5 Most Thrilling Matches At The O2 Arena

The O2 arena is a majestic venue to host tournaments in London. The resplendent indoor hard court in London is capable of accommodating 17.5k people. It is the host for the ATP World Tour Finals from 2009-2018.

Let’s have a look at the top 5 memorable matches held at the O2 arena.

The semi-final between Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray in 2010 was voted as the best ATP match of the year. Nadal emerged as the winner in a tight three set match. The highly competitive match ended with the score 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (6).

The two extremely strong baseline players brought out the best in themselves, the Spaniard charged with his heavy topspin dueled against the highly adept returner and anticipator.

Nadal started slow but was quick to regain momentum to take the first set in a gripping tie-breaker that ended 7-5 with a drop volley winner on set point.

But, it was the Brit who bounced back in the second set, knowing exactly what the English fans were delving for in the match. Murray broke Nadal twice in the second set to draw the match on even terms.

It was finally the tenacious Spaniard who took hold of the match and went up 4-2 in the decider. At 5-3, Nadal’s quest to reach his first-ever season-ending final seemed concrete. But, Nadal’s serve tumbled the very next moment to give Murray a glimmer of hope to squeeze past to the finals. The top quality contest took a new shape as it went to a final tie-breaker, making it one of the best comebacks of Murray.

Leading by the slightest of margins at 7-6, Nadal, with his immaculate   footwork and impeccable athleticism, whipped a final forehand stroke to seal the marathon match.

The year 2014 the O2 arena witnessed two absolute thrilling semi-finals and the people who managed to get hold of the tickets of either of the semi-final matches that year must have been very lucky. It was truly the highlight of the whole tournament. Though in the final, Djokovic defended the title after Federer’s withdrawal, it became the first walkover in a final in the tournament’s 45-year history. The crowd was hence entertained by an exhibition match between Djokovic and Murray. Murray stayed on to play against legends Tim Henman and Pat Cash along with McEnroe by his side.

The first was Roger Federer against Stan Wawrinka. The all-Swiss semi-final had plenty in store for providing wholesome entertainment to the viewers. Stanimal took the early lead by an early break and subsequently taking the first set 6-4. He played aggressively and Federer failed in changing the momentum of the game. However, the match turned around in the second set. Federer leveled the game by taking the second set 7-5. This came after saving 3 match points. The crowd’s favorite and the six-time winner of the title, the most by anyone, got through to the finals by taking the decider set 7-6. In the titillating tie-breaker, Roger took an early lead, but Wawrinka responded well by gaining a match point. However, Federer claimed the victory on his first attempt at match point. The ecstatic crowd ruptured into a deafening ovation after the win.

Another gripping semi-final at the O2 arena was a delight to watch. Djokovic dominated in the first set and cruised smoothly with a 6-1 lead. Nishikori made a good come-back by taking the second set 6-3 and equalizing the game. But, for every good shot by Nishikori, a greater response awaited from the other end. Djokovic absolutely dismantled the young Japanese with a bagel in the third set.

17,800 fans at the O2 arena watched an enthralling contest between the world’s Top 2 players, Djokovic against Federer in the 2012 finals. It was a tie breaker affair, which the Serbian won to claim the title 7-6 7-5.

Though, Federer was up 5-3 in the second set and was producing some classic shots, it was the Serb who kept his cool and served to stay in the match. It was 5-4, and Federer still had the edge to win the set on his serve. He even went up 40-15 and was so close to wrapping up the set, but a few erroneous shots followed and the chance was lost. The display of grit and resilience by Djokovic helped him turn the game around and eventually winning the match in the tie-breaker.

The final of 2011 played between the maestro Federer and the jumping jack of tennis, Tsonga was power packed and provided the perfect dosage of entertainment to the brimming arena in London. The gripping match was interesting to watch because of the contrasting personalities of both the players. Tsonga conjured impressive shots with wild energy whereas Federer played with poise as always.  Federer sealed the match 6-3 6-7 6-3 and it marked his 6th ATP World Tour Title and his 70th title overall.