Nadal, Clijsters had memorable moments

Welcome to the 2010 Year in Review. Beginning Dec. 21, in a time frame just shy of a fortnight, FOXSports.com's panel of tennis commentators — Matt Cronin, Richard Evans, Zack Pierce, Addie Rising and Brian Webber — will share their thoughts on the topic of the day. So check back each day to catch one final look back at a memorable year in tennis.

TO CONTINUE OUR YEAR IN REVIEW, WE ASK . . . WHAT WAS THE DEFINING IMAGE OF 2010?

Francesca Schiavone of Italy kisses the court to celebrate winning championship point at the French Open.

Clive Brunskill

CRONIN: Rafael Nadal winning the U.S. Open. So many analysts believed Nadal would go the way of the legendary Bjorn Borg at the U.S. Open: never able to adjust to the zany confines of New York and that he would end his career without America's biggest trophy. But Nadal sped up his attack and joyfully outfought Novak Djokovic for the title, becoming only the seventh man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Now the Spaniard can focus on an even tougher goal: to become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four straight majors.

EVANS: Delirious Serbs getting on-court haircuts after beating France to win the Davis Cup takes some beating as a memorable image for 2010, but for me something else took place a few weeks earlier at the U.S. Open that was just as original and rather more significant in the greater scheme of things.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium holds the U.S. Open championship trophy as she celebrates with her daughter Jada.

Nick Laham

The U.N. Ambassadors of India and Pakistan – two nations whose borders bristle with nuclear weapons pointing at each other – turned up at Flushing Meadows and were happy to sit, side-by-side, chatting away while watching a tennis match.

They were there because Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan and Rohan Bopanna of India had ignored politics, defied convention and, in an act of no little daring, decided to play doubles together. It took them a while, but at this year’s U.S. Open they played well enough to reach their first Grand Slam final and throw a well-deserved spotlight on their achievement.

“We want to show that sport can reach across borders,” said the articulate Qureshi.

They succeeded and so gave tennis its proudest image of 2010.

WEBBER: Francesca Schiavone kissing the red clay at Roland Garros after her improbable victory over Samantha Stosur. Schiavone became the first Italian woman to capture a Grand Slam singles title and celebrated the win with pure jubilation. The veteran, 29 at the time of her victory, earned that smooch of the terre battue by using guts and guile to defeat the heavily favored Aussie. Schiavone had to brush clay off her face as she made her way to the stands to celebrate with her family and friends. Too much of professional sports has become pre-packaged and choreographed. This was a moment of unbridled joy.

RISING: Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open. Much like Drew Brees holding his toddler son after the Saints’ Super Bowl victory tugged at my heartstrings, the image I will take away is Mama Kim Clijsters holding little Jada at Arthur Ashe Stadium after securing her second straight U.S. Open title. Granted, she played in a rather diluted field, but to come back after time off to have a child and win not one, but two major titles is quite an accomplishment. And bringing her baby front and center showed the world what, or rather who, motivates her.

PIERCE: Nadal winning the U.S. Open. We've seen his trademark celebratory collapse after winning big tournaments plenty of times before, but never in New York. The entire 2010 season seemed to hinge on the big question, "Will Rafa complete the Career Slam?" When we look back on this year in tennis, that will always be a sight we remember.

Richard Evans and Matt Cronin are tennis writers for FOXSports.com. Brian Webber is a frequent contributor to FOXSports.com's tennis coverage. Addie Rising and Zack Pierce are tennis editors for FOXSports.com.