What a match!! I could see them going on playing for another 3 hours or more locked in a match until one of them collapsed in exhaustion. Unbelievable. Both great champions.

Sean,
Am I the only one to say this, “My only hope at this point is that the match does not conclude in straight sets or 4 sets. I will enjoy most if the match is decided in the 5th set tie break, preferably going beyond 14 games.” ? (quote from my last night’s post).
Are we too partisan here to hope for the victory in 3 or 4 sets? Can we not hold back our partisanship to enjoy the match to its optimum level?

I did exactly just that. And I feel the luckiest today to be graced with the best ever Grand Slam Final. Every Grand Slam should be like this, no matter who we support.

“Well that was worth it, wasn’t. Rafael Nadal trumps Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(1), 9-7″

You got that score wrong. The 4th set tie break was won (10-8). Nadal had two championship points in that tiebreak, and Federer pulled some very courageous shots that could have done him in, but being the champion he is, he made them when it counted.

Once again, what I saw was exactly what I expected to see.. Federer’s serve getting him out of many sticky situations. And I always knew that if a tiebreak was played, Federer would definately win it. Nadal had to work so hard to create opportunities on Fed’s serve, and Fed just mercilessly snuffed them out with big serves.

The match was very close, they both won about the same number of points, but the points Nadal won, he had to fight hard for. He had about half a dozen aces, Fed had over 2 dozen, and much more unreturnable serves than Rafa.

Something else I learnt is that as tough mentally as Rafa is, he showed that he’s still human. I would rate mental toughness for Rafa and Fed to be about even. What’s really telling is the courage that Fed shows when he is down break points or match points and he is unable to conjure the aces. He isn’t afraid to go for very tough shots, and he makes them.

I am very surprised Rafa didn’t cry after winning that, because Fed definately would have.

a year ago I mentioned in one of the world’s top websitesin that RN would win Wimbledon before RF ever won Roland Garros. I also said that Rafa’s physical characteristics were much more ajusted to “fast court” than to “land”. Luckily I was right..

nadal did cry but they didn’t show much of it. roger started to cry with mcenroe but he ended the interview.

so close! you gotta hand it to nadal for being such a ‘mensch’. if there was anyone else that i would have liked to have win, it’s him. broken only once! amazing.

man, that was tight. without the tie break though, some one has to blink.

yeah roger and rafa!!!

Rafa did cry, JCF. He was sobbing his eyes out for awhile.

These two played so absolutely brilliantly. I’m pleased for Rafa in many ways, not least of all because he can put the “clay court specialist” label behind him. And for anybody that’s been doubting Federer’s ability to play exceptional tennis anymore, I feel that he’s dispelled that notion today even though he didn’t come out on top in the end. He lost as only a true champion could.

Yeah, the hardest fought match and one of the best matches ever.
The most defining characteristics of these guys: their mental toughness, it’s not a coincidence that the top two players in the sport are the two mentally toughest players.
Djokovic still has a long way to go until he reach their level.

wow unbelievable, you cannot do a match analysis after that. It kinda makes us all wish we were that mentally strong during a match. Umm yeah Fed had his chances but incredible consistency and risks from Rafa. I think with his “developing” big serve he will be able to win points earlier and save his body physically in the long run. How many players can actually evolve from the typical clay courter paradigm and out do the field on grass? Truly amazing! This guy is a chameleon and can adapt to to a nuclear strike…he would be the only one standing with the cockroachaes. I think the U.S. Open may be won already…why not take this a step further and transition to the harcourts.

“For Nadal, who the hell knows. I won’t go into his future – I’m still digesting this win! But most players having failed to convert two matchpoints in that third set tiebreak would have crumbled against the mighty Fed in such situation. And then the fourth set break as well, and Nadal still holds mentally. Full credit to Nadal, he’s the best right now and mentally there’s just no one near him.”

The match points came in the 4th set not 3rd. I can’t remember if it was set 3 or 4, but Rafa had 0-40 on Federer’s serve, and Fed snuffed them all out with big 1st serves.

As for mental toughness, I agree he is up there, but 5-2 in the breaker with two serves to come, he choked. He hit a very weak double fault, and you could tell it was nerves. What is really impressive however, is the way he put all that behind him in the 5th set and didn’t rue missed opportunities. That would have killed him. But he focussed on the task at hand and worked on coming back to win. The writing appeared on the wall, and everyone would have expected Nadal to be distraught and go away, having blew two CP’s. A lesser player would have given up, and be forgiven for it. Not Rafa.

“For Federer, amazing that he could withstand the barrage and stay on song even in the most dire of circumstances. Down two sets, 3-all and love-40 Fed forged onward, saved the breakpoints and battled till the end. I can’t count the number of big serves the Swiss came up with when his back was against the wall.”

Fed was also lucky for the first rain delay, which gave him a chance to regroup, because he was a couple of games away from being bundled out in straight sets. I think the second rain delay helped Rafa though.

I have to say, congratulations to Rafa. You’re only the 2nd spaniard to ever win Wimbledon, which would have sounded laughable to anyone who even thought a few years ago that he could do it. Now no one can use the excuse that Rafa can’t win on anything outside of clay. Say what you want about the pace of the court, but the fact remains that Rafa was the only man to be able to beat the one guy that no one else has been able to beat for 5 years. He is well and truly the 2nd best grass courter at the moment, and he trumps even Roddick and Hewitt who only managed to win one set each off Federer in 3 attempts.

