Wimbledon ends with classic Final.
The words "classic" games and true Champion are often misused in the World of sport today, but few would argue that the Mens Singles Final played late into the evening yesterday on Centre Court was a Classic match which for me produced 2 true Champions!
Rafa Nadal won the crown in 5 pulsating sets over Roger Federer the defending champion and the man going for his 6th consecutive Wimbledon title.
The final score of 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 does not even begin to tell the story of the match, i have watched Wimbledon for nearly 40 years and i have never seen 2 players so determined to win a game. This from the first point of the game was going to be a match where neither would give an inch and every point would have to be earned.
Nadal raced into a 2 set lead against a Federer who seemed to be playing on instinct and who i believe was taken a bit by surprise by the quality of Nadals game.
The Nadal momentum was stopped when the rains came mid way through the 3rd set and they had to leave the court for about an hour. On their return it was Federer who came out firing on all cylinders and came back from 5-2 down in the 3rd set tie break to win the set and then take the fourth set also on a tie break.
In both the sets and tie breaks Nadal had chances to win the game but Federer played like the true champion he is and it was clear the young Spaniard would have to find yet another gear.
At times it was more like a boxing match then a tennis match with both men trading blows from the baseline and neither one prepared to give an inch.
Going into the 5th set Federer looked to have the edge as he had time after time come back from game points and set points down in an attempt to keep his crown, and indeed it was only at the beginning of the 5th set that he finally edged in front for the first time.
Then it was Nadal`s turn to dig in and find that extra something that makes true champions, which is exactly what he did in the fifteenth game of the final set when he broke Federer and then held his nerve and his serve to finally win 9-7 in the gathering gloom.
Nadal became the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the French and Wimbbledon titles in the same year and the final was not surprisingly the longest in Mens singles history at Wimbledon.
For me it was the greatest final ever and showed that both men as well as great players have the hearts of lions and are indeed true champions, it was a pity one had to lose.
