There are several factors that make the U.S. Open so special. One is its uncanny ability to captivate fans watching at home watching on TV. Whether it is the New York vibe, the huge crowds, or the realization that it is the year’s final Grand Slam, the U.S. Open has been the stage for some of the greatest moments in tennis for fans in attendance, or at home.
TENNIS.com has put together a list of the most memorable U.S. Open moments for the millions of fans watching on TV.
#1: The Run
At the start of the 1991 U.S. Open Jimmy Connors was a 38-year-old wild card ranked No. 174 in the world. By the time he hit his last shot in Flushing, he was 39 and had constructed the most memorable run in U.S. Open history. Most remember Connors’ fourth-round, Labor Day five-set battle with Aaron Krickstein. But Connors’ magic began days earlier in the first round against Patrick McEnroe. Down two sets and 3-0 in the third, Connors was on the brink of being straight-setted, but he improbably battled back to win the match 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. The match lasted more than four hours and finished after 1:30 A.M.
Connors managed to dispose of Michiel Schapers and 10th-seeded Karel Novacek in straight sets, setting up a birthday to remember. On September 2, Connors took the court against Krickstein and, down two sets to one, he won the fourth set. Connors dug himself another hole and was down 2-5 in the deciding set. Riding the New York crowd, Connors battled back and won the match 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6, sending the crowd into a state of bedlam. For fans watching at home the energy was palpable and almost everyone who saw that match remembers exactly where they were on Jimmy Connors’ 39th birthday.
Connors’ run didn’t end there. More than 20,000 fans packed Louis Armstrong Stadium, some who paid up to $500 a ticket, to see him battle Paul Haarhuis for a spot in the final four. Jimmy dropped the first set, but, as he had done for a week and a half, battled back and won 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2. Connors lost in the semifinals to Jim Courier in straight sets, and although he fell short of winning the title his 1991 U.S. Open is arguably the most memorable run in Grand Slam history.
#2: The First “Super Saturday”
In 1984, the powers-that-be created “Super Saturday,” where they sandwiched the women’s final between the men’s semis, offering a stellar day of tennis for fans in attendance and watching on TV.
The first “Super Saturday” was one of the greatest days of pro tennis. The men’s 35’s kicked off the day and American Stan Smith defeated Australian John Newcombe. The first men’s semi of the day pitted Pat Cash against Ivan Lendl. The match went the distance and in the end the steely Czech advanced to his third straight final 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4).
The women’s final was a rematch of the of the ’83 showdown between defending champion Martina Navratilova and six-time champion Chris Evert Lloyd. Martina dropped the first set 4-6, but won the next two 6-4, 6-4, earning the second of her four career Open titles.
The nightcap paired two of the fiercest competitors ever to take the court, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. Connors was the two-time defending champion, and had reached at least the semifinals every year for decade. McEnroe had won the title three years in a row from 1979 to ’81. It was truly a clash of the titans, and they gave the fans a show. Johnny Mac outlasted Connors 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, and a day later defeated Lendl for the title. On the first “Super Saturday,” play began at 11:07 A.M. and ended at 11:16 A.M., and featured seven future Hall of Famers.
#3: Pete and Andre
The 1995 final was between No. 1 and defending champion Andre Agassi and his rival, three-time Wimbledon champ Pete Sampras. Both players were looking to capture their second Grand Slam titles of the year. Agassi had beaten Sampras in the Australian Open final, and Sampras was coming off his third Wimbledon crown.
On set point in the first, Pete and Andre put on a display that John McEnroe at the time said could have been the greatest baseline point ever played. “The power, the angle, the depth, the importance of the point . . . . Wow!” McEnroe said. Sampras won the point and the first set 6-4, and went on to win the second 6-3. Agassi battled back and won the third set 6-4, but Pete won the fourth 7-5 set and his third U.S. Open. Sampras rode his serve to the title as he uncorked 24 aces and won 80 of 89 first-serve points.
#4: The Sisters
Sometimes there doesn’t need to be great tennis in order for there to be great drama. The final Saturday of the 2001 U.S. Open was a historic night in women’s tennis for a multitude of reasons. For the first time the women’s final was being televised in prime time, and for the first time in 117 years of Grand Slam finals siblings would play for the title. No. 4 Venus Williams beat her younger sister, No. 10 Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4 for her second U.S. Open. The level of play was suspect at best, and they played for only 1 hour, 9 minutes—but amazingly enough that women’s final was not about the tennis.
#5: Marathon Men
In the semifinals of the 1992 U.S. Open, the defending champion Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang battled on the court for 5 hours, 26 minutes. The crafty veteran Edberg outlasted the speedy Chang in a five-set marathon 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 4-6.
Edberg was down 1-3 in the fifth set, but was able to come back with several breaks and take the fifth set.
“I probably played the best game of the match when I broke him at 4-All [in the fifth set],” Edberg said after the match. “ played an unbelievable game there. I just felt I got stronger and stronger the further the match went on in the fifth set. I didn’t feel that great in the beginning, but then, I found the momentum. I found the strength . . . I feel very good about myself at the moment. I am playing good tennis, and you know, I am fighting for my life out there, but I am coming through.”
Amazingly, Edberg won the Open a day later when he defeated Pete Sampras in four sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
