"It was certainly one of the most decisive moments of my career" - Rafael Nadal on his Wimbledon 2008 final win over Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal has reminisced about his 2008 Wimbledon final win over Roger Federer, terming it a pivotal moment in his illustrious career.
The then 22-year-old, playing his third straight final at SW19, had never triumphed at a Grand Slam outside Roland Garros. However, that changed on a historic night in London, as the Spaniard breached the bastion of five-time reigning champion Federer in a match for the ages.
"E' stata una partita indimenticabile. Sicuramente è stato uno dei momenti più decisivi della mia carriera"
@RafaelNadal a #CTCF sul march contro Federe nel 2008 https://t.co/CeZx3jUHjs
During an interaction on the Italian talk show 'Che Tempo Che Fa', Nadal said that beating Federer in the Wimbledon final was an epochal moment in his career.
"It was an unforgettable match. It was certainly one of the most decisive moments of my career," said Rafael Nadal.
Shortly after his Wimbledon win, Nadal would go on to usurp Federer as the world's top-ranked player.
How the 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal unfolded
Fresh off beating Federer in a lopsided Roland Garros final in which he conceded only four games, Rafael Nadal made a bright start in the pair's sixth meeting in a Grand Slam title match.
Nadal took the opening set in a rain-affected final, but Federer seemed to be back in the match when he led 4-1 in the second. However, the Spaniard rattled off five straight games to leave the five-time champion needing to go the distance to keep his Wimbledon reign alive.
To his credit, though, Federer won the third set in a tie-break to get back into contention. In an epic fourth set tie-break, Nadal led 5-2 and saw two championship points. However, on the first, he failed to return a Federer serve and double-faulted on the second as the Swiss forced a decider.
Shot-making from both players reached another level in the fifth set as jaw-dropping rallies and fabulous winners ensued. Serving first, Federer came within two points of a sixth straight title when he arrived at 5-4, 30-30 on Nadal's serve. However, the Spaniard slammed the door shut with fearless hitting before breaking Federer at 7-7.
In near darkness, Nadal held off a strong challenge from Federer to serve out one of the biggest titles of his career. In the process, the then 22-year-old became the first Spanish player in the Open Era to win Wimbledon as Federer narrowly failed to surpass Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive titles at the tournament.
2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles Final: Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer: youtu.be/IfBX0IkcqLg?a via @YouTube
At four hours and 48 minutes, it was the longest-ever Wimbledon final and the last to be played without a retractable roof. Federer would return to win three more titles at the tournament. Meanwhile, Nadal would win another title at the grasscourt Major (2010).
Eleven years after the pair's epic meeting, Federer beat Nadal in a four-set semifinal before squandering championship points on serve against Novak Djokovic.
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