Rafael Nadal dethroned five-time champion Roger Federer as king of Wimbledon on Sunday with an epic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7 win in one of the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time.
The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-breaker and a third in the decider of the longest final in Wimbledon history, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens.
He also shattered Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy.The intensity and quality of the match recalled the 1980 final between Borg and John McEnroe, which Borg won in the fifth set after losing an 18-16 tiebreaker. McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion and TV commentator at this tournament, called yesterday's final "the greatest match I've ever seen."
The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-breaker and a third in the decider of the longest final in Wimbledon history, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens.
He also shattered Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy.The intensity and quality of the match recalled the 1980 final between Borg and John McEnroe, which Borg won in the fifth set after losing an 18-16 tiebreaker. McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champion and TV commentator at this tournament, called yesterday's final "the greatest match I've ever seen."
Federer, who had wept after winning his first two Wimbledon finals, was now dry-eyed. "Yeah, I tried everything. It got a little late and everything," he said, hinting that it had been too dark to see the ball clearly at the end. "But look, Rafa's a deserving champion. He just played fantastically."
