Australian Open: the best men's singles matches of history

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The Australian Open 2022, the first Grand Slam of the season, has many reasons for interest, and great anticipation winds among insiders, media and fans, for the first major event of the Game of the season that has just begun.

There will be no Roger Federer and Serena Williams. But there will be all the other stars of world tennis, such as Rafael Nadal and Naomi Osaka. There will also be the 9-time champion of the tournament Novak Djokovic, who was the protagonist of a real legal war between Australia and Serbia for his entry into the country.

Talking about history, there are some names inextricably linked to the history of the greatest tennis tournaments and the Australian Open are no exception.

Australian Open: the best men's singles matches of history

Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal 2017, 2017 men's singles final was one of the best matches played in the tournament.

and definitely one of the most important and touching tennis match ever. Federer's win, in an incredible and unexpected final against Nadal, led the Swiss Maestro to win his 18th Slam, after five sets. In the last set, Federer came back from down a break to take the win, with the final score of 6–4, 3–6, 6–1, 3–6, 6–3.

1960 was the golden age of Australian tennis. And one of the tennis icons of those years, Rod Laver, defeated his countryman Neale Fraser in five unforgettable sets, for 5–7, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6, winning his first title at the Australian Open!

In 1936 there was another memorable match between two of the greatest exponents of Australian tennis. Adrian Quist defeated his countryman Jack Crawford after five exciting sets, for 6–2, 6–3, 4–6, 3–6, 9–7, winning his first Australian Open, then called the Australian Championships.

In 1988, after four hours and twenty-eight minutes of battle, Mats Wilander defeated Pat Cash in five sets, for 6–3, 6–7 (3), 3–6, 6–1, 8–6, after trailing the Australian by two-sets-to-one.

It was an exciting match, which coincided with the third victory of the Swedish tennis player in Melbourne. Gerald Patterson against John Hawkes, in 1927, was probably one of the most beautiful and exciting match in the history of the tournament. This was another Australian derby, won by Patterson after five sets, with the final score of 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16, 6-3.