Font ResizeAnd this is what we got, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, battling each other and the elements until the point of no returns and too much emotion.
A torch was passed symbolically on the most famous of tennis venues, Centre Court at Wimbledon, and the way darkness was settling down on the All England Club a literal torch would or two would not have entirely out of place.
There's a new champion, a kid from Spain who wears Capri pants and sleeveless shirts and hits the thunder out of a forehand. A new champion who struggles with English but has no problem chasing down almost everything hit within the lines.
Rafael Nadal defeating the once unbeatable Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 on Sunday , Nadal halting Federer's streak of five straight Wimbledons and installing himself as the best in the game.
In perhaps ending what may be called the Federer Era,, and certainly ending Federer's string of 65 straight grass court victories, 40 here at the All-England Club, the 22-year-old Nadal became the first person since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to take both the French Open, on the red clay, and Wimbledon, on the turf, the same year.
The instant Federer whacked a forehand into the net, so uncharacteristic of a man who had controlled the sport for a stretch of four
"It is impossible to explain what I felt at that moment, no?'' Nadal, the kid from the island of Majorca said in his charming and heavily accented broken English.
"Just to be very, very happy to win this title, my favorite tournament for me. It's a dream to play on this court. But win, I never imagine this. Thank you so very much everybody.''
Others could have imagined this.
Nadal had won the French four straight years, including 2008, but he had lost to Federer at Wimbledon in 2006 and '07. This, said the skeptics, was the year Federer was in decline and Nadal in ascension. Indeed, this was the year.
And this was the match. Four hours, 48 minutes, the longest final ever, spread over six and a half hours, including a late start, two rain delays, no break points from the fourth game of the second set until the final game, and magnificent shots by the dozens.
"I tried everything,'' said Federer, still with his 12 Slams, two short of Pete Sampras, but strangely none this year. "But look, Rafa's a deserving champion.''
Federer is No. 1 in the world rankings, Nadal No. 2. You put the two best on the most famous stage in tennis, and hope for meeting worthy of their standing. And that is what we got.
Nadal won the first two sets, then the downpour arrived. Then Federer arrived. The champion, two months from his 27th birthday, battled as a champion should. He won the next two sets in tiebreakers.
But at Wimbledon, there is no tiebreaker in the fifth set. And when it got to 7-7 and vision was difficult, the question was how much longer would it go. How much longer could they go. When Nadal broke Fefderer in the 15th game, it was obvious it wouldn't go much longer.
"The rain delays didn't make it easier,'' said Federer, "but you got to expect the worst. And it's the worst opponent on the best court. But look, Rafa's a deserving champion. He just played fantastically.''
He did what we never thought anyone could do on grass, keep Federer off balance, guessing, lurching. Not infrequently Federer, the cool Swiss, the man who never looks like he's working, would drill a wide open shot into the net or over the backline.
Nadal climbed into the stands at match's end and embraced his family, Then, grabbing a red and yellow Spanish flag, he stomped across the broadcasters' roof to royal box to shake hands with Prince Felipe of Spain.
What a spring and summer for that country. Nadal winning consecutive Slam events, the first from his country since Manola Santana in 1966, Spain taking the biggest soccer event this side of the World Cup, Euro 2008.
What can you say, except ole?
Contact Art Spander at typoes@aol.com.
