No man since 1927 had come back to win a Wimbledon final after losing the first two sets, and none had overcome a match point to seize victory since 1948. If anyone could, it figured to be Federer, especially on this particular lawn.
"But Rafa keeps you thinking, and that's what the best players do to each other in the end," Federer said. "That's what we both do to each other."
Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a shot during the men's singles final match against Spain's Rafael Nadal at the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London, capital of Britain, on July 6, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)
It was their sixth Grand Slam final, already more than between any other pair of men in the 40-year Open era, and there could be several to follow. Federer is only 26, after all, and Nadal is 22. Federer has led the rankings for a record 231 consecutive weeks, and Nadal has been second for a record 154.
Nadal defeated Federer at the French Open en route to each of his championships there, in the 2005 semifinals and the past three finals, including a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 rout last month that was Federer's most lopsided loss in 180 career Grand Slam matches.
But the Swiss star kept reminding everyone this week that he has had the upper hand on surfaces other than clay.
Not this time.
Nadal lost to Federer in the 2006 Wimbledon final in four sets, and the 2007 final in five. Although the latter was certainly suspenseful, it featured neither the drama nor the all-around excellence of Sunday's encounter, which ended at 9:15 p.m., when Federer pushed a forehand into the net on Nadal's fourth match point.
Federer made clear afterward he was not pleased that play continued despite the low visibility at the end.
"It's rough on me now, obviously, you know, to lose the biggest tournament in the world over maybe a bit of light," he said.
"In the last game, I didn't see nothing," said Nadal.
Both players figured that had Federer managed to break back to 8-8, play would have been suspended until Monday because of darkness.
"It would have been brutal," Federer said.
It didn't happen.
Nadal came through, and when he arose from his celebratory flop on the ground, he had grass stains on the back of his white shirt. He shook hands with Federer, then climbed into the players' guest box to hug his uncle/coach Toni and others. With tears in Nadal's eyes, he grabbed a red-and-yellow Spanish flag and walked across the top of the scoreboard and the roof of the TV announcers" booth to reach the Royal Box for handshakes with Spain's Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia.
As this scene unfolded, Federer sat alone in his changeover chair, protected from the night's chill by his custom-made cream cardigan with the gold "RF" on the chest.
So many serves, so many strokes, so much grit _ all for naught.
"I am very happy for me," Nadal said, "but sorry for him, because he deserved this title, too."
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily July 7, 2008)