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12/23/08 6:52 AM | Ricky Dimon
Throughout the off-season, TennisTalk is recapping Rafael Nadal's and Roger Federer's most memorable moments in 2008. Part 5 for Federer features his loss to Nadal in the Wimbledon title match.
Rarely is a devastating loss a player's most memorable moment of a certain year. It's especially rare when that player also won a Grand Slam and an Olympic gold medal in that year.
But if such a situation is rare, the 2008 Wimbledon final was once in a lifetime.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer battled for four hours and 48 minutes--not counting the rain delays--before Nadal finally ended Federer's five-year reign at the All-England Club 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7. Federer, however, did not relinquish the title without a fight and did not go down without producing some magical moments.
Up two sets to and two points away from the championship at 7-7 in the fourth-set tiebreaker, Nadal earned his second match point with a hard-to-believe running down-the-line forehand pass. Down to perhaps his last point, Federer responded in stunning fashion. The Swiss turned back a perfect-place Nadal approach shot by ripping a down-the-line backhand pass just inside both the baseline and the doubles alley. It's hard to imagine a better shot at a more crucial moment.
That is, until things progressed to 8-7 in the fifth. Having just gained the first break of the final set, Nadal was serving at 8-7 and had his third match point at 40-30. Again, the Spaniard put in an effective first serve. This one even skimmed off both the service line and the alley line. If Federer did not handle it, the match would be over. Well, he more than handled it. Federer stretched wide to his left and flicked a scorching cross-court backhand to Nadal's ad corner. Nadal could barely get a racket on it.
Although Nadal at long last put an end to the instant classic two points later, Federer's heroics were not forgotten. Nor will they ever be. The whole thing--from approximately 2:30 PM to 9:15 PM--was just one big unforgettable moment.
"It was a joy again to play here," Federer said in defeat. It was also a joy to watch, and a joy to relive.
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