[Read Christopher Clarey’s column about Federer’s win over Nadal.]. Rafael Nadal schedule: Spanish star aims to protect knees ahead of US hard-court season RAFAEL NADAL was beaten at Wimbledon by Roger Federer and will … Millions around the World are being denied watching these great events. Nadal opened with a mini-break, chasing down a short Federer forehand volley and flicking it up the line with a backhand, leaving Federer to turn and look as it landed inside the corner. 1 Federer on clay in the French Open final a few weeks before, but dethroning Federer on grass was a huge step in Nadal’s rapid ascension. This is the only the fifth time they have faced each other in a Grand Slam semifinal, and Nadal has won them all — at the French Open in 2005 and 2019 and the Australian Open in 2012 and 2014. In their last Wimbledon meeting, in 2008, Nadal saved 12 of 13 break-point chances. Can he do it again against DelPo and then Novak?...its a tough ask but Vamos Rafa!!! Thiem refused to entertain a different tactical approach and continued to go for broke - a risk and reward strategy which, although he did maintain, ultimately did not pay off in the cruellest of circumstances. Nadal won the 2008 final at Wimbledon, prevailing by 9-7 in the fifth set in something much closer to darkness than daylight. It was interrupted twice by rain. Nadal then closed out the hold with an ace. Last updated on 16 January 201916 January 2019.From the section Tennis. He is the oldest man to reach the Wimbledon final since 39-year-old Ken Rosewall lost to Jimmy Connors in 1974. You can play from the baseline without any problem. Nadal did save the first break point of the match by winning a 21-shot rally, the longest of the match. Counter to most assumptions about this matchup, Federer is benefiting when points grow longer: He has won 35 of 60 rallies that last five or more shots. Watch the best shots as Nat Sciver scores 82 from 61 balls in the third T20 between England and West Indies in Derby. serve out wide, neither of which Federer could return. Nadal has lost only two points on his serve. He survived the second on a nail-biting 23-shot rally, the longest of the match, finally drawing a forced error from Nadal’s backhand. Analysis and opinion from the BBC's tennis correspondent. "This match is going to be stuck in my mind forever - tennis is cruel sometimes," Thiem said. He showed both brilliance and naivety in a tight fourth set where he twice fought back from 40-15 down on serve and won just one of seven break points, eventually taking the tie-break to force a decider. The two are struggling to beat each other from the baseline, with only four groundstroke winners combined so far. Nadal saved them, then closed out the hold with his fifth ace of the match. Federer takes an early lead in the third set. A book and a documentary about the match are called “Strokes of Genius.”, Bjorn Borg, whose 1980 Wimbledon final against John McEnroe is quite famous in its own right, called the 2008 final “the best tennis match I’ve ever seen in my life.”, It took 4 hours 48 minutes, and remains the longest Wimbledon men’s final. Since the 2008 final, Federer has won eight Grand Slam singles titles for a total of 20, the men’s record, and Nadal is right behind him with 18. Daniel Leal-Olivas/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images. Nadal is aiming to become the first man in the Open era to win each of the four Grand Slam titles at least twice. Federer has four aces so far and has lost only three points in his three service games. Please let Thiem have it. Federer maintained the break advantage he earned early in the fourth set, and now leading 5-3, one game from booking his spot in the Wimbledon final. Federer carried the momentum from his hold into the next game, earning two break points of his own at 15-40. A fascinating and revealing look into his career. The victory earned Federer, 37, a chance to renew another great rivalry: this one with Novak Djokovic, the world No. Find your nearest court and learn the basics with our guide. I thought that this was a sports forum about tennis and, in particular a fabulous tennis match last night. By Christopher Clarey, Ben Rothenberg and Naila-Jean Meyers. They have somehow never faced each other at the United States Open. Nadal won only five points during Federer’s serve in the set. Shame on the ATP for selling out to Amazon. "I said to Dominic: 'I'm very sorry and keep going.' Federer has won eight, the men’s record. After a set with no service breaks, Federer wins the first set tiebreaker, 7-3. The No. Federer, 37, and Nadal, 33, had not played at Wimbledon in the 11 years since Nadal defeated Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, in a final that is … After a set with no breaks of serve, five of the first seven points in the first-set tiebreaker were won by the returner. “I think the matches are more playable than in other years. "If we skip the first set it was an open match from beginning to the end," Thiem added. Neither player outwardly showed signs of fatigue as they continued to trade blows deep into a high-octane match. The first was a 24-shot rally in which Nadal was able to eventually plant his feet and hit a clean forehand winner down the line. There have been four straight holds since Federer broke for 2-1. 2 in the rankings, so they could only meet in tournament finals. Read about our approach to external linking. In three games, he held serve without Nadal winning any points. Nadal became the first man since Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. An absolute epic, neither player deserved to lose.