The ungracious are going to say that the slowing of the court is what helped him win, but I’m not buying it. Why couldn’t anyone else beat Federer the last 5 years? You cannot tell me that Rafa is the only player to benefit from slow courts, and you cannot tell me that Wimbledon is as slow as Roland Garros.

Last year’s final was a heartbreaker for Rafa, and this year it is no doubt a heartbreaker for Fed. I think they’re even now (Rafa did not deserve to win it in 06).

I can only hope this rivalry will continue, and even if Rafa doesn’t win anything in the second half of the year, this is still the best season he’s ever had (not since 1980 has a player won two slams within a month, and Rafa won a tournament straight after RG in between). However, assuming he stays healthy, he is my pick for the US Open.

JCF, thanks for the corrections - can I blame pure shock at what i witnessed?

I must say it was kind of tough to watch Federer after his interview with Johnny Mac…Ive never seen him so down after a loss. I think the mental struggle between himself and Nadal really took a turn when, during their match, last year…during the changeover…he was complaining about the shot spot and said “it’s killing me”…you could here the fear in his voice…fear which he has never shown before. But hes a great champion and this loss is only going to strengthen his resolve to kick Rafa’s butt at the US Open if Rafa dares to challenge him there.

Wit this victory federer can say goodbye to wimbledon from now on.Nadal will be in his head and even if fed reaches the final it’ll always be what we see in the french open.

With rafa wat he has shown is the first thing we need in men’s tennis right now is physical fitness.Everything else can be made later on.If you dont have the physique then stay home.

Yes, I don’t think you can use the court argument here. Did it affect them, of course, but there are certain players that are so great that they do what they shouldn’t and are not expected to do. Really shots and court and crowd, in my opinion, did not decide the outcome of the match. This was a battle of the intangibles, the will to win, the heart to comeback, their guts, their mind, their mental toughness. This was a match that happened between both players’ shoulders.

For U.S open, I still have Federer as a slight slight favorite in front of Nadal, who I have as even with Djokovic. Nadal has yet to prove himself on the hardcourts but the way this season is going, he may just take the last slam, and maybe even complete a calendar slam by next year.

“As for mental toughness, I agree he is up there, but 5-2 in the breaker with two serves to come, he choked. He hit a very weak double fault, and you could tell it was nerves. What is really impressive however, is the way he put all that behind him in the 5th set and didn’t rue missed opportunities. That would have killed him. But he focussed on the task at hand and worked on coming back to win. The writing appeared on the wall, and everyone would have expected Nadal to be distraught and go away, having blew two CP’s. A lesser player would have given up, and be forgiven for it. Not Rafa.”

Looking at Nadal’s body language in the 5th set compared to Federer’s, it looked like Nadal was done. Fed was more confident and relaxed, and Nadal looked like he was pissed off, as though he didn’t care anymore and that he was willing to throw away the match because he came so close to victory and failed, like a weaker player would after squandering match points for a straight sets win. Fed looked the fresher of the two, carried the momentum, and looked the likely winner, but somehow a close game here and there on Fed’s serve reignited Rafa, and how thankful that it did!

Regardless of who was to win that match, I think both are equally deserving champions. With the key thing being that if Nadal were to have lost, the media and critics would brand him a choker, however, no one can call Fed a choker or mentally weak player in losing today. He had the mettle, and so did the other guy.. unfortunately someone had to win. Nadal should be very relieved that the 5th set had no tie breakers. It would mean that Fed would have to break his serve, and he hadn’t had good success at doing that today. If it did go to a tiebreak like at the US Open, there is no doubt in my mind that Federer would be champion for the 6th time.

I wasn’t really suprised at Federer or Nadal crying/tearing after the match. Who the hell wouldn’t after losing/winning a match for the ages. Both players are tired physically, and more importantly, absolutely mentally exhausted. Think of the pressure and how composed they had to be during the match, then the release afterwards when they win/lose after how much they put into the match.

Neither was a choker today. I don’t think either can ever be branded a choker in their lives after today, even if they do slip up in a match in the future.
Those two guys are the exact opposite of chokers.

Rafa is a guy who can really -sorry to use another cliche here, but it’s true - “stay in the moment”. He didn’t let those missed chances get to him, and I am sure he was well aware that he choked a few away. He shows incredible focus, just incredible. And not only that, he has to commended for his work ethic. Rafa just continues to improve, even after winning and winning and winning. He never rests on his laurels. And that’s why we can be pretty sure he’ll be bringing it to hardcourts next - vamos Rafa! Bring it on!

We will have to see how Canada and Cincy develop to put Nadal as a contender for the US Open. The way I see it the rankings will only change after US Open, since Fed and Nadal have points to defend in Canada. After that, Fed has to win Cincy or, if he wins Canada he can loose eralier in Cincy, but he has to win US open, it will be the key, along with the 4 reamining MS.

I can’t see Fed holding number one without a Slam, unless Nadal doesn’t win a Masters Series to the end of the year.

Btw anyone knows if Rafa will play stutgart next week?!

blah,

“Those two guys are the exact opposite of chokers.”

