Biggest sporting upsets in 2022

Another year has flown by in the blink of an eye, with 2022 set to arrive at its conclusion in a few days’ time, and boy has the year been one to remember from the sporting perspective.

Sport took a major hit in the year 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and was slowly limping back to normalcy the following year. The year 2022 however, witnessed a majority of events take place without a hitch as far as COVID was concerned, except perhaps an event or two in China.

Additionally, few years in recent memory have witnessed the rise of underdogs as well as giant-killing acts the way 2022 did across important multi-nation tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the T20 World Cup.

As the year draws to a close, we take a look at 10 of the biggest upsets of the year across sport:

Saudi Arabia defeating Argentina (FIFA World Cup)

Argentina certainly have lived up to their favourites billing by reaching the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on the back of an inspired run led by the talismanic Lionel Messi and rising star Julian Alvarez. But La Albiceleste did stare at the prospect of an early flight back home after suffering a shock 1-2 loss at the hands of the relatively unfancied Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the tournament.

Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Argentina during the FIFA World Cup at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar. AP

Messi put the two-time world champions ahead with a 10th minute penalty and the Argentines went into the break with the lead, only for the Falcons to come out firing on all guns right after. Saleh Alshehri and Salem Aldawsari scored in a space of five minutes a few minutes into the second half, and Saudi Arabia put every ounce of their strength into defending their one-goal lead till the fulltime whistle, resulting in one of the most famous upsets in the tournament’s history.

Zimbabwe beating Pakistan (T20 World Cup)

There was plenty of off-field banter going on in the build-up to the Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Group 2 clash in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup, thanks to one Zimbabwean Twitter user accusing the South Asian nation of sending a fake ‘Mr Bean’ for an event in Harare and promising revenge on behalf of the Craig Ervine-led side for the same.

The Zimbabwean players celebrate their one-run victory over Pakistan in their T20 World Cup Group 2 encounter in Perth. AFP

The Chevrons would exact ‘revenge’ in the end as they would go on to stun the 2009 T20 world champions by one run in one of the most pulsating cricketing encounters of the year. Vital contributions from Sean Williams (31) and Brad Evans (19) helped the side finish on 130/8, not very high a score but one that could be defended nevertheless.

And defend they did in the end as Pakistan, cruising at 88/3 at one stage, lost wickets in a heap in the middle overs with Sikandar Raza (3/25) and Evans (2/25) playing a key role in the collapse, the latter bowling a heroic final over.

Netherlands beating South Africa (T20 World Cup)

Few would have expected Netherlands to land the knockout blow on South Africa, a team that had widely been expected to cruise into the knockouts despite a defeat against Pakistan in the preceding game. Then again, the T20 World Cup was a tournament of upsets where no team could be taken lightly despite the opponents’ stature.

Mirroring their heartbreaking semi-final loss to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup in which Johannesburg-born Grant Elliott hit the winning six off Dale Steyn, it was the the South African-born trio of Colin Ackermann (41 not out), Brandon Glover (3/9) and Roelof van der Merwe (catch to dismiss David Miller) who played a central role in the shock 13-run victory over their more fancied opponents. Ackermann’s 26-ball knock helped the Dutchmen post 158/4 and Glover’s three-wicket haul contained the important wickets of Rilee Rossouw and Miller.

But it was van der Merwe’s outstanding effort to dismiss Miller, taking a catch running in the opposite direction from short fine leg, that truly turned the game on its head.

Japan beating Spain and Germany in same group (FIFA World Cup)

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be remembered as one of the most unpredictable editions of what is perhaps the biggest sporting event after the Olympics. And few things highlight this point more prominently than Japan topping a group comprising former world champions Spain and Germany with the latter suffering a second consecutive first-round exit.

And their victories over the two European powerhouses was identical, in that the Samurai Blue would concede a goal in the first half, only to bounce back in the second with two goals. It was a pair of substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano who scored in a space of eight minutes late into the second half to undo Ilkay Gundogan’s 33rd minute penalty in their opening clash against Germany.

Japan finished Group E as winners. AP

A 0-1 defeat against Costa Rica would put them under pressure, leaving them needing a win against La Roja to go through, a prospect which appeared unlikely after Alvaro Morata’s 11th-minute strike. Doan, however, would pull off yet another Super-Sub act as he helped the four-time Asian champions equalise shortly after halftime (48’), with Ao Tanaka putting them ahead just three minutes later, helping Hajime Moriyasu’s side finish top of Group E.

India winning gold in women’s fours lawn bowls competition (Commonwealth Games)

India managed to grab the fourth spot at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games medal table with a total of 61 medals, including 22 gold, finishing ahead of nations such as New Zealand and Scotland. One of the 22 gold medals however, came from a sport that had little Indian participation in the past — Lawn Bowls.

