August 28, 2012
US Open Tennis 2012: The 10 Biggest Upsets in Open History
By Dave Ungar
The 2012 US Open is now underway.
The final grand slam event of the year --- and quite obviously the most important tennis tournament in the United States of America --- the US Open has been the site for some of the greatest matches in tennis history.
As one of the most, if not the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world, all the world's best players compete in the US Open, each one sharing the same dream --- to be crowned the US Open champion.
Like most other major sporting events, with so much on the line, and so many of the absolute best competing for it, upsets are bound to happen.
The US Open, being no exception, has seen some shockers over the years. On both the men's and women's side of the bracket, we have seen lower seeds and low-ranked players stun higher-seeded players.
We have seen seemingly dominant champions fall surprisingly flat.
We have seen future champions springboard an upset into a successful career.
Indeed, the US Open has been a breeding ground for all sorts of upsets and surprising turns of events.
In this article, we will count down the 10 biggest upsets in US Open history.
Before we get to the official Top 10, let's take a look at a few Honorable Mentions.
Honorable Mentions
Paul Haarhuis defeats Boris Becker, Third Round, 1991
At the 1991 US Open, Boris Becker was the No. 1 seed. In the third round of the tournament, he would take on Paul Haarhuis.
Later in his career, Haarhuis would go on to be a tremendously successful doubles player. But at this early stage, not much at all was known about Haarhuis.
Haarhuis would stun Becker in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. Many would say that Becker beat himself with a slew of unforced errors during the course of the three sets. But on this particular day, Haarhuis was the better man.
It would be Haarhuis' best placing in a Grand Slam event as a singles competitor. He would go on to win six Grand Slam titles as a doubles player (Wikipedia).
Pete Sampras defeats Mats Wilander, Second Round, 1989
It is kind of hard to contemplate the phenomenal Pete Sampras as ever being an underdog at the US Open.
But in 1989, Sampras was only 18 and was just starting to announce his emergence to the tennis world. At the US Open, in the second round, Sampras would meet Mats Wilander. Wilander was the No. 5 seed while Sampras was ranked No. 91 in the world at the time.
Wilander had come off a tremendous year in 1988 as he had won three Grand Slam events. Seemingly at the top of his game, Wilander expected an easy time of it against the young Sampras.
In a foreshadowing of things to come, Sampras used his tremendous serve and volley game to pin Wilander to the baseline.Unable to execute his game plan, Wilander was a sitting duck for a pretty big upset.
Sampras would ultimately win an epic five set match, 5-7, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Sampras would ultimately fall in the fourth round to fellow American Jay Berger.
He would not lose many more times at the US Open the rest of his career.
Melanie Oudin eliminates Russia, 2009 US Open, Rounds 1 to 4
No, Melanie Oudin did not really eliminate the entire country of Russia in the 2009 US Open.
But it sure felt that way.
Oudin was not known by many prior to the 2009 women's tournament. Nevertheless, she turned in one of the more memorable runs by an American in recent US Open history.
For the first four rounds of the tournament, Oudin laid waste to pretty much the entire compliment of Russian women competing in the tournament.
In the first round, she beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.
In the second round, she toppled No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva in a three-set thriller, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
In the third round, she beat 29th-seeded Maria Sharapova in another three-set classic, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
In the fourth round, Oudin again needed three sets, but she put away her fourth consecutive Russian by defeating No. 13 seed Nadia Petrova, 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
Oudin's incredible run would end in the quarterfinals with a straight set loss to Caroline Wozniacki.
It remains Oudin's best performance at a Grand Slam event. She is currently ranked 107th in the world.
But Oudin's Russian romp in 2009 represents one of the bigger upset performances in recent US Open history.
10. Tracy Austin Defeats Sue Barker, 3rd Round, 1977
Tennis is one of the few sports where younger players, relative children for all intents and purposes, can not only compete against players much older and more mature than them --- but they can actually prevail.
One of the best examples of this was Tracy Austin. By the time the 1977 US Open rolled around, Austin's face had already been plastered on several magazines and she had been hailed a prodigy by many tennis pundits.
Still, as good as she was, Austin was only 14 when she competed in the 1977 US Open. In the third round, she would take on the No. 4 seed, Sue Barker. Up to this point, Austin had won her first two matches against unseeded opposition.
