monday; 1.16am
First set: 7-6 (9-7) I haven’t seen a match this good in ages— one that has you leaping out from your seat from the very start. Federer was leading 3-1 in the first set when Nadal clawed his way back to level it at 3-3. Many nail biting points later, it evened out at 6-6 and led to a tie break. It was looking good for Federer and at 6-5, he won the tie-break when Nadal’s backhand return down the side line was called out. I heaved a sigh of relief but Nadal challenged the call by the linesman. I wait nervously for the hawk eye replay and it's in by a hair’s breath (!). They replay the point and I will for Federer to win the tie-break and he does, 9-7.
Second set: 4-6 Nadal has a double breakpoint on Federer’s serve with the score at 3-2. But 3 consecutive aces later, Federer has advantage and wins the point to bring the score to 3-3. But nothing is coming easy for either player, each game is won through gruelling rallies, numerous challenges are made with each call and with each point being won so narrowly it is a testament to the intensity of the match. Nadal wins 2 break points, sends Federer scurrying across the court and bags the set 6-4.
Third set: 7-6 (7-3) I know it doesn't bode well for Federer if he’s pushed to a 5 setter and so i can only hope that he wins this set. Federer has a 9-10 win-loss record in 5 set matches and Nadal in contrast has a 9-2 win-loss record. But statistics aside, what determines the winner is the brilliance of play in that very moment. It has been slightly over 2 hours of match play and and with glorious displays of tennis from both the no1 and no 2 seeds, it is pushed to a tie-break (yet again) and Federer prevails. It’s obvious how crucial winning this set is because he clenches his fists in triumph.
Fourth Set: 2-6 Federer begins the set almost carelessly with Nadal gaining a breakpoint on Federer’s serve to lead 1-0 in the set. Federer fails to hold his next serve sending Nadal with a 3-0 lead. The self-assuredness so characteristic of Federer is simply gone. Instead he is floundering with 27 unforced errors and Nadal appears to be well on his way to take the match into a 5th set. It’s simply agonising to watch Federer struggle just to hold his serve with Nadal already on a 4-0 lead. Despite calling time for a knee injury, Nadal goes on to bag the set at 6-2.
Fifth set: 6-2 At 3-2, Federer has a great opportunity with three breakpoints on Nadal’s serve and with a swift forehand, he wins that breakpoint and lets out a scream. It’s obvious how crucial that break was and as Nadal tries to hold his serve at 5-2 you the tension is palpable (and i'm just watching with bated breath). But with the second championship point on Nadal’s serve, he sends a forehand down the line and as Nadal returns the shot, Federer smashes it across the court and wins the game, set, match. He crashes to the ground and buries his face in his hands. Roger Federer wins!
Winning Wimbledon: But this match did take close to 4 hours, the longest men’s final since 1982. And as epic as the match was, Federer shouldn’t have had to work that hard on grass! Nadal, like Federer asserted, deserved the win just as much. And while Federer was as brilliant as he was lucky, he was also very much resilient when he came so close to losing it all in the fourth set with Nadal having 2 chances at breakpoints. But he always fought back pounding aces and winners to eventually clinch the title and having equalled bjorn borg's record and we can only wait and see whether he can surpass it next year!
"When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep, stuck in reverse?"
- fix you, coldplay