Sky Sports continues its countdown of the top sporting moments of the decade with a look at numbers 70-61.
We continue countdown of the decade's top sporting moments
The first decade of the 21st Century has served up its fair share of sporting drama and historic moments.
With the final days of the Noughties ticking away, we at Sky Sports decided it was time to cast our minds back over the last ten years and look at the most memorable sporting moments.
We asked all at Sky Sports to submit their finest sporting memories and have narrowed them down to 100.
Over the next few days we will be counting down from 100 to number one and will reveal Sky Sports' top ten moments on New Year's Eve.
Today we continue our look back at the last decade by unveiling the choices from 70 down to 61.
70: Nadal v Verdasco 2009 Australian Open semi-final
The clash between the two Spaniards was the longest match (5hrs 11mins) in the history of the Australian Open and also one of the best. Nadal eventually triumphed 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(2) 6-7(1) 6-4 despite an incredible 95 winners from Verdasco. The Spaniard went on to beat Roger Federer in another five-setter in the final to claim his sixth Grand Slam title and his first on a hard court. But to date it is also his last major title.
69: Amberleigh House wins Grand National
The name Ginger McCain will forever be linked with the Grand National after he trained the legendary Red Rum to win the race three times in the 1970s. McCain had not saddled a runner with a serious chance thereafter until the veteran Amberleigh House faced the big fences for the first time in 2004. Sent off at 16-1, the 12-year-old got a long way behind but, like Red Rum 31 years before him, made relentless progress on the final circuit to lead on the run-in and provide McCain with a belated fourth win.
68: Wales win the Grand Slam 2008
In 2005, Wales won their first Grand Slam for 27 years. However, momentum was not sustained and after they failed to progress beyond the pool stages at the 2007 World Cup, coach Gareth Jenkins was replaced by Warren Gatland. With Shaun Edwards also on board as defence coach, Gatland had a matter of weeks to prepare for the Six Nations but the Kiwi made a spectacular bow when his side beat England 26-19 at Twickenham - their first win there for 20 years. The Grand Slam was duly achieved against France, a match which saw wing wizard Shane Williams touch down for the sixth time in the tournament to become Wales' record tryscorer.
67: Mark Butcher 173no, Headingley, 2001
The summer of 2001 was not a vintage one for English cricket, unless your name was Mark Butcher of course. Butcher had been in-and-out of the Test side since his debut four years earlier and only earned a recall for the 2001 Ashes series due to an injury crisis - he was the option of last resort in the selectors' minds and was even asked to fill England's problem number three position despite having been an opener throughout his career to that point. He responded in some style, blazing 173 off 227 balls to lead England to a victory target of 315 on a difficult Headingley wicket in the fourth Test against a bowling attack consisting of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Shane Warne. England lost the series 4-1, albeit to one of the finest touring sides ever to visit. Butcher, meanwhile, went on to a very respectable Test career, finishing with 71 caps and more than 4,000 runs - although he never again hit the heights of that sun-drenched Monday in Leeds.
66: Amir Khan Ko'd by Prescott
Blink and you'll have missed it. British golden boy Amir Khan knocked out in just 54 seconds by hard-hitting Colombian Breidis Prescott. September 8, 2008 is definitely a day Khan will want to forget, the Olympic silver medallist knocked to the canvas twice before the referee waved his arms amidst stunned silence inside the MEN Arena. Bolton's finest has been unbeaten since that fateful night, a night which saw his 18-fight undefeated record sensationally brought to an end. And stunningly, little-known Prescott did it in fewer punches than he's had fights, without even breaking sweat. Such an outcome was 100/1 before the fight.
65: Kim Clijsters wins the US Open 2009
Belgium's Kim Clijsters completed one of the great sporting comebacks in 2009 when she returned to the court after a two-year break to storm to US Open glory. After retiring from the WTA Tour in April 2007 to start a family, a revitalised Clijsters shocked the world by claiming her second Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows - seeing off both Venus and Serena Williams en route to glory. Whilst lifting the title, Clijsters also became the first mum to win a Grand Slam since Evonne Goolagong at Wimbledon in 1980.
64: Christine Ohuruogu's 400m world championship gold
Great Britain's 400m queen Christine Ohuruogu marked her return to competitive action after a 12-month ban by snatching gold at the 2007 World Championships. The result was the perfect repost for Ohuruogu, who had appealed in vain for her ban, given after she missed three out-of-competition drugs tests, to be overturned. Her breathtaking victory in Osaka came less than 24 days after her sentence was complete - the feat made even more remarkable considering she had only ran five competitive races before the final since her suspension. The gold medal achieved was Great Britain's solitary success at the Championships.
63: Padraig Harrington wins his first Open
Harrington became Europe's first Major winner in some eight years when he won at Carnoustie in 2007, overcoming Sergio Garcia in a play-off having earlier almost thrown it all away after plonking two balls in the Barry Burn. The victory duly placed the Dubliner ahead of Montgomerie, Westwood et al and was fair reward after years spent there or thereabouts. At the time, however, few would have expected him to repeat the feat 12 months on at Muirfield but Harrington did just that - and this time demonstrated to rivals he was in complete control by sending a five-wood to within three feet of the 17th hole in his final round. A third major came just weeks later in the USPGA Championship - not a bad year for a player who admitted he would have been content as a journeyman pro.
62: Gold for Denise Lewis, Sydney, 2000
Denise Lewis battled through the pain to take gold in the heptathlon at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Lewis sat third after the opening day but, aided by strong displays in the long jump and javelin to start day two, was in top spot going into the final event, the 800m. Despite a heavily strapped left leg, Lewis did enough to hold on for gold and become the first British woman since Sally Gunnell eight years earlier to win an Olympic title.
61: Michael Owen's derby winner against Manchester City 2009
If any Manchester United fan still had any lingering doubts about signing an ex-Liverpool hero it quickly vanished when Michael Owen scored a last-gasp winner against neighbours Manchester City. In one of the most thrilling derbies in recent times, City looked to have stolen a share of the spoils when Craig Bellamy pounced on a Rio Ferdinand error to make the scores 3-3 on 90 minutes. However, with referee Martin Atkinson deciding to play an extra minute of added on time, Ryan Giggs picked out Owen and the striker coolly slotted home with the clock reading 96 minutes.
Missed the earlier parts of the Sky Sports Hot 100? Then click here to see numbers 100-91 and here for numbers 90-81. You can access numbers 80-71
here
What was your favourite sporting moment of the last ten years? Let us know using the form below