Commonwealth Games: India beat South Africa to win their maiden gold medal in Lawn Bowls. Image: SonyLiv

Not only would India punch above its weight in the women’s four section of lawn bowls in Birmingham, they would end up surprising many a follower of the sport by finishing atop the podium in the end. After their victory over New Zealand, the Indian quartet of Lovely Choubey, Pinki, Nayanmoni Saikia and Rupa Rani Tirkey would overcome a stutter midway through the gold medal clash against South Africa to pull off a 17-10 win and confirm the yellow metal for themselves. That wasn’t all for India in lawn bowls though, as they would later win silver in the men’s four event as well.

Namibia beating Sri Lanka (T20 World Cup)

The 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia will be remembered for some shocking upsets, and stunning finishes. Right from the first match up until the final, there was plenty of action on the field, and several off it, and needless to say, there were those frustrating rain interruptions too.

The tournament opener in itself provided a shocking result, when Namibia faced Sri Lanka in a Group A match in Geelong.

Sri Lanka had won the toss and chosen to field. They got off to a good start, with Dushmantha Chameera, Pramod Madushan, and Chamika Karunaratne removing Michael van Lingen, Divan la Cock and Loftie-Eaton inside the powerplay overs.

Stephan Baard and Gerhard Erasmus then forged a 41-run stand for the fourth wicket before the latter departed, but it was a 69-run stand between Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit for the eighth wicket that helped Namibia post 163/7.

Sri Lanka needed 164 runs to win, and they got off to a worst possible start, losing Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka inside the powerplay phase.

It was a combined effort from the Namibians to see off Sri Lanka for 108 and script a memorable 55-run win. David Wiese, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo and Jan Frylinck all picked two wickets, while JJ Smit scalped one.

HS Prannoy stuns Viktor Axelsen (BWF World Tour Finals)

HS Prannoy, earlier in December, scripted a scintillating come-from-behind victory over Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in a BWF World Tour Finals match in Bangkok. This was just Prannoy’s second win over Axelsen in seven meetings.

Axelsen had cruised to a 11-7 lead in the opening game, and Prannoy responded with seven more points, but that wasn’t enough as Axelsen sealed the first game 21-14.

At 20-15 in favour of Prannoy in the second game, the Indian failed to seal the second game after playing a crosscourt smash, but it wasn’t long until Prannoy won the second game 21-17.

In the third game, Prannoy took a 4-2 lead early on, but Axelsen fought back to make it 11-10, the scoreline still in favour of Prannoy. From 18-18, Prannoy then went onto win the game 21-18, and eventually the contest.

Satwik-Chirag stun Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi (French Open)

The Indian men’s duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have had a dream year. They won the Thomas Cup with India, Indian Open Super 500 title, Commonwealth Games gold and a bronze in the World Championships in August.

They also won the French Open Super 750, in a tournament where they stunned Japanese pair of Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.

It was a quarter-final clash in France, and Satwik-Chirag faced a stiff challenge against the Japanese. They were leading 20-16 in the first game, but Satwik-Chirag had to hold their nerve to win the first game 23-21.

In the second game, it was yet another example of resilience as from 16-18 down, the Indian duo would go on to win five successive points and seal the second game 21-18 to win the match.

Daniel Galan upsets Stefanos Tsistipas (US Open)

World number four Stefanos Tsistipas was up against qualifier Daniel Galan in the first round of US Open 2022 at Flushing Meadows, but the Greek was stunned in an epic showdown.

Galan beat Tsitsipas 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5, clinching the match on the ninth match point.

Galan claimed the first 11 games of the match before Tsitsipas hit back with one. Tsitsipas though had only won five of his serve points in the first set.

Tsitstipas fought hard to win the third set 6-3, and despite some gritty efforts in the fourth set, the Colombian waled away with a 7-5 win in the fourth set, and eventually a memorable career victory.

Frances Tiafoe beats Rafael Nadal (US Open)

US Open 2022 produced yet another stunning upset when American Frances Tiafoe shocked Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the year’s final Grand Slam in September.

Nadal had managed to win just one set, and Tiafoe walked away with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 scoreline at Flushing Meadows.

Tiafore became the third American to beat Nadal at a Grand Slam major, with Andy Roddick and James Blake being the others to do so.

This year, Nadal had clinched the Australian Open and French Open, and reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, where he pulled out of the match against eventual runner-up Nick Kyrgios due to an injury.

Nadal was doubtful to take part in the US Open after sustaining that injury, but he eventually made the decision to play in the year’s final Grand Slam. The injury hampered Nadal’s second half of the season in a big way, but Nadal recently said that he would ‘die to reach his usual level’.

“I don’t know if I going to reach that level again. But what I don’t have any doubt is that I (am) going to die for it,” the King of Clay had said in November.

Click here for more stories in ‘2022’ Rewind’ series

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