While Austin had greatness written all over her, it was widely believed that the more experienced Barker would have little difficulty defeating Austin, allowing her to get ready to return to school.
Sporting a wide grin and a mouth full of metal, Austin shocked Barker in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4.
Austin would actually reach the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Betty Stove in straight sets.
But the 1977 US Open was just a sign of things to come. Austin would eventually go on to win the US Open twice, in 1979 and then again in 1981.
Her rivalry with Chris Evert was one of the best in women's tennis at the time.
But it was Austin's inspiring performance at the 1977 US Open that really seemed to get things rolling for her.
9. Marat Safin Defeats Pete Sampras, Final, 2000
If you just look strictly at the seedings, then Marat Safin's defeat of Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open Finals does not seem like much of an upset.
After all, Safin was seeded No. 6, while Sampras was seeded No. 4.
But if you look at the body of Sampras' work up to that point, combined with Safin's difficult run to the Final, the significance of this upset begins to come more clear.
Sampras was already a four-time champion by this time, and he had been absolutely dominating in the tournament so far.
Sampras lost only one set en route to the Final, and his serve had been absolutely dominant, having only been broken four times through the tournament thus far.
Safin, meanwhile, had to work four sets to beat Thierry Guardiola in the first round, five sets to get past Gianluca Pozzi and five sets to get past Sebastien Rene Grosjean. By the time Safin reached the quarterfinals, he seemed to be operating on auto pilot.
Nothing was further from the truth. Safin crushed Todd Martin in straight sets to reach the Final.
Against the heavily-favored Sampras in the Final, Safin matched Sampras serve-for-serve, and his passing shots were deadly. Sampras, pinned to the baseline far too much, gave Safin too much time to set up his shots and Safin took advantage.
When Sampras tried to come to the net, he was usually passed by Safin. A great example of that is championship point where Sampras comes in and is quickly passed by a nasty Saffin backhand to clinch the crown.
The whole match was all quite a surprise to Sampras --- a surprise he was ill-prepared to meet.
Safin would prevail over Sampras in three tough sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
Safin would go on to add the 2005 Australian Open to add to his collection.
But Safin's win over Sampras, at a time when Sampras was still playing at a really high level, was a huge upset, and it checks in at No. 9.
8. Arnaud Clement Defeats Andre Agassi, 2nd Round, 2000
Sticking with the 2000 US Open, the next upset on the list belongs to Arnaud Clement's upset of the defending champion, Andre Agassi, in the second round.
Agassi was the defending champion and the No. 1 seed for the 2000 event.
Clement, on the other hand, was unseeded.
No one really gave Clement much of a chance against the defending champion.
But of course, that is why they play the games.
For pretty much the entire match, the Frenchman was quicker, sharper and, in general, just wanted it more. Though neither man played flawlessly (both men had 27 unforced errors), Clement capitalized on his opportunities and pulled off a very large upset.
Agassi had no answer to Clement, and he fell in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Clement would eventually get to the quarterfinals, where he was dispatched in straight sets by Lleyton Hewitt.
Next to his reaching the Finals of the 2001 Australian Open, Clement's run to the quarterfinals of the 2000 US Open, along with a quarterfinal run at Wimbledon in 2008, were his best Grand Slam performances.
Agassi would never again win the US Open.
7. Petr Korda Defeats Pete Sampras, 4th Round, 1997
The 1997 US Open was the first to be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Most figured that the change in scenery would mean very little as far as the crowning of the men's champion.
After all, Pete Sampras was the two-time defending champion and was pretty much rolling over anyone who got in his way.
Sampras, the top seed, had not dropped a set as he reached the fourth round. There, he would meet the No. 15 seed, Petr Korda.
On paper, this looked like a mismatch. But, for whatever reason, Korda always played Sampras tough. One of the few people out there who could deal with Sampras' serve, Korda had pushed Sampras to a fifth set earlier that year at Wimbledon.
At the US Open, Korda would break through, winning a classic five-set battle with Sampras, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (3).
During the match, Korda was able to fend off 24 aces from Sampras. The turning point in the match may have been in the fifth set. Trailing 2-3, Korda served to try and even things up. Three huge aces later, the momentum of the match had shifted completely. Sampras, usually known for his great conditioning, actually seemed to run out of steam during that final set tiebreaker.