Very succinctly put.

“Neither was a choker today. I don’t think either can ever be branded a choker in their lives after today, even if they do slip up in a match in the future.
Those two guys are the exact opposite of chokers.”

Yes I know. But if Nadal had lost, his critics would say he had the match on his racquet (5-2 in tie break with two serves to come, plus later manufacturing two match points on his own serve). To snatch defeat from the jaws of victory is the most painful thing you can do in sport. It’s worse than being white washed. He’d be second guessing this match for a very long time — he’ll be thinking about it in his shower years later as the one that got away. Even if his fans could forgive him, could he forgive himself? A chance to make history… making it to the finish line against the best player of the last 4 years, and falling at the last hurdle.

It took sheer will to come back after that 4th set, and I go as far as saying that 99% of players out there would not have come back from that disaster. Forget the fact that it’s Roger Federer on the other side. The only players I can think of that can make this kind of (mental) recovery are Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer himself. Safin maybe, as he did in AO ‘05, though he’s always a wildcard. And Justine Henin on the women’s side.

Blah, i agree that Rafa didnt choke…if he backed down in the 4th or 5th after Federer made his run that wouldve been a choke but no such thing happened…the word choke seems to be being overused around here lately for some reason…perhaps because Roddick used it erroneously to describe himself getting tight on a few key points.

That match was just the limit of what can be expected emotionally and physically from anyone in sports (including the fans!) I guess it would have been slightly tougher if one of them had lost a limb or something and played on, but geeze, that was unbelievable.

I thought it was over for Fed in the third set - and and in the fourth! And if he’d lost it either way, he’d have been crucified in the press. This way, at least, he goes down as a hero, not a loser.

But as a Fed fan, I’m still feeling pretty low right now. WAHHHHHH!

I guess Borg was right in his prediction after all; he thought Rafa would win the championship, although he did voice some doubts after watching Roger play all week; Roger did have a great Wimbledon, not losing a set until the final. However, since last year, right after Wimbledon in fact, Borg was one of the few past-champs who came out and said Rafa would win it this year. Others have joined in, predicting the same, especially after Rafa won Queen’s. But it was Borg who went out on a limb first, so far as I can tell. Good call Bjorn.

This match kind of reminds me of when Mac beat Borg the first time actually: same feeling to it.

With the wind behind him now, I believe Rafa is in good stead to crack the Grand Slam that has painfully eluded Roger. This would undoubtedly seal his reputation as the best all-surface champion since Bjorn Borg, with a level of fitness to match the supreme Swede.

Yes this going to make things very interesting indeed for the US Open. A couple of thoughts:
Will Rafa now change his schedule to focus more on hard court events? Could he be even better if he did not concede as much territory by camping out in the backhand corner ala Moya (Federer hit a boatload of forehand winners for mainly that reason)? Will he change his hardcourt game to match his adaptations on grass?

JCF: “Last year’s final was a heartbreaker for Rafa, and this year it is no doubt a heartbreaker for Fed. I think they’re even now (Rafa did not deserve to win it in 06).”

Another thing they got even on is winning streaks.

Rafa had an 82 match winning streak on clay, and an unbeaten record at clay finals, and Federer was the one to snap both streaks.

Now the reverse… Fed had about 60+ matches in a row on grass, and an unbeaten record in grasscourt finals, and Nadal returned the favor.

These two are very competitive, and the game is all the better for it. Fed played an incredible match today despite losing. Coming back from 2 sets down was everything you would have expected for him to do, not so much for other players. I think Djokovic has some distance to go before closing that gap. He is close, but mentally he isn’t quite in the same league yet.

“Blah, i agree that Rafa didnt choke…if he backed down in the 4th or 5th after Federer made his run that wouldve been a choke but no such thing happened…the word choke seems to be being overused around here lately for some reason…perhaps because Roddick used it erroneously to describe himself getting tight on a few key points.”

I used the word on the assumption that it is how he would have been perceived if he had LOST the match, which he didn’t do. He was devastated in surrendering the fourth set, but the only way you can avoid mental scars from such a crushing blow is to come back and win it. He steadied the ship and did just that. I would like to compare this to the AO ‘05 match between Fed and Safin. In the 5th set, Fed had saved at least 6-8 match points off Safin’s serve (and these were on different service games). Had Safin lost, he would be second guessing that match for a very long time. But he came back to win it, and that is the only way you can put a choke out of your system. Nadal did just that today, and no one can call him a choker, since he did win it.

It has been one of the best GrandSlam finals I have ever watched.

I have no words…..

Wimbledon is again (as it was in the past) the place of the greatest battles, where the two best players of the world face each other and fight till the end.

I really thought, after Nadal’s choke in that fourth set tie-break with 5-2 up and two serves, and two match-points lost with 7-6 and 8-7, that Federer would crush him in the fifth set.

There is no way (I thought) this guy can recover from this. He must be totally broken mentally. No way he can come back to the court and play.

But he did, he kept fighting and fighting and even though he lost many more break-points during the fifth set as well, he still kept fighting to the death, and that’s why he finally won.

Federer has fought hard too, refusing to lose in straight sets and saving many break-points with aces/service winners, and saving match-points with incredible return of serve and passing-shots.

