5-set record

It’s a good time to deliver such a stats because there won’t be another 5-set match until the US Open 2011, so nothing changes in the the next seven weeks. Here are 50 active players, almost the same guys whom I included to the TB section. This time I excluded Sam Querrey, Ernests Gulbis, Jose Acasuso, replacing them with very experienced 5-set players like Olivier Rochus, Arnaud Clement and Janko Tipsarevic. I’ve added these numbers to the 3-2 section and want to update it at the end of the season. There’s no doubt that Spaniards are the 5-set specialists – Rafael Nadal has the best percentage in the Open era at the moment, his five compatriots (Montanes, Robredo, Verdasco, F.Lopez & Ferrer) are very good, each of them above 60%. Thomas Berdych had an astonishing 9-0 record once, he’s been lame in 5-setters since then: 4-7. In the photo, the 5-set legends, Nadal and John Isner after their 5-set meeting at this year’s Roland Garros, which “king of clay” won 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4.

Players with at least 17 five-setters (29 guys)

* Hewitt is barely one of five players (beside Ivan Lendl, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras & Nicolas Lapentti) to begin career in the Open era and win 30 five-setters or more.

Players with 16 five-setters and less (21 guys)