The first of many more to come?
And the inevitable has finally happened. Nadal, with his in-the-face aggression, indefatigable attitude and an out-of-the-world agility has managed to overthrow the reign of the supreme FedEx at the SW19. In what was arguably the best Wimbledon’s final ever, Rafa overcame it all – injury, weather, nerves and most importantly, the King of Grass himself, to make his mark in history – twice in as many months. Actions speak louder than words they say, and the 22 year old is most certainly forcing one and all to stand up and take note. Is this the beginning of a new era in modern tennis, or just a minor blip in Federer’s dazzling career?
The Buildup
Nadal’s grass-court performance had improved tremendously over the last one year, with him winning the Artois Championship last month. He was on a 23 match-unbeaten streak on all courts, and aiming to be only the second player in the history of the game after the legendary Bjorn Borg, to win the French Open and the Wimbledon in the same calendar year. And who can forget the unique French Open final – not so for its result (6-1, 6-3, 6-0) but for the sheer domination that Nadal brought to court; only to dismiss doubts, if there were any, about his ‘home’ turf.
But Federer, on grass, is a different proposition altogether. Not only was he going for his sixth straight Wimbledon (a feat nobody has managed to achieve ever), he was also on a 65 match-unbeaten streak on grass. And it certainly needed something special to halt him in his tracks.
The Match
After losing the first set due to an early break, Federer broke early in the second and raced to a 4-1 lead in the second, only to squander the opportunity. Nadal broke twice in succession, to take a 2-0 set lead.
In the third, both players held their serve till 5-4 (Federer), when rain caused a delay. Federer found an improved backhand at his disposition when play resumed, and kept his cool to take the third 7-6 on a tie-break.
The fourth set also followed suit. This time, however, Nadal double-faulted at 5-2 up in the tie-break. Federer took his chances, saved a Championship point with an amazing passing shot, and took the match into a decider.
In the fifth set, there were no breaks again, till rain stopped play again, at 2-2 (40-40) with Federer serving. That, however, didn’t seem to fluster either of the two, with both of them holding their serves till 5-5. As the set progressed, however, Federer’s inability to win points on his serve was slowly exposed. Nadal threatened a few times, before finally breaking serve in the 15th game. He would then maintain his composure while serving for the Championship, and yet another unforced error from Federer would give him the title.
In retrospect
Unlike the French Open final where Federer had chosen to defend (clearly the wrong strategy), here he chose to attack. He hit more winners alright, but also had an unexpectedly high tally of unforced errors (52 against Nadal’s 27).
Federer, simply, failed to convert break points. To convert only a single break point out of 13 in a match that hung on the balance throughout was the single major reason for his downfall.
What was remarkable to see was the consistency in his serving (he hit 25 aces against Nadal’s 6) and, surprisingly, his inability to close out long rallies in his favour. It was only a matter of time, then, before Nadal got his crucial breaks.
Federer had not brought his best game to the Final for sure – his ever-consistent backhand was absent till late in the third set when play resumed after the rain delay. And what was out there was just not good enough.
All this being said, however, it would be unfair to not mention Nadal. From someone who was touted as the ‘One-surface wonder’ a couple of years ago, he took giant strides last year, stretching the Champion to five sets at the same surface. This time, he came out better, as a more complete player, and ended up on the right side of the result.
Quotes at the post-match Press Conference
A distraught Federer
Nadal (about the result): “I’m just very happy. It’s unbelievable for me to have a title here at Wimbledon. When I was a kid I, dreamt of playing here but to win is amazing.”
(about Federer): “I always have a lot of respect for him. I admire him a lot. At the same time I am very happy for me but sorry for him. Because he deserves his title too.”
(My favourite) Federer: “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.”
What it means for Men’s Tennis
So where do we go from here? For one, Nadal is playing his best tennis ever, and there are no limits, it seems, to how much his game can improve across all surfaces. 2008 has clearly belonged to him, and though FedExpress may have overtaken the daunting Serb Djoko for the year, the fact that he has won just a lone singles’ title in this year would continue to haunt him for sure.
US Open is the next destination, and just like me, many more would be surely counting Nadal out of that one. Based on current form, Djokovic seems the best bet – his intimidating nature means even he could get under the skin of Federer easily. Federer, on the other hand, would be hoping to get some confidence going for him again, by winning some tournaments on the way. The rest of the players, er, do they deserve a mention? Me thinks not yet.
The question is: Who will make it at the US Open? Will Federer make a comeback? Will Djokovic prove a point, and deliver when it really matters? Or will the Majorcan defy all odds again, on a surface that has been his nemesis throughout his career, and seriously pose a threat at the World No. 1 spot – something that the Champion has held for the past 230 weeks?
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