The best female Grand Slam matches of the year are next up on the list. It may seem like this list is dominated by one specific player, but that's because she dominated Grand Slams in 2015. Winning three Majors and narrowly missing out on winning all four will certainly put you on the list of best major matches multiple times. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Women's Grand Slam matches.
10. Petra Cetkovska d. Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 U.S. Open 2nd Round
Last year's U.S. Open runner-up came into the final major of the year trying to put her seesaw season behind her. The fourth-seeded Wozniacki breezed through her opening round and looked to have a comfortable draw to later rounds. In her way though was Cetkovska, a Czech player whose career has been riddled with injuries. Always a threat because of her deceptively low ranking, Cetkovska has beaten many different top players on multiple occasions. The 149 ranked Cetkovska successfully saved four match points and then dominated the final set tiebreak to beat Wozniacki in this thrilling match.
9. Simona Halep d. Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 U.S. Open Quarters
The former No. 1 and two-time U.S. Open finalist Azarenka faced off against the current No. 2 player Halep. Both players known for their athleticism produced long, grueling rallies to entertain the crowd at Flushing Meadows. In the end, Halep was the more solid player, ending the match with over twice as many winners to unforced errors, and advanced to her first U.S. Open Semifinal.
8. Serena Williams d. Heather Watson 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 Wimbledon 3rd Round
The American and world No. 1 faced off against the British No. 1 on royal soil, but nobody anticipated the level of a match we would watch. It seemed like Serena would blow right past the younger player; she was up 6-2, 4-3 when suddenly Watson won six games in a row. Watson even served for the match in the third set, but Williams mental fortitude was greater than the Brits in the end. You could feel the pressure and see how much it meant to them at the conclusion of the match, with both women nearly in tears. "I honestly didn't think I was going to win," said Serena.
7. Francesca Schiavone d. Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7, 7-5, 10-8 French Open 2nd Round
It was a battle of former French Open champions, and the pair lived up to the expectations of a great match. Two of the fittest players on the tour known for grinding out grueling matches did just that. Schiavone saved a match point to beat her rival in a match that lasted almost four hours, the longest of the year. This isn't even the longest match between these two; they produced the longest women's Grand Slam match in history at the 2011 Australian Open, where Schiavone also saved match points to win in 4 hours 44 minutes, 16-14 in the final set.
6. Dominika Cibulkova d. Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Australian Open 4th Round
The first Grand Slam of the year also brought us an early contender for the Top 10 matches. Cibulkova was last year's Australian Open runner-up, but injuries had seen her ranking drop. Azarenka was the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion and injury also caused her ranking to fall. Both women had something to prove coming into Australia, and it was the heart and fight of both women that made this match something special.
5. Garbine Muguruza d. Aga Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Wimbledon Semis
Although Garbine Muguruza had shot up the rankings and constantly giving the top players troubles, nobody expected her to make it this far in a Grand Slam, at least not this early into her young career. The Spaniard, just 21 at the time, came out guns blazing against the former Wimbledon finalist and looked like an unstoppable force after a set and a half. But Radwanska sensed her chance to make another final on her favorite surface and found the cracks in Muguruza's game to somehow take the match to a final set. Muguruza impressively found her mental strength and closed out the match to make her maiden Grand Slam final.
4. Roberta Vinci d. Serena Williams 2-6, 4-6, 4-6 U.S. Open Semis
It was the match that will live in infamy for Serena Williams. She had won the last four Major titles to complete her second Serena Slam and was gunning for the Calendar Year Grand Slam, a feat not done since 1988 by Steffi Graf. It was her chance to tie Steffi's Open-Era record 22 Grand Slam titles, and firmly establish herself as the greatest female tennis player of all time. With Flavia Pennetta beating Simona Halep earlier in the other semifinal, Serena looked to be in the best position possible to win the title. She had to beat Vinci, a veteran player that Serena had never lost to in her career, and after one set it seemed certain she would. But Vinci did what she does best and ran down every single ball, weaseling her way into Serena's head. In possibly the biggest upset in tennis history, Vinci became just the fourth person to ever beat Serena in a Grand Slam semifinal, denied Serena's shot at glory, made her maiden Grand Slam final, and set up the first all Italian Major final in history. The American crowd may have been upset at this circumstance, if not for Vinci's humorous and witty post-match interview.
3. Jelena Jankovic d. Petra Kvitova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 Wimbledon 3rd Round
The former No. 1 Jankovic has never been her greatest on grass courts while the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova certainly has. Besides Serena, the question of who could possibly stop Kvitova from winning another Wimbledon title seemed unanswerable. But Jankovic somehow came back from a set and a breakdown and broke down the Czech's risky power game. The veteran Jankovic shocked the world and left Kvitova with no answers to win the match. "I always think I can do it. I'm not old. I'm still young at heart. I look pretty good, so why not?” Jankovic said. “I mean, give me a break, guys. What's old?”
2. Serena Williams d. Venus Williams 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 U.S. Open Quarters
This match-up is one that every tennis fan gets excited for. The Williams Sisters have become tennis icons and, as a team, they are one of the best ever. Their rivalry is also one of the best ever, and this match proves that. Obviously, Serena has had one of the best tennis years in history, but Venus has climbed back up the rankings in 2014 and 2015, and she remains one of the only people who can give Serena consistent trouble. The first set was one-way traffic that saw peak Serena make quick work to win it. But big sister Venus stepped up and showed how successfully she's dealt with her autoimmune disease to turn the tables and power through the second. In the end, Serena managed to beat her role model Venus, but both women ended the match with incredible stats. This could possibly be the last time the two champions play at their home Major, and it's a good note to end on.
1. Serena Williams d. Victoria Azarenka 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Wimbledon Quarters
The best Grand Slam match of the year has got to be this one. These two women have had some of the best battles in the past couple of years, and this match is the latest installment to their rivalry. Azarenka came out on a mission and had every answer to whatever Williams threw at her. But like Serena did throughout 2015, she found her game and came back after dropping the first set. The scoreline, while already close, felt much closer when watching this match. Just margins separated these two champions, but Serena's serve, power, angles, and mental strength won her the match. The ending stats saw both women with positive winner-unforced errors ratios, but the key was Serena's 17 aces and four times as many winners to unforced errors. By surviving this scare, Serena would go on to win her second career Serena Slam and hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously.
