Sunday's Wimbledon tennis final has been hailed as arguably the greatest ever, but not much has been written about the essence of an epic encounter played with commendable chivalry, sportsmanship, grace under pressure and magnanimity of spirit.This was best exemplified by Spanish bull Rafael Nadal who said of matador Roger Federer after the pulsating final: "He's still the best. He's still five times champion here. Right now I have one⦠Roger's still the number one."
Gracious in defeat
Federer was equally gracious in defeat. But, he may have inadvertently sounded churlish when he said after the epic 4-hour, 48-minute gladiatorial contest, which ended in near darkness at 9.15 p.m.: "Later in life I'll probably say "'That was a great match', but right now I don't see many positives."
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A FINAL WE WILL NEVER FORGET: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in conversation after an epic Wimbledon final that Nadal won in five sets |
"I didn't argue about the light and if I had broken back to go eight-all then it wouldn't have been possible to play any more," Federer said.
Nadal, too, said he couldn't see properly at the start of the last game.
"I didn't see anything," he said. "I thought we would have to stop. But it is unbelievable for me to have a title here. When I was a kid, I dreamed of playing here, but to win is amazing."
Another incident denotes Nadal's intrinsic decency: compelled to pull out of this week's Mercedes Cup clay court tournament because of a sore knee, the Spaniard flew to Stuttgart on the morning after his memorable victory to inform the organisers personally.
"That was the least I could do," Nadal said.
The gesture was appreciated by officials, tournament director Edwin Weindorfer saying: "He is here today because he is responsible and has character."
Everyone's amazed
Amazement at the quality of tennis served by the great exponents in the final continues.
McEnroe, who played against Bjorn Borg in 1980 in a Wimbledon final hitherto considered the greatest, called it the "best final ever... there was so much drama, there was class from both players and their levels were incredible.
"People talk about my matches with Bjorn, but this was better. It was an incredible effort from both players. I've never seen tennis like it.
Former great Boris Becker insisted this was a "changing of the guard in world tennis."
"The ranking computer didn't get it yet, but in my opinion whoever wins the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year is the No. 1. It's only a matter before that computer catches up," Becker said.
Australian Rod Laver, one of the greatest players of all time, and Boris Becker both hailed Nadal as the sport's new king and described his dethroning of Federer as the greatest match ever.
Laver, now 69 and a resident of California, said: "It was the best match I've ever seen. I was watching it and thinking, 'How do you win a point'. Until today, Roger was the best player in the world. Now Nadal is. To not be on clay, his surface, and do that. I'm just amazed," said the four-time Wimbledon champion.
"It was just amazing some of the shots they were making. They were hitting winners off winners and you think once in a while it could happen, but it happened all the way through. It was so wonderful and such competitive tennis you have to figure it's just going to do wonders for the game."
The world press was equally ecstatic.
Surprising first
El Pais of France said: "In his impressive career at Wimbledon, Federer has never lost the first two sets. He has never been dominated from the start. He has never come across a mercurial player, who combines silky tennis with a personality of stone. Rafael Nadal is his name. Yesterday he was the champion of Wimbledon. Tomorrow he is morally the world No 1."
The Australian newspaper gushed: "To compare it to anything else is to sully this final and elevate the others that have preceded it. Chess at 200 kmh between two of the very best players in the world.
"The match was played as men of mutual respect would in a fight to the death. The result was perfection in tennis as best as we can understand it in 2008."
The New York Times noted: "On this rainy, gusty Sunday afternoon, then evening, a young man had grown in stature and legend. Rafael Nadal, the prince, had become Wimbledon king."
Great contest
The Sydney Morning Herald noted: "This was athletic competition of the highest level.
Two of the greatest tennis players ever competed against each other for nearly five hours."
Nadal is the first player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year since Bjorn Borg in 1980 and stands apart from everyone else because he also won the Artois tournament at Queen's.
Apart from the Bjorn Borg- John McEnroe match in 1980, which Borg won 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 ,6-7, 8-6; this year's Wimbledon final has been compared with four other finals.
In 1982, Jimmy Connors beat John McEnroe 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. Then in 1990 Stefan Edberg beat Boris Becker 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4. Ten years later, in 1992 Andre Agassi beat Goran Ivanisevic 6-7,6-4, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and in 2001, Ivanisevic defeated Pat Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.
