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What were the 10 worst Australian Open finals in history? That’s the subject that will be addressed today, and you may remember some of the matches mentioned.
More specifically, I plan on covering five matches for the men and five matches for the women. Of course, this means that these five matches are considered to be the worst Australian Open finals matches of all time. As for what’s been factored in to create this list of the 10 worst Australian Open finals, let me show you.
The mentioned matches were insanely one-sided, first and foremost. And because of this, the fans watching at home and the spectators in the stadium didn’t exactly get their money’s worth. Not only were the games one-sided, however, but they were also lacking in moments of drama.
In tennis, drama is created through tense moments, which could cover anything from tense tie-breaks to epic comebacks. Unfortunately, the matches I’ve listed today didn’t contain much of either. Subsequently, while I have nothing against the players who were on the losing end of these finals, the Australian Open finals they played in were far from spectacular.
Anyway, let me now dive into the finer details.
ATP – the 5 worst Australian Open finals
I’ve given you an introduction to the worst Australian Open finals and how they were determined above. Of course, the characteristics of such matches are essentially the complete opposite of the best Australian Open finals. And now, let me reveal the five worst finals for the men.
2003 – Andre Agassi vs Rainer Schuttler
This is the first of two Australian Open finals featuring Andre Agassi. The former world number one won this tournament four times. And in 20023, he dismantled Rainer Schuttler by a score of 6-2 6-2 6-1. This is the most one-sided final since Ivan Lendl beat Miloslav Mecir in 1989.
2001 – Andre Agassi vs Arnaud Clement
Two years prior to 2003, it was Agassi’s time to shine once again at the Australian Open. Yet, on this occasion, his victim was a Frenchman named Arnaud Clement. Agassi was in no mood to waste time in defending his 2000 title in this match either.
The game finished 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Agassi, leaving fans stunned at how easily the American won the final.
2011 – Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray
Sorry Andy, but the scoreline tells a story when it comes to the worst Australian Open finals. As you might recall, Djokovic was almost untouchable in the 2011 season. He was winning just about everything, and he started the season by destroying Andy Murray in the final.
Djokovic beat Murray by a score of 6-4 6-2 6-3 on this occasion. And this was the second consecutive year that Murray was beaten in straight sets in the finals.
1998 – Petr Korda vs Marcelo Rios
If you’re unfamiliar with these names, don’t worry! In 1998, Petr Korda, the father of Sebastian Korda, won the Australian Open for his first and only title in Melbourne. He was quite incredible in this match too, taking out Marcelo Rios 6-2 6-2 6-2 in what is perhaps the most one-sided final from the last 30 years.
1997 – Pete Sampras vs Carlos Moya
Here we have another legend in the form of Pete Sampras – or ‘Pistol Pete’ as he was usually referred to. Sampras won 14 Grand Slam titles in his career, and the 1997 final against Carlos Moya was one of his easier triumphs. Sampras beat Moya in this final by a score of 6-2 6-3 6-3.
WTA – the 5 worst Australian Open finals
Now it’s time to cover the worst Australian Open finals on the women’s side of things. Again, the same criteria were applied to find these matches, so let’s run through them one by one for a complete breakdown.
2024 – Qinwen Zheng vs Aryna Sabalenka
Unfortunately, I have to put the recent final of Zheng vs Sabalenka down as one of the worst Australian Open finals. Sabalenka was so incredible all tournament that this final was a bit of a blowout. And when all was said and done, Sabalenka took down Zheng 6-3 6-2 in a match that lasted just 1 hour and 16 minutes.
2012 – Victoria Azarenka vs Maria Sharapova
While Andre Agassi features in two of the worst Australian Open finals for the men, on the winning side, Sharapova features in two on the losing side (sorry Maria).
In 2012, she faced a confident and in-form Victoria Azarenka. In this match, she was totally outplayed, losing 6-3 6-0 – handing Azarenka the first of her two Australian Open titles.
2009 – Serena Williams vs Dinara Safina
We all know how prolific Serena Williams was throughout her career. And in 2009, she went 23-2 at the Grand Slam level. This started with an emphatic victory over Dinara Safina, the sister of Marat Safin, by a score of 6-0 6-3. Of course, this was great for Williams, yet it goes down as one of the worst Australian Open finals from the perspective of entertainment.
2007 – Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova
This is the second final with Maria Sharapova propping up the losing side of the equation. And once again, it’s Serena Williams who takes the role of the judge, jury, and executioner for this final. This was actually the third Australian Open title for Serena Williams, and she took out Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-2 in a truly dominant display.
1994 – Steffi Graf vs Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
For those who aren’t too familiar with tennis history, Steffi Graf was one of the legends of the game throughout the 80s and 90s. She’s also the wife of Andre Agassi, which makes for quite an interesting story in itself. Amazingly, Graf won 22 Grand Slam titles in her career, which is the third most of all-time behind Serena Williams and Margaret Court.
So as you might imagine, the cards were stacked against Sanchez Vicaro for this one. And true to form, Steffi Graf blew her Spanish opponent off the court with a 6-0 6-2 victory, making it one of the shortest Australian Open finals ever.
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