After almost three and a half hours, an unreturnable down-the-line volley hit by the left hand of a twenty-two-year-old sends the crowd into a frenzy- John McEnroe avenges his defeat from the previous year as he ends Björn Borg’s five-year reign at Wimbledon. Twenty-seven years later, deja vu strikes as the Wimbledon crowd watches another five-time defending champion go back-and-forth with a twenty-two-year-old lefty he defeated a year ago on the same court. With the unbelievably high caliber of tennis transpiring between the two, only one thing was certain: the crowd definitely got their money’s worth of tennis.
The first set began with Federer serving, winning the game in five points. Nadal bit back by winning the next two games, breaking Federer’s serve. Interestingly enough, an analysis of the 2008 championships showed that the Swiss’ serve was nine miles per hour slower and bounced higher on grass than it did when he won his first Wimbledon in 2003, indicating that it had now become easier to return. This fact, alongside Nadal’s ability to push opponents back using the heavy topspin he puts on his forehead, allowed him to dominate Federer in the opening set. Nadal also made sure to heavily target Federer’s backhand, a strategy that allowed him to defeat Federer at that year’s Roland Garros in straight sets and even bageling him in one. By the time the score was 5-4 in Nadal’s favor, 24 of Nadal’s 27 serves had been hit to Federer’s backhand. This tactic proved itself useful as Nadal closed the set 6-4, leaving the defending champion with twelve unforced errors on his backhand.
The second set started with Federer gaining an early lead of 3-0 by breaking Nadal’s serve for the first time in the match. Nadal’s tactic of targeting Federer’s backhand was countered by the defending champion’s aggressive use of his forehand, favoring his trademark inside-out shot over his backhand. Federer continued to hold his ground as he made the score 4-1; however, his overambition on his forehand soon became apparent through multiple unforced errors. Nadal used this to his advantage during the turning point of the set: it was 4-3, Advantage Federer when Nadal, rather than serving to Federer’s backhand on the advantage side as he tended to do, served to Federer’s forehand which resulted in an unforced error from the Swiss. Federer’s initial momentum on his trademark shot was lost, allowing the Spaniard to take the set 6-4.
The third set of the match was filled with complications ranging from Nadal’s knee unexpectedly buckling in the third game to an almost seventy-minute break in between the match due to rain. However, both players were able to maintain their rhythm. In order to stay in the match, the Swiss amped up his serve and continued to use his forehand to put Nadal in difficult positions on the court. Unlike the second set, Federer did not make as many unforced errors on his forehand; however, the Spaniard’s backhand dragged him down considerably as throughout the set he hit six unforced errors on that side. The players went back and forth calling the need for a tie-breaker which Federer won 7-5, hitting a total of six aces(four of which were during the tiebreak), nine forehand winners, and causing four forced errors on Nadal’s behalf throughout the set using his forehand.
The fourth set was filled with more back and forth between the two, with neither player letting the other break his serve. Federer was able to keep Nadal from doing so by amping up his second serve, allowing him to set up a forehand for himself rather than being forced into hitting a backhand. This strategy allowed the Swiss to force his opponent into a tiebreak. Nadal was able to gain an early lead of 5-2- just a mere two points away from ending the Swiss’ reign. However, a double fault and forced backhand error allowed the defending champion to climb back and tie the two at 5-5. A wide forehand from Federer gave Nadal his first championship point at 7-6, but a one hundred and twenty-seven miles per hour service from the reigning champion set the score back at a tie. As if enough spectacular tennis had not already been seen, Nadal hit a ridiculous running forehand down the line passing shot, giving him his second championship point at 8-7. Federer, refusing to be outdone, clawed back with a backhand down the line passing shot straight out of a miracle. Refusing to let go of such momentum, the Swiss paved the way to set point with his twelfth forehand winner of the set, and a rare unforced backhand error from Nadal sealed the deal at 7-6, 10-8, keeping Roger Federer in the match and both players with two sets each.
The fifth set kept the same tempo as the previous two with neither of the players being able to gain the advantage. At 5-4, 30-30, Federer was two points away from achieving his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title but he was unable to break Nadal’s serve, and soon after, the score became 6-6. Federer’s heavy serves and unreturnable forehands were keeping him in the match, along with a considerably improved backhand; on the other hand, Nadal was putting up just as much of a fight despite having the weight of giving away two championship points over his head. The score became seven games each, and with the two trading a plethora of winners and forcing each other into multiple errors with shots that would leave the crowd ecstatic, it was clear that those two players down in center court were once-in-a-lifetime talents. However, despite the beautifully placed groundstrokes his forehand was helping him hit, the Swiss’ trademark shot was also dragging him down with more unforced errors than in any of the previous sets- it was this flaw in Federer’s game that allowed Nadal to finally break his serve, making the score 8-7; championship point again.
After more than four hours and forty minutes of playing time, an unreturnable crosscourt backhand from the five-time defending champion had the crowd howling. Nadal has now lost three championship points, and the score was back at 8-7, deuce. The joy of those who cheered for the Swiss was short-lived as the Spaniard’s powerful serve set the score back to 8-7, advantage Nadal: a fourth championship point. A serve, a forehand return, a backhand retaliation, and a groundstroke into the net. Roger Federer hit his nineteenth unforced forehand error of the set, his eightieth unforced error of the match, and Rafael Nadal avenged his defeats from the previous two years as he ended his opponent’s five-year reign at Wimbledon by winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7.