In fact Roger played great, as he has been playing in the last two tournaments. He only got broken twice in his last 11 grass-court matches (Halle and Wimbledon) and he didn’t lose a single set in those 11 previous matches on grass.

Today he played great, but Nadal is just better than any other player Federer has faced in those 11 previous matches.

I don’t know what to say, I wanted Federer to win, but somehow I don’t feel very bad because this two guys should feel good, they have played one of the best matches of tennis history. Both them should be proud.

This final will be heard of in years to come, it will be remembered as one of the best GS finals of the history.

Congratulations to them both!!!!!

The respect I had lost for Roger at the ‘08 French Open has been totally restored. All loses I’m sure hurt, especially if you’re a true competitor. As I tensely watched both great players and the best match ever in my lifetime, I was glad to see such a wonderfully high-level of play. When shall we be treated with such greatness once more from these two? Once more? twice more? or possibly never? Though a strong supporter of Roger, I feel great: no low point for me; this is all I have ever wanted from these two….Wimbledon has emblazoned a small excerpt from Kipling’s IF poem, on the grounds, but let us not forget the rest of the poem, too. Today, triumph and disaster are truly impostors…
“If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’” Kipling

Congrats to Roger!
Super Congrats to Rafa!!!

“With the wind behind him now, I believe Rafa is in good stead to crack the Grand Slam that has painfully eluded Roger. This would undoubtedly seal his reputation as the best all-surface champion since Bjorn Borg, with a level of fitness to match the supreme Swede.”

That’s a good point actually. If you look at the guys who managed to win 3 different slams: Edberg, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Sampras, Federer, et al… Their missing slam is either the French or Wimbledon, both having polar opposite surfaces. Nadal doesn’t have that curse anymore. Even if you look at guys who won only two, Borg is the only guy who won both the French and Wimbledon. He pulled a Borg.

Of course, winning all 4 would make this all irrelevant. Federer will want to win a French, and if he can do that, he’ll join Agassi (or maybe even Laver, though doubtful now) and prove he was a more complete player than even those other greats.

I agree with the above poster: neither of these players choked today. Both played amazing on huge points time after time. The only exception was Nadal’s double fault in the breaker. Talk about cool under pressure, how many times did Federer hit an ace on break point today? How many Deuce games did Rafa pull out on his own serve. Both players are exceptionally mentally tough.

Wow! How could either player be a loser in that match?

What an amazing match. One like that we will most likely never see again

Samprazzz very true about cool under pressure…that backhand passing shot that Federer hit on match point down in the tiebreaker will be etched on my mind for years to come…I really didnt think Rafa could beat him after that shot (ie hard to get happy after that one)

What does Novack Jockitch do now?

This match was incredible. I actually predicted that Rafa would take it in 4. Well he didn’t, but HE WON!!! I’m so excited. While Roger Federer is undoubtedly one of the most gifted players to play the game, he bores me to pieces. I rarely stay awake watching him, that is unless he’s playing Rafa. Nadal just brings an excitement to men’s tennis that I haven’t seen in a while.

However today, I gained new respect for Roger. Even after he won the third set, I believed Nadal would crush him in the fourth, but he stayed resilient and the two produced some phenomenal tennis. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better match. I believe this win will give Rafa the confidence he needs to win that Grand Slam. And it’s coming baby. VAMOS RAFA!!!

I just have to say this, but I can´t believe that Nadal is having so much succes, he has the ugliest gameplay in tennis history, it looks so amateuristic and is awful to watch. And yes, it was a nice match, but not amazing or anything, stuff like Agassi vs Blake (US Open 2005) that is classic high quality stuff.

Rasheed you must be on something. You cannot be a real TENNIS fan and say that Rafa’s clay court game is anything short of flawless. And his grass court game is definitely catching up as he so wonderfully proved today by taking down the grass court king.

I was shocked that Nadal was able to utilize so much guile and deception during the match - by that, I mean he was able to disguise a lot of his shots. Normally, I feel that grass does not allow that - whereas, clay does. But in this instance, at least before the rains, Nadal was able to disguise where he was going on certain shots, and keep Federer guessing. However, the last few sets definitely had some wet grass, and Nadal pulling it out was remarkable. I thought Federer would win, for sure.

I think Mr. Randall is right - only one player wins in the record books, for for anyone who saw this live or on TV, everyone one.

Additionally, this kind of match had to be taken from Roger, just ripped out of his hands. I think only Nadal was capable of doing it, given his formidable playing from Miami onwards. Roger Federer DOES look sharp out there. I don’t think that many players - meaning, I don’t think anyone, can hang with him with the exception of Nadal at this point.

However, I think given that Federer has the Olympic games on his schedule in Beijing, I think there is a chance of fatigue for the US Open. Perhaps he can get over it with the first few rounds of the tournament (yep, I know, too early to say! Way too early we’re still in August!) But I do think that is a small factor - Beijing Olympics will create some difficulties for the players when they touch back on U.S. soil for the Open. That’s the only factor in my mind that could complicate his dominance at the Open. I don’t think Nadal will hold up all summer.

Everybody won today.
Proud of Federer, Proud of Nadal.

I think Rafa was saved by the lack of a 5th set tie break. His record against Federer in tie-breaks has been woeful as of late… He lost two to him this year at wimbledon, two last year at wimbledon (and in 06 WB, they split one each), plus this year Fed won a tiebreak at hamburg.

