Atlantic writers and staffers pick the most memorable sports events of the year, from the Super Bowl to Olympic table tennis.
Men's Tennis: Lukas Rosol beats Rafael Nadal in the second round of Wimbledon
June 28, 2012
In this age of tennis, it feels like every year offers a new little wrinkle in the Roger-Rafa saga, and at least one epic Nadal-Djokovic battle. (As fans, let’s enjoy that while it lasts.) But I’d say this year’s most truly surprising Nadal story was a major upset loss: The No. 2 seed made his earliest exit from a Grand Slam since 2005 after a once-in-a-lifetime performance from Lukas Rosol, an unknown ranked No. 100 in the world.
It was 26-year-old Rosol’s first-ever outing on Centre Court; known on the circuit as a hard hitter with an accuracy problem, the Czech was presumed to be routine warm-up fodder for the ever-precise Nadal. But Rosol, who later told reporters he’d been “in a trance,” played the match of his life, painting the lines with dazzling accuracy and persistently bouncing back after small disappointments with superhuman resolve (coincidentally, something like vintage Nadal). At the end of five tense sets (6-7 [9], 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4), the 11-time Grand Slam champion trudged back to the locker room, stunned; headlines around the world invoked David and Goliath.
Two days later, Rosol lost in straight sets to the No. 27 seed. But for a fleeting moment, Lukas Rosol was the giant-slaying, underdog hero of Wimbledon.
—Ashley Fetters, editorial fellow
Football: The New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, 21-17
February 5, 2012
When the New England Patriots earned a Super Bowl rematch with the New York Giants, the team that just four years prior had upset them in Super Bowl XLII (spoiling their chance to become the second NFL franchise ever to record an undefeated season), the Patriots found themselves in position to avenge that loss and further augment the legacies of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady.
On paper, the Patriots seemed superior. They had compiled a much better regular season record behind a dynamic offense featuring one of the best tight-end combos ever seen in professional football. But the Giants entered the game undaunted, scoring first and keeping the Patriots offense in check. New England eventually gained the lead and held it heading into the fourth quarter.
But in the dramatic fashion that has come to define this burgeoning rivalry, Giants quarterback Eli Manning led a game-winning drive that started with a nearly unfathomable 38-yard pass to unheralded receiver Mario Manningham, and ended with the game winning touchdown. With the win, the Giants became the first NFL franchise to finish a regular season 9-7 and still win the Super Bowl.
—Kevin Craft, contributor
Men’s Table Tennis: South Korea beats North Korea 3-1
Aug 4, 2012
In one sense, the most politically charged event of the London games was a sublime expression of the Olympic ideal. The two Koreas are technically at war and share the world's most heavily-armed border. You might think the mere fact that they played ping-pong in London is a positive sign. Not so much. That's because they played against each other, which shows just how bad inter-Korean relations have become.
As recently as 1991, the Koreas unified on the same side of the net, playing as one country to win the World Championships over powerhouse China. Last May, a popular film about that 1991 team reignited hopes that the nations might play as one in London. It wasn't to be. A scheduled reunion of the 1991 team was canceled earlier this year, around the same time that North Korea decided to conduct a missile test. That effectively signaled that the nations would once more compete under different flags.
—Hampton Stevens, contributor
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