Switzerland's Roger Federer kisses the trophy after winning his men's final match against Spain's Rafael Nadal at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London yesterday. - REUTERS
LONDON (Reuters):
WEARING HIS now familiar cream jacket and with the golden men's singles trophy tucked under his arm, Roger Federer left Wimbledon yesterday having elegantly redressed the balance of power in men's tennis.
The Swiss world number one joined Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras as the only men in the professional era to have collected four consecutive Wimbledon titles when he beat his 2006 nemesis Rafael Nadal 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.
"It's fantastic, I never thought it possible but I made it," said Federer after a match in which his periodic brilliance outshone Nadal's tenacity.
"They are heroes of the game and this is the most important tournament, so to win four is out of this world."
NO MOOD TO SUFFER
Spaniard Nadal, the 20-year-old French Open champion, had beaten Federer in four finals this year but found the Swiss in no mood to suffer a repeat on his favourite grass court.
Federer's eighth grand slam title moved him to within six of the record held by Sampras. It was the 24-year-old's 48th consecutive win on grass.
Claycourter Nadal is a novice on the surface by comparison but he recovered bravely after a nightmare first set to become the first man to take a set off Federer in the entire tournament.
UNBELIEVABLE
"He's unbelievable," the Spaniard said. "I played my best tournament of the year here. I've improved a lot and I'm very happy."
Federer was unplayable in the first set, when he treated Nadal like an impertinent schoolboy.
The second seed was reduced to an impotent mass of muscle as Federer administered a 24-minute extravaganza in which the coup de grace was a wondrous crosscourt backhand that kissed the net as it flashed past Nadal.
Nadal had lost the first set of last month's French Open final against the Swiss 6-1 but recovered to win and he again rebounded off the ropes with a vengeance.
He broke Federer in the first game of the second set and led 5-3 before a shanked forehand long cost him his next service game.
Nadal emitted an anguished "aaargh!" and Federer then recovered from 3-1 down in the tiebreak to take it 7-5, shaking a determined fist in direction of his coach Tony Roche when his opponent found the net with a forehand.
The left-handed Spaniard's game plan of trying to outhit Federer from the back of the court works well on clay but on grass Federer's bewitching assortment of spins, slices and sizzling drives sets him apart.
The difference is often in his trajectory, with some of Federer's shots appearing almost to pass through the net, so low are they struck.
Nadal lived with him through the third set thanks to a combination of guts, solid serving and the occasional bludgeoned winner, usually on his supposedly weaker backhand.
KILLER BLOW
When Federer started the tiebreak with a poor smash, Nadal pounced and reeled off five consecutive points to take it 7-2. For the first time in the match the crowd witnessed the Spaniard's trademark running leap and fist pump.
The last person to take a set off Federer at Wimbledon was German Nicolas Kiefer in the 2005 third round.
Nadal sabotaged his chances of building some momentum, however, when he sent a horrendous smash into the stands to lose serve for 3-1 in the fourth. It was the killer blow and Federer used a nonchalant forehand volley to break again two games later.
The Swiss faltered on his first attempt to serve out the victory but made no mistake on his second try when a tame sliced backhand into the tramlines by Nadal handed him victory.
Part of Federer's charm is his air of humility after matches and this time the Swiss who sobbed uncontrollably after winning the Australian Open in January was characteristically unassuming.
"It was awfully tight and I was getting awfully nervous too," he admitted. "But it was high-class tennis and I really enjoyed it."