The advantage set is a good thing, because it forces Fed to break Nadal in order to win it, and he hasn’t been good at doing that. I don’t like tie breakers. It trivializes the other guy’s effort.

I hope Djokovic lands in Fed’s half of the draw at NY. That is the match I’m salivating.

I take back everything I said a few days ago about not wanting anymore Fed-Nadal finals. If all their finals in the future turn out to be this good I hope they start contesting all the Slam finals.

I knew I said I might not watch but boy oh boy I’m glad I did. Epic play from both men - I didn’t even know who to root for. If Fed doesn’t lose that 3-0 lead in the 2nd set he wins the match but Nadal was just lights out that 5th set.

Unlike last year where Nadal faded quickly in the 5th set, this year he kept to his guns and it was Federer who finally cracked. To cite another cliche, you did get the feeling that whomever lost serve first that 5th set would lose the match.

Fed was strangely calm after his loss to Rafa at the French, but he was beyond devastated at losing his Wimbledon crown. Both men cried and will probably cry more later in the privacy of their rooms/houses. The U.S. Open is all there is left for Federer to defend.

Can someone please tell me why some members of the media are putting the two finals (men’s and women’s) on the same level? I didn’t watch the women’s final but I can’t imagine it had anywhere near the drama of the men’s final.

Ouch. Federer did not take this defeat well.

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/articles/2008-07-06/200807061215381587609.html

“I thought we both played well,” he said, before beginning a litany of lethargically raised eyebrows and shrugged shoulders. “The rain didn’t help me that much – I didn’t win the match, did I? I was struggling with the wind a little bit and the light was tough but that was not an excuse. This is probably the hardest loss of my career so far.”

When asked whether it was a consolation that it was a great player like Nadal who had put an end to his 65-match winning streak, Federer’s humour became even darker. “No. Zero consolation. I didn’t learn anything new from today – certainly not about how to play him on grass. This really hurts… Losing Paris for me was nothing, losing here is a disaster.” No more, no less.

The straw that broke the camel’s back came when he was quizzed about the vast haul of points he will have to defend in the coming tournaments – far more than Nadal – if he is to remain number one in the rankings. “Write what you want,” he glowered after a sigh, a pause and a shrug. “I’m going to try to win at the Olympics and the US Open and have a good end to the season. That’s it.”

“Can someone please tell me why some members of the media are putting the two finals (men’s and women’s) on the same level? I didn’t watch the women’s final but I can’t imagine it had anywhere near the drama of the men’s final.”

Agreed. I didn’t watch that final either. The rivalry between the sisters just doesn’t have the drama or excitement as watching these two play. Nadal is the only guy who holds more than a trivial winning record against Fed. Against everyone else, he brutally dominates them all in H2H. What Fed has found is that he can play the same game against everyone, and destroy them, but when he tries it against Nadal, it doesn’t work. It could be the lefty thing, but it forces Fed to have to try something new, which he may not be comfortable with. Nadal has just the right qualities - forehand, backhand, speed, tenacity to ruffle Federer in ways other players can’t. When he loses, it’s normally him that lost, and not the other guy that win. I know that sounds ungracious, but look at this year’s defeats. He lost to guys who had no business beating him.

Nadal is one of the rare guys who can bring Fed out of his comfort zone, and I think we are all priviledged to be tennis fans in an era where such a great rivalry exists. Seriously, before Nadal came, who exactly was Federer’s rival? Certainly not Roddick, who Fed is now 15-2 against (until this year, Roddick had only won one match against him). Not Safin, who Fed is now 9-2 against, or Hewitt (14-7, 12-0 since becoming #1).

The game needs Nadal (and Federer) at his best in order to remain exciting, and Djokovic too.

He he, Sean, you may be true when predicting the 3-0 score, but it seemed like Rafa should get the cup before the first rain delay. This match is absolutely amazing.

A truly classic match. No matter how painful, and disappointing the loss, I admire how Federer always takes it with grace. And Nadal is very classy as well. Both are exemplary in the way they compete, and the respect they show their opponents. I like how they obviously like each other and still compete fiercely. Competitive excellence without bravado or hostility–something in short supply in our professional sports these days.

I still think Federer(if healthy)can beat Nadal if they meet at the US Open because the speed of the surface will allow him to hit winners–something impossible to do against Nadal at the French Open. Federer hit 89 winners in today’s match, and the US Open surface is faster than the Wimbledon grass. I don’t think 89 winners were hit against Nadal in the whole French Open tournament. He got to everything. You’ve got to be able to hit some winners against Nadal because he just doesn’t miss.

Full credit to Nadal today.

I think Federer does feel this loss pretty badly. But to me it is pretty similar to Safin beating Federer in the AO Semifinals in 2005 - Safin “took it” from Federer (as if stolen!), and Nadal had to do the same: he had to stick with Federer, game after game, over the long haul of five sets, right up to the very last point.

I did a little check about Nadal vs. Federer on the grass in tiebreaks, and it’s true, Nadal is far worse in tiebreaks vs. Federer, winning one on the lawns and losing five. So, if the set went to a tiebreak and wimbledon allowed tiebreaks, then I think Federer would hoist the trophy.

