Juan Martin del Potro's thriller tops 2016 tennis matches of the year

— -- From the first major event of the season, in Australia, to the final weekend of the year, the pool of barn-burning matches did not lack.

Here are our top 10 matches of 2016:

1. Juan Martin del Potro def. Andy Murray 6-4, 5-7, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, Davis Cup semifinals

A few weeks after their Rio de Janeiro classic, del Potro met Murray again, this time in Glasgow for a Davis Cup tie. This match provided a running time in excess of five hours and also a different ending with del Potro as the victor. The win was merely a harbinger for del Potro, who carried his magic into the Davis Cup final in late November, where he memorably beat Marin Cilic in a hair-raising 6-7(4), 2-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-3 win, which was just seven minutes shy of five hours.

2. Petra Kvitova def. Angelique Kerber 6-7 (10), 7-5, 6-4, Wuhan Open third round

All you need to know about this match was the epic, lung-busting 41-shot rally that in the end was only a sample of their 3-hour, 20-minute match. Kvitova had no fear all day long, bringing it to the newly minted world No. 1. It was a promising showing from Kvitova, who played with little consistency all year long.

3. Roger Federer def. Marin Cilic 6-7(4), 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(9), 6-3, Wimbledon quarterfinals

Federer called this one epic as he came back from two sets down, including saving three match points along the way, to defeat Cilic in their Wimbledon quarterfinal. "I'm probably going to look back on this as being a great, great match that I played in my career, on Centre Court at Wimbledon," Federer said to the press afterward. "This is huge for me, my season, my career." It was the 10th time Federer had come back from a two-set deficit.

4. Angelique Kerber def. Serena Williams 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, Australian Open final

What better way to win a first Grand Slam title than to defeat Serena in the final? And to do so with great power and poise, which also prevented Williams from drawing level with Steffi Graf's 22 majors. Well, that's exactly how this year's three-set Australian Open final played out for Germany's Kerber, who was left with "goosebumps." "My whole life, I've worked hard," she told the press afterward. "To say, 'I am a Grand Slam champion' is crazy."

5. Andy Murray def. Milos Raonic 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(9), ATP World Tour Finals semifinals

Murray's talent as an escapologist was apparent when saving a match point in his semifinal against Raonic in London. At 3 hours, 38 minutes, it was the longest-ever three-set match in the history of the tournament (extending a record Murray had just set only days earlier when taking 3 hours, 20 minutes to defeat Kei Nishikori in the group stages). This was a victory freighted with significance as it propelled Murray into the finals, where'd he'd beat Novak Djokovic to clinch the year-end No. 1.

6. Andy Murray def. Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5, Rio Olympics final

Murray's four-set, four-hour victory against del Potro in the Olympic final will be remembered for the brutal rallies. Murray had never played "a harder match to win a big title," and del Potro was so physically spent that he felt dizzy and close to passing out. Body parts were dropping off; the Argentine said he left the last of his toenails on the court.

7. Karolina Pliskova def. Venus Williams 4-6 6-4 7-6 (3), US Open fourth round

At 36 years old, Williams had a point to become the oldest Grand Slam quarterfinalist since 1994. "And I really played the perfect point, but she managed to stay alive," Williams said after losing to Pliskova. The Czech would go on to defeat Venus' younger sister, Serena, in the semifinal before finishing as the runner-up to Angelique Kerber.

8. Dominika Cibulkova def. Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 5-7, 9-7, Wimbledon fourth round

Cibulkova's three-hour win against Radwanska at the All England Club was "the toughest match" of her career. It might also have been among the most satisfying. Cibulkova saved a match point and ultimately reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time.

9. Nick Kyrgios def. Dustin Brown 6-7 (7), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, Wimbledon second round

Kyrgios had promised "a circus" before his second-round match at Wimbledon against his friend Brown, with each playing an exciting and flamboyant brand of tennis. And a circus was what we got. In their own way, both brought some chaos and disorder to the grass. Kyrgios' five-set victory was not without incident. He was given a code violation for swearing and let it be known he thought some of umpire Jake Garner's decisions had been "horrendous."

10. Stan Wawrinka def. Dan Evans 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (8), 6-2, US Open third round

Evans fittingly called the loss "just a bit of a heartbreaker." Evans, ranked No. 63, had a match point against Wawrinka but failed to capitalize in the fourth-set tiebreaker. Wawrinka dodged defeat and would go on to win the title for the first time.