected some YouTube moments to remember the remarkable career of the self-proclaimed “Greatest of All-Time.”
Born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942 with the name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Muhammad Ali emerged on the boxing scene in 1960 when he won Light Heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Olympics.
He defeated Sonny Liston to win the Heavyweight Title on February 25, 1964 and held it for more than three years with nine title defenses before he was stripped of the title after refusing induction into the U.S. Army.
Ali returned to the ring in 1970 and claimed the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight Championship two more times during his career. Overall, he went 56-5 in his career, including 22 wins where he either won or regained the WBA and/or WBC Heavyweight title.
Below are some videos featuring the greatness of Muhammad Ali:
The Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month is one of the most underappreciated wide receivers in NFL history, despite boasting a career that spanned 16 seasons and saw him excel as one of the league’s premier deep threats. Known for his speed, route-running, and ability to make plays downfield, Harold Jackson left an indelible mark on the game during an era that was not yet pass-heavy. Standing at 5’10” and weighing 175 pounds, he defied expectations of size to become a dominant force on the field. Over the course of his illustrious career (1968–1983), Jackson totaled 10,372 receiving yards and 76 touchdowns, placing him among the top receivers of his time.