It is awful premature, in my mind, to suggest that the road ahead for Federer will be “more difficult”. Nadal truly won this match by a HAIR - not covering for Federer, but this was a nail-biter in which “everyone won” - much like Agassi-Blake at the U.S. Open in 2005. Nadal is by no means “superior to Federer” on grass, or on any surface but clay. I also feel that Nadal takes a beating on hard courts - that his durability is compromised and that he gets too few “free points” off his serve to find himself as US Open or Aussie Open champ. At least, not yet.

I also feel as if no other player but Nadal could have eeked out a win over Federer at Wimbledon (I thought Federer was still going to win after being down two sets!) Not because I don’t respect Nadal - to me Nadal is unbelievable, what a high caliber champion and person. It is because he hits so hard and because he is probably the fastest man in tennis - he and Federer share that distinction.

So: me thinks the US Open title might be Federer’s, but might not be. I wonder about the recovery time from Beijing, which will affect all of the players except Roddick and a handful of others. But, correct me if I’m wrong, Federer still looks pretty damn good out there on the courts. His game is intact. He still is a favorite to win any major he enters. That’s Sampras territory, and that will usher him past 14 wins on the grand slam board.

I don’t know how to explain this.It is the best tennis match I’ve ever seen.Strength of Nadal & technique of Federer,These created a legendary fight.I don’t think that only Nadal deserves this championship.Both of them deserve this.
They are going to be the best players in the history of Tennis.

Jane: “This match kind of reminds me of when Mac beat Borg the first time actually: same feeling to it.”

well.. Great great match.. had me awake till 6 in the morning. By the end of it.. even though i was rooting for Fed, i dint feel that bad when Nadal won it. He deserved it and he cherished it, as we could see in during the trophy ceremony. Glad to see Fed fighting back in 3rd and 4th sets.

well… this match was more like the previous Borg-McEnroe match were Borg had matchpoints in ‘the’ 4th set tie-break but lost it, but later on recomposed himself to win the 5th set. And looking at Fed, i dont see him walking away from the game nor losing more often. This year, he has lost only to No 2 and No 3 in the grandslams.. so he still has it in him to contest for the trophies on the final sunday of all the Grandslams. Rather, i would probably see him more concetrated on Grand slams than other Master’s tourneys next year.

It was a great match today.

I hope Rafa does not play too much during the hardcourt season. Patellar tendinitis doesn’t just “go away” and he needs to let those ligamens and tendons heal.

Am I the only one who thinks Rasheed is one large idiot. “gameplay”. Do you watch tennis? “Nice match”. It was a great, great match and anyone who doesn’t think so should be watching bowling. Mad cause your guy didn’t win?

“I did a little check about Nadal vs. Federer on the grass in tiebreaks, and it’s true, Nadal is far worse in tiebreaks vs. Federer, winning one on the lawns and losing five. So, if the set went to a tiebreak and wimbledon allowed tiebreaks, then I think Federer would hoist the trophy.”

What that does say about him though, since each time they’ve played at Wimbledon they’ve had two tiebreaks, is that Nadal holds his serve well against Federer. Fed has a better serve, but despite Nadal having a weaker serve, Fed has trouble breaking him. I think Nadal fully deserved to win the 5th set though. He created much more opportunities on Fed’s serve than Fed did on Nadal’s. Nadal only faced break point in one of his serves, while Fed had a few.

Also, I think Nadal has better eyesight. It got dark in the end, and Fed complained that he couldn’t see anything… but it was dark for both of them. It was the same story in RG 05 SF, which got dark and Fed complained that he couldn’t even see the ball. This may have been a factor, but that’s too bad. Can’t do much about mother nature. She needs to piss sometimes too you know…

On the other hand, I totally understand why the All England Club was reluctant to postpone the match. That would have been a logistical nightmare, to get everyone back only for another 1 or 2 games. They were hoping it would end soon, and luckily it did. Fed was devastated, but he’ll be back.

My only question mark is, now that Nadal has achieved his dream, will he still have the hunger to come back next year and win it again? Or will he be content in pulling the near-impossible?

I think Rasheed you be big idiot. Gameplay? What is that” Nice match? It was a great, great match. Best ever. Go watch bowling cause you don’t understand tennis. Mad cause your guy lost?

Giner,

while your specific characterizations of their body language out there don’t perfectly coincide with mine, I fully agree that Fed looked the fresher of the two in the 5th set. I think that bodes well for both of them at this point in the season. For Rafa because he is able to stay composed in a way he couldn’t a year ago even when visibly stretched and stressed; For Roger because although it has been a comparatively rough season for him on many levels and many of his streaks have come to an end, he in no way looked short of any of the stuff it’ll take for him to continue to meet with many successes in the future.

Honestly I understand the Federer praise, but you guys have to blind if you can’t see that Nadal is now in Federer’s head. I mean…really in his head. He beat Federer on the one surface that he’s supposed to be invicible on. That’s huge. And I believe that if Nadal can cut down on some of the wear and tear that he faces on the hard courts, he could give Federer a serious run for his money in the Grand Slam count. Roger Federer in all of his “greatness” is still dry as toast. I’ll stand behind that statement.

What does Novack Jockitch do now?

Well Dave B.

Djokovic keeps playing. What else should he be doing? I guess he was right in saying Fed was vulnerable and Rafa proved it.

