Yesterday at 23:15 (Israel time) I jumped up from my sofa after seeing Federer’s ball hit the net. That shot was the end of a giant’s marathon, that ended up with 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7 and 9-7, after 4:48 minutes of actual playing time. WOW!
Yesterday’s Wimbledon Finals between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was by far one of the best matches I have ever seen!! I came into the game in the 3rd set, when Nadal was already up 2 sets (6-4, 6-4), behind 3-4 in the 3rd. And then came the rain. And then everything’s changed.
I used the ‘mini-break’ to head home, and from the moment the match resumed, it was perfect tennis by two of the best players the world has ever seen. And I apologize in advance to Pistol Pete and Andre (Bjorn Borg was way before my time) – but the level Nadal–Federer played was above what we’re used to. Federer came back from 2 sets behind to win 7-6, 7-6 in the 3rd and 4th, before Nadal clinched the win in the 5th set, after breaking Federer’s serve and winning 9-7 on his own serves. They ‘encouraged’ each other to play better, had some incredible returns (Federer’s back court return in the 4th set tie breaker and Nadal’s, well, pretty much every return) and provided the 17,000 people at Center Court, thousand spectators outside and millions at home a chance to be a part of history.
Rafael Nadal is only the 2nd player (Bjorn Borg did it first) to win Rolland Garros and Wimbledon, back to back (in the same year), and obviously preventing Federer a 6th Wimbledon title in a row (2003-2007), passing Bjorn Borg, who won 5 consecutive titles between 1976-1980.
Head over to wimbledon.org and watch the action as it unfolded – AMAZING!
[picture of Rafael Nadal from wimbledon.org]