In the quarterfinals, Korda would have to retire in the third set against unseeded Jonas Bjorkman. Still, he would go on to capture the 1998 Australian Open. He would also reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, and there is a general consensus that Korda's stunning win over Sampras is what set much of Korda's success in 1998 into motion.
6. John Isner Defeats Andy Roddick, 3rd Round, 2009
2009 was shaping up to be a good year for Andy Roddick.
At Wimbledon, he had taken Roger Federer to the absolute limit, ultimately falling to Federer in five tough sets, including losing the fifth set 14-16.
Thus, heading into the US Open, there was plenty of reason to believe that Roddick could make a serious run at winning a second US Open title. He was seeded fifth heading into the event.
But a funny thing happened on the way to that second title --- Roddick was upset in the third round by unseeded John Isner.
No one really knew a lot about Isner, and he was still a year away from playing in the longest match ever, his 11.5-hour marathon against Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.
One thing that was known was that Isner had a big serve. Of course, so did Roddick. Something had to give.
That something was Roddick's ability to return Isner's serve. Isner fired 38 aces at Roddick and got out to an early two sets to love lead. It seemed like Isner would cruise to a shockingly easy win.
But give credit to Roddick, as he fought back and forced a fifth-set tiebreaker. Isner excelled at tiebreakers, and this match was no exception. Isner would win the fifth set tiebreaker to complete the upset, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5).
Isner would lose in the fourth round to Fernando Verasco. But ever since this upset, Isner's career has been on the upswing.
Roddick, on the other hand, has not played all that well since this stunning defeat, including a humbling loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2012 Olympics.
5. Julie Coin Defeats Ana Ivanovic, 2nd Round, 2008
Though this upset ranks fairly high at No. 5, there are many who will say it should not be this high. There are even some who will say, and rightfully so, that the world should have perhaps seen it coming.
In 2008, Ana Ivanovic came into her own --- for a little while anyway.
She won the French Open that year, beating Dinara Safina in straight sets to capture her only Grand Slam title to date. The victory vaulted Ivanovic to a No. 1 ranking.
But the wheels would start to come off shortly thereafter. At Wimbledon, she struggled badly against Nathalie Dechy in the second round and was then shocked by Zheng Jie, a wild-card entrant ranked 133rd in the world at the time.
So, one can say that any aura of invincibility Ivanovic had was well on its way to being obliterated well before she met unheralded Julie Coin in the second round of the US Open.
Still, the No. 1 seed on the ladies side had not exited the tournament in the third round since Billie Jean King's defeat in the third round of the 1973 US Open. It is the infrequency in which the top seed for the women gets eliminated early, which makes this upset such a big one.
It also might have had something to do with the fact that Coin was ranked 188th in the world at the time and was having such a hard time with the game that she had talked about quitting tennis completely prior to this match (USA Today).
That does not exactly sound like a dragon slayer to me.
Nevertheless, Coin's 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over the top-seeded Ivanovic was one of the biggest upsets in tennis history and certainly deserves to be ranked rather high in any list of the biggest upsets at the US Open.
4. Jan Kodes Defeats John Newcombe, 1st Round, 1971
The 1971 US Open featured Australian tennis legend John Newcombe when he was at the top of his game.
By this point in time, Newcombe had already won Wimbledon three times, including the 1971 event, and had also captured the 1967 US Open. It was not surprising that he was the top seed for the 1971 US Open, and many figured he would win the event.
What people did not count on was for Newcombe to be upset in the first round by unseeded Jan Kodes. In reality, though, it is not as though Kodes was just some guy who barely qualified for the US Open.
To the contrary, Kodes was the two-time defending French Open champion at the time he met Newcombe in the first round of the 1971 US Open.
Despite Kodes' success, the consensus opinion was that he would not be able to duplicate that success on the grass courts on which the US Open were played in 1971.
Early on, the experts seemed to be right as Newcombe cruised to win the first set 6-2.
But Kodes would then win the next two sets, both by tiebreaker, and the dynamics of the match changed completely.
In the fourth set, Kodes ended the drama with a convincing 6-3 triumph. The No. 1 seeded Newcombe was gone in a stunning four set upset, 2-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.
Kodes was far from done, though, as he would make it all the way to the Final before ultimately falling to the No. 2 seed, Stan Smith, in four sets.
For Newcombe, though, he would exact his revenge in the 1973 US Open Final, as he toppled Kodes in a five-set masterpiece to capture the championship.