Anyone is vulnerable to Rafa on grass or clay. and Roger is only vulnerable to Rafa on grass, no one else can challenge him.

Roger is vulnerable to Rafa on clay and grass now. Doesn’t leave too much of anything else.

I agree with ShayHay - Nadal is in Federer’s head. Federer beats anyone else on tour today despite the fact that his backhand was horribly off and his volleys were poor (why the hell was he doing all those swinging volleys?! Just madness). He just gets tense and incredibly nervous whenever he plays Nadal - doesn’t matter the surface.

This is why I want Nadal to start doing better at the U.S. Open. This is why I want a Fed-Nadal Aussie or USO final. Will the headgames extend to the other two Slams as well?

I can’t believe the number of people talking about this final. I’m watching the Yankees-Red Sox game and Jon Miller and Joe Morgan just spent 5 minutes talking about how much they loved the Fed-Nadal match today. ESPN and ESPNNews dedicated the first 10-15 minutes of their broadcast to the tennis match and discussion about it. Incredible.

Rafa winning Wimbledon over Fed is going to do real damage to Fed - I really want to see how Fed responds for the rest of the year. The hype for the USO is going to be unbelievable. I hope Fed doesn’t read any newspapers for the next few months - it will be nothing but how he’s going through a “demise.” The media are going to be pretty ruthless with him.

Do you think the grass helped Nadal because it is “more” like clay (unpredictable bounces, requires extreme concentration and adaptability) and less similar to hardcourts?

In other words - does grass benefit Rafa (quick reflexes, amazing court movement, ability to adapt when needed) much like clay benefits Rafa (unpredictable surface, requires excellent court movement)? On a hard court surface, Rafa’s shots are “more predictable” and easier to read, or at least easier to read than on grass or on a clay court.

Your thoughts?

Congratulations to Rafa … both players played an unforgetable match. Too bad for me because I am a Federer fan. This match will be hard to forget. Rafa’s a great player … but not as dynamic an overall player as Federer. I for one don’t believe that Rafa can make the switch to hardcourt … he is dominant on clay … and superb on slow grass. There is nothing I’ve seen from him that suggests he will dominate on hard court. So I don’t expect a slam from Rafa …even though I respect this guy … hes got real class like Federer. It something that others could learn from on the tour.

… incidentally Borg’s prediction of Nadal winning was a classless act. A past champion of his pedigree shouldn’t be picking sides before a main event. Neither Rafa or Federer would have made the same mistake when they are retired.

ShayHay,

who said they don’t see that Nadal is in Federer’s head? I think that much has been clear for quite some time now. As I’ve been saying for a little while now, I believe we are going to see stronger hard court showings from Nadal than we’ve been accustomed to thus far, and even if we don’t, who’s to say Nadal won’t stack up more RG titles and continue a streak of Wimbledons for long enough to equal Federer’s tally of GS victories? It may happen one way or the other, or we may have seen Nadal’s last (which doesn’t seem likely at all). I have absolutely no idea what you mean by “Federer in all of his ‘greatness’ is still dry as toast”, though. Are you saying that he’s no longer a contender for trophies? He looks to me like he can beat anybody on a given day and everybody but one on almost any day. I just hope his confidence will not be too wrecked by this loss that was in itself demonstrative of tennis genius and the will and heart of a true champion.

As I’ve been surfing around and reading through comments on various sites, I’ve noticed a truly impressive amount of post from Rafa fans talking about how they gained respect and appreciation for Roger today, and I’ve seen an equal amount of Roger fans saying the same of Rafa. I’ve also come across many posts in which the contributor states something to the effect of having thought Roger was down and out UNTIL seeing him in his loss today. All these things are extremely positive and only serve to exemplify just how truly mind-blowing and transcendent this year’s final turned out to be.

TennisFan

Many past champions made a prediction. and most of them predicted roger would win.

Smith,

You and I are on the same wavelength; if the Rafa-Fed finals continue to be like this one, and not like the FO final, then I am happy, thrilled in fact, to see more of them. But I still am very happy that it was Rafa to come through this time - no slight to Roger who fought until the end.

Tejuz,

Maybe this match was more like that epic final between Mac & Borg, when Borg prevailed for the last time. But either way, the rivalry in similar in a lot of ways. I can’t pin down Roger or Rafa to the other guy though, since Rafa’s game is more like Borg’s but he has a more exuberant personality like Mac. Roger is more reserved like Borg, but has the serve & volley capabilities of Mac, even though he doesn’t use them as much.

And I agree 100% with Simpsons - of course Novak just keeps on playing. The more top ten guys we get into the conversation for number 1, the more exciting the next year or 2 will be.

But again, kudos to Rafa and Roger for setting a new benchmark.

To whomever it was above that wonders whether Rafa will still be hungry to keep winning - You’ve got to be kidding right!? I’ve not seen anyone this hungry to continual improve and set new goals for himself. Of course he’ll want to keep winning!!

I hope, having said that, that he doesn’t play Stuggart. Rest dear Rafa - you’ve earned it!!

