The Most Emotional Moments of 2018 – Part 2 - UBITENNIS

The Most Emotional Moments of 2018 – Part 2

In the second installment UbiTennis looks at the most emotional moments of the 2018 season at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

By Tony Fairbairn
6 Min Read

By Matthew Marolf

Here is our second installment of the year’s dramatic highs and lows, presented in chronological order.

Roland Garros: Yoshihito Nishioka cramps and cannot move on the last point of the match.

These were dramatic scenes on the very first day of the French Open.  Deep into the fifth set of an over four-hour match against Fernando Verdasco, Nishioka was cramping but still managed to break Verdasco’s serve.  Yoshihito continued to cramp while failing to serve the match out, and eventually fell 7-5 in the fifth. Nishioka was in tears and had to be helped off the court by the trainer, with Verdasco embracing the young Japanese player in a nice moment of sportsmanship.

Roland Garros: Baghdatis forced to retire in first round due to injury

Injuries have often troubled the Cypriot veteran, and his frustration showed through in Paris with some tearful racket smashes when being forced to retire at this year’s French Open.

Roland Garros: Marco Cecchinato pulls off an upset for the ages over Novak Djokovic

In the most shocking upset of 2018, the 26-year-old Italian, who had never before won a match at any Major, won his fifth in a row in this year’s French Open quarterfinals.  After surviving an extended fourth set tiebreak against one of the all-time greats, Marco fell to the court and sobbed as his final return of serve fell just inside the baseline for a winner.

Roland Garros: Juan Martin Del Potro emotional after quarterfinal win over Marin Cilic

This was another dramatic moment in the quarterfinals of this year’s Roland Garros.  When you’ve been through all that Del Potro has endured over the past decade, reaching your first French Open semifinal in nine years is a good reason to get teary-eyed.

Roland Garros: Simona Halep finally comes through at a Major

In her fourth final at a Grand Slam event, and her third at Roland Garros, Halep came back from a set and a break down to defeat Sloane Stephens in Paris.  Following so many close calls in previous Major finals, this was a well-deserved moment of triumph and relief for the world No.1.

Roland Garros: Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Pierre Hugues Herbert win the men’s doubles title

After the French duo prevailed, Mahut’s young son ran onto the court and embraced his father in one of the year’s most touching moments.

Roland Garros: Rafael Nadal wins an astounding 11th Roland Garros title

Rafael Nadal (zimbio.com)

The championship match was rather one-sided, but how often do we ever see a player win 11 titles at one tournament, much less a Grand Slam event?

Wimbledon: Su-Wei Hsieh upsets Simona Halep

Trailing 5-2 in the final set, Hsieh saved a match point and came back to take out the world No.1 on Court No.1.

Wimbledon: Nadal outlasts Del Potro in the quarter-finals

This was one of the best and most dramatic matches of 2018.  Match point ended with Del Potro laying face first on the grass, and Nadal walking across the court to embrace the fallen big man.

Wimbledon: Kevin Anderson defeats John Isner is marathon semi-final

After prevailing in the longest semi-final in Wimbledon history, Anderson barely had the energy to celebrate, but made sure to recognize how painful the loss must have been for Isner.  The South African looked groggily to his player’s box as the match ended, almost in disbelief that it was finally over.

Wimbledon: Djokovic takes out Nadal in the semi-finals

In yet another epic match from this year’s Wimbledon, this one played over the course of two days, Djokovic change the course of the tennis year by defeating Nadal in an over five-hour affair.

Wimbledon: Kerber defeats Serena Williams to win her third Major title

Winning Wimbledon is an overwhelming achievement for any player, but becoming the only player not named Williams to have two victories over Serena in Major finals is quite the way to do so.

Wimbledon: Djokovic wins for the fourth time at The Championships

It was an anti-climactic final, and Djokovic had raised the Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy three times prior, but this was an extra special occasion for Novak.  It was the first time his young son was courtside during the trophy presentation.

 

 

 

 

 

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