As great as the 1973 match was, the mini-rivalry between John Newcombe and Jan Kodes started with a big upset in 1971.
3. Juan Martin Del Potro Defeats Roger Federer, Final, 2009
Roger Federer might very well be the greatest tennis player of all-time. He has certainly got to be considered one of the best, if not the best of all the men's US Open champions.
Heading into the 2009 event, Federer was the five-time defending US Open champion. Though Federer's status as top dog had been questioned due to his rivalry with Rafael Nadal, 2009 was shaping up to be a truly magical year for Federer.
He had captured his first, and thus far only, French Open championship earlier in the year, thereby completing his sought-after career slam.
He then went on to win his sixth Wimbledon title and came into the US Open as the No. 1 seed and favorite to win an incredible sixth straight title.
Things went pretty much according to script for Federer, as he only dropped two sets en route to the Final.
Meeting him there was sixth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro. Even though Del Potro had crushed Nadal in the semifinals, no one expected him to be able to compete with Federer. Again, though, that is why they play the games.
Del Potro demonstrated tremendous heart and tenacity rallying from a set down not once, but twice. This was especially true in the second set when Federer served for the set, up 5-4. Del Potro broke Federer and forced a tiebreaker.
Up to this point in time, Federer had never lost a tiebreaker in a US Open Final. That streak came to an end against the Argentinean, who then repeated the feat in the fourth set.
Del Potro was also assisted by an uncharacteristic 12 double faults from Federer.
Ultimately, Del Potro would pull off the upset winning a tremendous five-set battle 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
This remains Del Potro's only Grand Slam title to date, although he did capture a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.
Federer, for the record, would take the silver medal at the 2012 Olympics. The man he beat in the semifinals to get to the gold medal match?
Juan Martin Del Potro.
An interesting rivalry to say the least.
2. Bill Scanlon Defeats John McEnroe, 4th Round, 1983
In 1983, John McEnroe was the most recognizable figure in US tennis.
Obviously, the memory of his epic match with Bjorn Borg at the 1980 Wimbledon Final --- and his subsequent conquering of Borg at the 1980 US Open and then at Wimbledon in 1981 --- had made McEnroe a household name as far as tennis in the US was concerned.
By the time the 1983 US Open arrived, McEnroe was still at the top of his game.
He had won his second Wimbledon crown earlier in the year and was the No. 1 ranked player in the world.
McEnroe had actually been pushed to five sets in the first round by unseeded Trey Waltke. But McEnroe absolutely dominated the final two sets, and he was not really challenged again until he met the No. 16 seed, Bill Scanlon in the fourth round.
Scanlon played the game of his life, as he dispatched McEnroe in four close sets, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3.
McEnroe certainly helped bring about his own demise, as he committed 14 unforced errors and committed 10 double faults.
It got so bad for McEnroe that the crowd that usually adored him actually started siding with Scanlon.
In the end, it did not matter. What we were left with was a huge upset of a tennis legend, on what was essentially his home court, when he was at the top of his game.
Bill Scanlon was a good player; no question about it. But his defeat of John McEnroe at the 1983 US Open was so unexpected it comes in on this list as the second-biggest upset in US Open history.
1. Alexander Volkov Defeats Stefan Edberg, 1st Round, 1990
You can do a search for the greatest upsets in US Open history on your own. By and large, Alexander Volkov's stunning defeat of Stefan Edberg in the opening round of the 1990 US Open is considered the biggest upset ever.
I would agree.
Why is this the biggest upset ever?
Well, for one, it is not everyday that the top-seeded player gets ousted in the first round.
But Edberg was more than just the top seed. He had just won Wimbledon for the second time and he was ranked No. 1 in the world. On top of all that, Edberg was also a two-time Australian Open champion.
To say he was expected to win the US Open would be a huge understatement.
Volkov, on the other hand was ranked No. 52 in the world. On paper, this seemed like a thrashing of epic proportions about to happen.
Well, a thrashing did occur but not the one everyone expected. Volkov humbled Edberg by beating him in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.
It was a shocking outcome to say the least.
Volkov's success did not last long, though, as he was routed by Todd Wisken in straight sets the next round.
As epic as the upset was, it was merely a blip on Edberg's radar. The super Swede would go on to capture the US Open title in 1991 and 1992.
But as for 1990, Stefan Edberg's shocking loss to Alexander Volkov remains the biggest upset in US Open history.