History is being made in 2021. This will be the last year ever that no scheduled matches will be played on Middle Sunday at Wimbledon. As of next year, there will be fourth round matches on Sunday, which means Wimbledon is getting rid of the very exciting “Manic Monday,” where there are eight men’s fourth round matches and eight women’s fourth round matches played all on the same day. The reason why Wimbledon is making the scheduling change is because of advances to technology have made it easier for Wimbledon organizers to maintain the tennis courts according to Wimbledon chairman Ian Hewitt.
Over the years, four times there has been tennis on Middle Sunday, as organizers needed to play on this day to get the tournament back on schedule. It happened in 1991, 1997, 2004 and 2016. Let us take a look at the five best matches on the Middle Sunday in Wimbledon history.
5) (12) Sjeng Schalken–Netherlands over Thomas Enqvist–Sweden–2004–In this third round match, Schalken came through with a 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 win. Schalken then won his fourth round match over Vincent Spadea of the United States before losing in straight sets to American Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals.
4) (13) Svetlana Kuznetsova–Russia over (18) Sloane Stephens–United States–2016–In this exciting three-set third round women’s battle, Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 United States Open champion and 2009 French Open champion, beat future United States Open champion Sloane Stephens, 6-7, 6-2, 8-6.
3) (3) Ivan Lendl–Czechoslovakia over MaliVai Washington–United States–1991–In a second round men’s match, eight-time grand slam champion Lendl, came back from two sets to love down to beat Washington, 4-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. Lendl would then be upset by American David Wheaton in the third round.
2) (14) Tim Henman–Great Britain over Paul Haarhuis–Netherlands–1997–In this five-set, third-round thriller, Henman gave the British crowd a lot to cheer for when he beat Haarhuis, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 14-12. Henman then went on to upset fellow Dutchman and fourth-seed Richard Krajicek in four sets in the fourth round before being beaten by Michael Stich of Germany in the quarterfinals.
1)(12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga–France over (18) John Isner–United States–It is almost a prerequisite that Isner makes a list of great Wimbledon matches. The winner of the longest match ever in tennis history, lost this match however, to 2008 Australian Open Finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 19-17. Shockingly Tsonga then got by fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the fourth round when Gasquet retired in the first set. Tsonga then lost in five sets to eventual champion Andy Murray of Great Britain in the quarterfinals.
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