-Hitler the Tennis Fan?- Tennis’s 12th most incredible moment occurred in 1937. It involved the freckle-faced, redheaded American Don Budge, and the blond-haired, green-eyed German Baron Gottfried Von Cramm, in a Davis Cup Interzone final with the winner to play England for the cup title. A couple of weeks earlier the number one seeded Budge easily defeated the second-seeded Von Cramm in the Wimbledon final, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. This time the two men would meet again on the same court, the most famous court in all of tennis – Centre Court at Wimbledon – to determine which country would advance to the Davis Cup finals. With the countries tied at two matches apiece it all came down to the final match between the respective teams’ two best players, Budge and Von Cramm. The contestants were in the locker room preparing for battle with a packed stadium, headlined by the queen herself waiting in eager anticipation. And Then it Happened…with the threat of World War II looming and the Davis Cup at stake, the telephone rang. The caller? None other than the Fuhrer himself, Adolf Hitler, who was reportedly infuriated that a non-Aryan by the name of Jessie Owens had dominated the Olympics the year before. Hitler had called to let Von Cramm know how important it was that he win for the fatherland. Von Cramm, a noted anti-Nazi, entered the court pale and shaken. Yet despite the added pressure, or maybe due to it, the underdog Von Cramm came out on fire playing the best tennis of his life. In fact, Von Cramm jumped out to an 8-6, 7-5 lead. But the 22-year-old American would not be deterred and fought back gallantly to win the next two sets, 6-4, 6-2, and even the match. With the tennis being played at the highest of levels, Von Cramm once again took control to lead the fifth and final set, 4 games to 1. With a desperate situation in front of him, Budge made the very risky tactical decision to attack Von Cramm's serve. The decision worked. Budge was able to get the break back and even the set at 4 games all. As the match progressed and the tension increased, so did the level of play. Finally, Budge was able to break Von Cramm's serve again and take a 7-6 lead, thus gaining the chance to serve for the match. But this time it was Von Cramm's chance to show his resolve. One, two, three, four times Budge held match points, and four times Von Cramm fought them off. On the fifth match point there was a long rally. Von Cramm took control of the point by hitting a hard crosscourt forehand and following it to the net. As Budge streaked to the ball he took a wild swing and fell to the ground. The result of this extraordinary effort was a perfectly placed passing shot that landed six inches inside both lines. Game, Set, Match, USA. Budge later stated, ‘It was the greatest shot I ever made’. As the two combatants came to the net in near darkness, Von Cramm said, ‘This was absolutely the finest match I have ever played in my life. I'm very happy that I could have played it against you, whom I like so much. Congratulations.’ The two men, who were actually good friends, then hugged each other in an act of mutual admiration. A week later the US would then go on to defeat England in the finals, 4-1, to take the Davis Cup title back to the States for the first time in 11 years. Upon their return to New York, the American tennis heroes were greeted by a well-deserved ticker-tape parade.

-A Match for the Ages- Tennis’s 2nd most incredible moment occurred where else, but in the Wimbledon final on 5 July 1980. This match is considered by sports historians, luminaries, fans and just about everyone with a heartbeat, to be one of the greatest tennis match ever played, as well as one of the best sporting events of the twentieth century. It featured the 24-year-old Swedish heartthrob Bjorn Borg versus the brash 21-year-old American John McEnroe. One of the many things that made this match so memorable was the incredible contrast between the participants, not only in playing styles but in their temperaments as well. Borg, the right-handed baseliner, was the world's established number one player whereas the left-handed McEnroe was an attacking serve-and-volleyer, desperate for Borg's elite title as the world's best. The stoic Borg played as if he had ice water in his veins, while the volatile McEnroe played with a fire in his belly. And the only thing the English crowd and press seemed to enjoy doing more than praising Borg for his superb level of play and sportsmanlike conduct was to lambaste McEnroe for his tantrums and immature behaviour. Added to this mix was the fact that Borg was vying for his fifth straight Wimbledon crown (at the time a modern-day record), while McEnroe had yet to win the tennis world's most coveted title. When these two great players entered the tennis shrine known simply as ‘Centre Court’ on a cool Sunday afternoon, they did so in front of an electrified stadium with hundreds of millions more watching on television. But as the match got underway it didn't appear as if it would be much of a match at all. McEnroe came out firing on all cylinders. After a mere 20 minutes of play, McEnroe had secured the first set, six games to one. McEnroe appeared to be cruising in the second set as well, holding serve with ease. Through his first nine service games McEnroe had stingily relinquished only 13 points on his serve. Yet with Borg returning serve and leading six games to five, he had a glimmer of hope. McEnroe, serving at 15-30, had let the door open a crack, and Borg, being the champion that he is, walked right through it by ripping two backhand service return winners and taking the second set 7-5. And now, as often happens in sports, the momentum had turned in an instant, and Borg capitalised by winning the third set, 6-3. At this point, Borg looked like he was going to ride the wave all the way to the title when he was serving at 5-4, 40-15, with double match point. But it was here that the inconceivable happened. Could it be that the unflappable Borg got nervous? Apparently so, as Johnny Mac fought back to break serve and even the set at five games apiece. Both players then went on to hold their serves at love. And then it happened…the most exciting, tantalising, excruciating, nail-biting 22 minutes that tennis has ever seen. The fourth set tiebreaker started off predictably enough as the first eight points went to the server. But when Borg secured a mini break with a terrific return of serve and the players split the next two points, Borg had his third match point. As McEnroe staved it off with a stretch forehand volley winner, the crowd was in a frenzy. Little did they know that these gladiators were just getting started. On and on and on they went. With brilliant play they traded match points for set points. Finally, with Borg serving at 16-17, he could take the pressure of the moment no longer and dumped a forehand volley into the net. When all was said and done, Borg had relinquished five championship points (not to mention the two championship points he had earlier in the set) and McEnroe had finally won the tiebreaker on his seventh set point. As the crowd roared, the players tried to compose themselves on the changeover before starting the fifth and final set that would determine the champion. At this point few people, least of all McEnroe, felt that any mere mortal could come back after losing such a heart wrenching set…not even the great Bjorn Borg. But with the heart of a lion and an iron will that legends are made of, Borg played a brilliant final set. After a hiccup that saw him lose the first two points on serve, Borg won 19 straight service points and 28 of the last 29. Yet McEnroe, who was proving to be a great champion in his own right, was matching Borg game for game, albeit with more difficulty. McEnroe came back on two occasions in the fifth set from love-40 to gallantly fight off break points. But when McEnroe was serving at 6-7, 15-40, and facing two more match points, he could play a modern-day Harry Houdini no longer. When Borg ripped one of his patented backhand passing shots past McEnroe for a clean winner and fell to his knees in triumph, it was all over. Bjorn Borg had done it again, winning his fifth straight Wimbledon, then a modern-day record. But as the ancient Romans taught us, all fame is fleeting. Borg’s glory as the monarch of the tennis world was destined to be short-lived, and McEnroe would have his revenge. A couple of months later, McEnroe defeated Borg in another classic five-setter to win his second straight US Open (see incredible moment #20). John then won his first of three Wimbledon titles by beating Borg in the 1981 Championships. And ultimately, after McEnroe was victorious once again in the 1981 US Open final, the immortal and enigmatic Bjorn Borg had apparently had enough, and retired at the age of 26.