Tennis Fan,

There is an entire list at the ATP website of past champions’ predictions on this match beforehand; in my opinion, anyhow, it’s natural for the media, and for those in the tennis world, to want to hear what past champions think about such a seminal match. But I guess it could be taken the wrong way; i just see it as Borg answering a question put to him by the media, just like all of the other champs. (See ATP’s site for the other picks; most of the picked Fed but a few others picked Rafa). Johnny Mac made a call, Brad Gilbert did, too, and so. I don’t think of it as picking sides, but just as making a judgment call based on what they’ve seen from the players. I think it’s pretty standard stuff, and not “classless”, for a past champ to make a call on a slam final.

Ra:

My statement about Rafa being in Federer’s head is in response to everyone saying that Federer could still beat Nadal on any given day, especially hard courts. I just don’t think that’s true. I believe that this victory at Wimbledon has kind of crushed that idea, because grass is Roger’s favorite surface. I did say that Rafa needs to cut down on the wear and tear that he faces on hard courts, but I think it’s clear that he has altered his game a lot to suit all surfaces and he’s the one player on tour that I see who doesn’t fear Federer in the least bit. Federer has reason to fear him, because Nadal has his number.

As for the “dry as toast” statement, you only need to read my previous comment about my preference for watching Nadal as opposed to Roger.

I’m totally blind and so couldn’t watch the match in the same way as everyone else, but I thought I was going to have a heart attack it was so close. It just seemed like they were fighting for points, not for games. I knew they both would cry. Wimbledon seems to bring that out in people, win or lose and they fought like tigers and it was a miracle they didn’t need to be carried off the court. I love them both and don’t know if I can stand listening to such competitions on a regular basis, but I loved how the crowd loved it and appreciated both of them. Sometimes I wish they had twin Wimbledon trophies for people like that. They are both great champions and the fact that Rafa is what he is at twenty-two says a lot about him, his coaches, his family and those intangible things that decide a match. I wanted Rafa to win this time because I felt that Roger already had five of them and it was time to share, but I felt terrible for Roger, not that Rafa won, but that he lost. It has always amazed me about tennis where the winner and loser have to share the same locker room; one crying for joy and one end, the other one crying in disapointment at the other. At least the winning and the losing teams get there own locker rooms where they can celebrate or lick their wounds. I remember Chris Evert beating Martina Navratalova years ago and then, in the locker room sitting down beside her and comforting her for losing and they’re both crying. That’s probably a woman thing, but even women teams would have had separate locker rooms. It’s a classic match and I hope that when they put it on DVD they leave in the commentary so a person like me can still follow it.

ShayHay,

OK, I think I understand now that it was a reference to him boring you. Fair enough.

I fully agree with you as far as Rafa having enough game for any surface at this point (as well as with the assertion that he needs to address whatever it is that causes him such substantial wear and tear). I still think that Roger can beat him depending on the day just about anywhere but Chartrier, but I don’t know how long that possibility will last simply due to their age differential.

How is Borg making a prediction “classless”?

Last time I checked, a lot of past champions made predictions on this match. I don’t think that’s breaking some “tennis etiquette” rule.

Ra Says:

“While your specific characterizations of their body language out there don’t perfectly coincide with mine, I fully agree that Fed looked the fresher of the two in the 5th set. I think that bodes well for both of them at this point in the season. For Rafa because he is able to stay composed in a way he couldn’t a year ago even when visibly stretched and stressed; For Roger because although it has been a comparatively rough season for him on many levels and many of his streaks have come to an end, he in no way looked short of any of the stuff it’ll take for him to continue to meet with many successes in the future.”

I thought his body language was not very positive. He clearly looked deflated having lost the 4th set, especially since he had two championship points, and tighted up at 5-2. Those championship points make a huge difference, because they would have been on his mind. Had he lost 7-0, he could have just brushed it off and said “too good”. But since he did squander it at 5-2 (when he got passed by a Fed backhand at C-point, he had an open court and could have hit it there instead of back at Fed — surely he’d be second guessing that point too?), the reality of coming so close to victory yet being foiled once again (two heartbreakers in a row at Wimbledon), becomes very palpable, and that’s really got to hurt. Fed on the other hand, just saved two championship points and levelled it at two sets apiece. If Fed was to win, he will have come back from 2-0 down and saved 2 CP’s against his biggest rival to win the final of his #1 tournament and exact revenge for RG 08. This would surely be the biggest win of his career?

The difference in body language was almost polar and for obvious reasons. It would have been Rafa’s worst defeat if he lost, and Fed’s best win if he won. It wasn’t until Fed started giving Nadal some half chances on serve that he could finally pull himself together and get the fire back. Even after coming back from the rain delay where he would have had a chance to regroup, Nadal looked like he was going to lose.

In the first four sets, Nadal was pumped every time he won points. In the first half of the 5th set, he looked very subdued when he won the points, and resigned to a probable defeat. You even saw a glimpse of the real man inside: He got angry. He normally never shows frustration or anger, but he threw his racquet (I’ve never seen that before from him) and took a swing with it at the grass..

His demeanor has always been excellent, and always positive. He doesn’t get upset when bad calls or overrules are made, or something not agreeable happens to him, or he misses easy shots. He shows only positive emotion, and never any negative, but in this 5th set he allowed small glimpses of real man inside to leak out through the cracks.

Credit also to Federer, who is another guy that’s just unflappable. Compare that to his younger self… this guy is ice cool.