1. Ryder Cup
This was surely the year’s greatest contest of them all, climaxing in a gauntlet of tension down the 18th at Bethpage in New York. Not even the controversy around the poor behaviour of US fans and heated discussions between some of the players could detract from this sporting spectacle, with Europe winning in the end.
2. Barcelona v Inter, second leg
The first leg of this Champions League semifinal, which ended 3-3, was brilliant, but the second encounter was arguably even better. Three minutes before full time, Raphinha made it 3-2, only for Francesco Acerbi to equalise in the third minute of injury time. David Fratessi scored Inter’s winning goal in extra time, but their goalkeeper Yann Sommer still had to make several outrageous saves to keep his side in front.
3. Boks v All Blacks
This was arguably the greatest display by a Springbok team. Down 7-10 at half time, they dominated the All Blacks in the second half to run out 43-10 winners in Wellington.
Never before had a team put 40 points against New Zealand at home, but the South Africans made it look easy as they combined brute force with superlative skill.
Flyhalf Manie Libbok was brilliant on the day, but the star of the backline was Damian Willemse at inside centre. Then again, nobody put a foot wrong.
4. French Open final
At 3-5 in the fourth set, Jannik Sinner carved out three match points on Carlos Alcaraz’s serve. Alcaraz’s coach Juan-Carlos Ferrero noticed his charge was smiling. He knew what was coming; Alcaraz won all three points and eventually took the tie-breaker to force a fifth set. The intensity and quality of that final set turned the atmosphere inside Court Philippe Chartrier into something akin to a bullfighting arena. The Spanish matador would emerge victorious, and a new contender for the greatest match of all time was created.
5. World Series final, seventh leg
They couldn’t have scripted the deciding seventh game of the World Series. Will Smith hit the winning home run in the 11th innings to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 triumph at the end of a thriller against the Toronto Blue Jays that lasted four hours and seven minutes. The Blue Jays had led 3-0 in the third innings and were up 4-2 after the eighth. They were two outs away from victory when Rojas hit a home run in the final ninth innings to draw level at 4-4. And then came Smith.
6. England v India, 5th test
Chasing 374 to secure a series win, hundreds from Joe Root and Harry Brook had seemingly put the home team in charge. On the final day, with England needing 34 runs to win, the redoubtable Mohammad Siraj, who’d already bowled 150 overs in the series, went to the well once again and picked up three more wickets to finish with 5/104. Chris Woakes ended up not out, batting one-handed with his dislocated left arm in a sling. India won by six runs.
7. World championship marathon final
Alphonce Simbu won Tanzania’s first gold medal at a world athletics championship in spectacular fashion, winning the men’s marathon on a photo finish over Amanal Petros of Germany. Both men crossed the line in 2hr 09min 48sec, but the Tanzanian was given the nod by three-hundredths of a second. That was the closest timed result throughout the showpiece in Tokyo.
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