2009 has been a wonderful year for sport, packed full of special moments; here Eurosport-Yahoo! selects 10 of the best, in no particular order.

Didier Drogba’s live TV rant
“It’s a f***king disgrace!” Wild-eyed and wagging an accusatory finger, this was the moment the Chelsea striker lost the plot completely – and kept millions of television viewers entertained well after the final whistle.

A rather frustrated Drogba had been incensed by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo’s failure to award Chelsea any one of four decent penalty appeals in a thrilling Champions League semifinal defeat to eventual winners Barcelona. He was slapped with a six-game ban and shamefully, the game will be remembered for his rant, rather than a superb late equaliser by Andres Iniesta that settled the tie.

Manny Pacquiao’s left hook floors Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton travelled to Las Vegas in May with high hopes of an upset in his IBO light-welterweight world title fight at the MGM Grand. In reality, he lasted just two rounds, succumbing to an imperious left hook of such immense power that he ended the night in hospital. Hatton had already been knocked down twice in the first round before Pacquiao’s huge left pole-axed the Mancunian fighter, who was counted out with one second remaining in the round. Defeat cast serious doubts over Hatton’s future in the ring, while victory for Pacquiao confirmed the Filipino’s status as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Usain Bolt’s golden double
The greatest sprinter of all-time? That is still open to debate, but the Jamaican’s incredible performance at the World Championships confirmed his status as the fastest man on the planet. ‘Lightning’ Bolt claimed 100m gold in 9.58 seconds in Berlin, stretching those long legs of his to smash his own previous world record with apparent ease. For good measure, the Jamaican went on to win the 200m by a country mile – and break another of his own records.

Tom Williams fakes injury
A bloody mouth and a knowing wink during Harlequins’ Heineken Cup quarterfinal against Leinster in April seemed innocuous enough at the time, but when Tom Williams was later ousted as a cheat, the rugby world was shocked to its core. Williams, on orders from his club, had faked the injury by biting into a blood capsule bought earlier at a south London joke shop. But this was no laughing matter and the ensuing investigation found Williams guilty, sentencing him to a six-month suspension, while Quins’ director of rugby Dean Richards was handed a hefty three-year ban from all rugby. The careers of the club’s then-medical team have also been put in jeopardy.

Andrew Flintoff runs out Ricky Ponting
Unlike 2005, England’s talisman failed to set alight this year’s Ashes series – it was always going to be difficult considering the injuries he was carrying – but one brilliant cameo in his final Test stood out. At 217-2, with Australia threatening to get back into the game, Mike Hussey pushed to the onside and called a single. But he had not counted on Flintoff, who scooped up the ball and threw down the stumps in one glorious movement to run-out Ponting and set England on their way to a series-clinching victory. Cue Fred’s now famous celebration, legs wide apart, arms in the air, smile on his face and chewing gum.

Rafa Nadal’s reign ends at Roland Garros
Nadal, the undisputed king of Roland Garros who had never lost in Paris going into the fourth-round encounter with unfancied Robin Soderling, was brought down to earth with a bump in one of the great tennis upsets of all-time. The world number one’s incredible 31-match-winning run at the tournament was ended by the 23rd seeded Swede, who played the game of his life to win 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-2). Nadal has since slipped to number two in the world rankings, while Soderling beat him for a second time this year at the ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Denis Menchov slips on the cobbles
Three weeks and 2 146 miles of cycling had been and gone before Menchov served up the most dramatic ending to the race with just 900 yards to go. The overall leader was in sight of the finish line at Rome’s Coloseum in the final individual time trial, but as he closed in on securing a famous victory his bike skidded on the rain-slicked cobblestones and he tumbled to the floor. Cue a moment of sheer panic as the thought of falling at the last no doubt entered the Russian’s mind. But he held it together to jump on to a spare bike and gingerly complete the course, still 41 seconds ahead of nearest rival Daniele Di Luca.

Felipe Massa’s horror crash
The inherent danger of Formula One was brought into sharp focus once again at the Hungarian Grand Prix in July when Ferrari driver Massa was struck on the head by a bouncing suspension spring from Rubens Barrichello’s car. Massa veered into a crash barrier before being airlifted to hospital in Budapest where he underwent surgery to his left eye. His condition was described as life-threatening but stable. Fortunately Massa has since recovered and is expected to continue racing, but the damage sustained to his helmet served as a poignant reminder of the risks drivers face on the track.

Thierry Henry’s handball
Rarely has a sporting superstar experienced a more spectacular fall from grace or rapid decline in popularity than the France striker following his blatant handball during the World Cup qualifying play-off against the Republic of Ireland. Against the odds, the Irish had scored at the Stade de France, forcing extra-time, but with penalties on the horizon, Henry controlled a cross with his hand, twice for good measure, before setting up William Gallas to net the decisive goal. It was over in a split second, but the fallout lasted weeks with Henry widely branded a cheat and the Irish FA unsuccessfully asking for a replay and then for a place at the World Cup as a 33rd team.

Tom Watson falls to pieces
After four amazing days at Turnberry, the unthinkable seemed about to happen: Tom Watson, at the age of 59, was about to win a record-equalling sixth Open Championship. But when his good-looking approach to the final green ran just through the back the veteran yipped unmistakably, ending up in a tie with Stewart Cink.

The magic spell that had been cast over the week was shattered as Watson collapsed in the play-off, and sport was robbed of perhaps its greatest fairytale of all-time.