The Match

The quality of tennis on Sunday was so astronomically high that no one deserved to lose. And there would have been no loser - for one more day at least - had the fifth set tiebreaker remained level for just a few more minutes. But thankfully for all involved, there was a resolution before darkness completely infiltrated the gates of the All England Club yesterday. Even the defeated Roger Federer agreed. "It would have been brutal for fans, for media, for us, for everybody to come back tomorrow," he said afterwards.
Federer's loss to Rafael Nadal as the French Open was brutal. This Wimbledon defeat, by contrast, was stinging. You only had to see Roger's post-match chat with John McEnroe for the proof - he could barely get through Mac's questions before being overcome with emotion.
As difficult as the match was for Federer and his fans to take, Nadal and his supporters were simply jubilant after its conclusion. Facing this opponent on this court was a test of the highest order for Rafa. He ultimately succeeded in a career-defining match that will forever remain in the annals of tennis.
The McEnroe/Bjorn Borg 1980 Wimbledon final took place before I was born, and I didn't watch tennis in the 1990s as intently as I do now. For me, this match - The Match - is the greatest tennis match I've ever watched. It had everything: a heightened importance from the start, gripping drama throughout, and a display of unmistakably great tennis. We even saw Federer, who possesses one of the greatest forehands of all time, whiff on his favorite shot. As the match progressed, I came to expect the unexpected.
But this was more than just a match - it was an experience. Thanks to multiple rain delays (troubling at the time, but meaningful in retrospect), this early-morning final turned into a day-long odyssey. My only hope is that, since memorable matches of the future will inevitably be compared to this classic, that fans won't be disappointed if the drama can't be equalled. Considering all of the circumstances and history involved, this may have been a once in a lifetime moment.
Federer and Nadal were keenly aware of this significance as well - I can't ever recall seeing a match where both players so visibly wanted the win. It was more evident on Federer's face later in the proceedings, but it showed in his game throughout all four hours and 48 minutes of play. Roger dipped into his champion's reserves often, when survival was the only option left.
In the third set, Federer faced triple break point at 3-3. In my notebook, I wrote "THE GAME" to denote that this series of points will determine how the rest of this match plays out. If Roger could somehow recover to win the game - which he did - this match was headed in a new direction (which is also what happened). If Nadal broke there, I'm positive the match would have ended in straight sets.
More Federer magic happened in the fourth set tiebreaker. The moment everyone will remember here is when Federer struck a backhand pass down the line to save a championship point. But coming back from 5-2 down - with Nadal serving twice - was Federer's best work. Once in the fifth set, Federer invoked memories of the 2007 Wimbledon final when he saved break points early on at 15-40. Roger was serving great, dictating play with his forehand, and showing the patience that is absolutely necessary against Nadal. For the first time in hours, I thought the match was going to go Federer's way.
It didn't. And it's not because of what Roger did or didn't do, but because of how his opponent played.
You know how Nike occasionally stitches a bull onto Nadal's sneakers? It's very emblematic of his relentless fight when playing. (Expect Nadal's own personal clothing line to be coming out soon too.) Rafa dealt with a rain delay in the third set that seemed to help Federer. He dealt with losing two championship points in the fourth set. And he dealt with mounting pressure in the fifth set after Federer clawed all the way back. In spite of all this, Nadal's shot making and mental strength somehow remained at their peak.
I remember watching Nadal play for the first time in the 2004 Davis Cup final against the United States. I definitely thought he was something special then. Years later, I thought he would - eventually - become the next No. 1 player in the world. But I don't think I ever expected Nadal to perform the way he did yesterday. That mystique was previously reserved for Federer, and Federer alone. Nadal has it now.
Nadal has something else too - the unofficial title of best tennis player in the world. In spite of what the rankings presently say, Rafa has overtaken Roger at the top of the mountain. Federer held on as long as he could - through a difficult start to 2008, to the massacre at Roland Garros, and through rain delays, tiebreakers and championship points yesterday at Wimbledon. But the Spanish bull is relentless.
There's only one Roger Federer, and there's only one Rafael Nadal. But today, Nadal is the one who is the best tennis player in the world.





