7) Montreal: Shapovalov’s shocking run to the semifinals
The 18-year-old elicited a roaring response from his home crowd as he made his way through this Masters 1,000 draw. After saving match points in his opening match, the Canadian would go on to upset Juan Martin Del Potro. But the best and most thrilling victory came in the next round at close to midnight, and at the expense of Rafael Nadal.
8) US Open: Sharapova returns to Grand Slam competition and upsets the number two seed
Playing at a major for the first time in over 18 months, Sharapova defeated Simona Halep during opening night of the US Open in a highly-competitive matchup. Never has a first round victory meant so much to Sharapova, as she fell to the court following match point.
9) US Open: Shelby Rogers wins longest women’s singles match in US Open history
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Over the course of three hours and 33 minutes, Rogers survived a grueling battle against Daria Gavrilova. Daria saved four match points in the final set, but was not able to pull out the final set tiebreak.
10) US Open: Juan Martin Del Potro’s amazing comeback victory over Dominic Thiem
A visibly ill Del Potro was far from 100% on this day, and won only three games during the first two sets. Inspired by an electric crowd in a packed Grandstand, a good number of which were Argentinian fans, Del Potro found a way to pull off the best comeback of the year. He saved match points along the way, and hit some fierce forehand winners, in an exhilarating atmosphere.
11) US Open: Sloane Stephens defeats Madison Keys to win her first major
Both players missed considerable time in the previous 12 months due to injuries, but the young Americans and friends found themselves in their first major final, and competing against each other in the biggest match of their career. Stephens would easily dispatch of an overwhelmed Keys in a forgettable contest, but the prolonged post-match embrace between the two was one of the most touching moment of the year. So too was the sight of Sloane celebrating with her coach and her mother.
12) Laver Cup: Roger Federer wins the inaugural event for Team Europe
Federer clinched the victory for his team by winning a final set tiebreak over Nick Kyrgios. There’s been much debate as to whether the Laver Cup should be considered a legitimate event rather than an exhibition, but it was obvious the players took it very seriously. Kyrgios was distraught after the loss and had to be consoled by his teammates, while the image of Nadal leaping into archrival Federer’s arms after the win was one of the most memorable moments of the year.
