9781422284285

GREATEST MOMENTS

The Greatest Match Ever Played

The longest men’s final in Wimbledon history is widely considered to be the greatest tennis match played anywhere, ever. The 2008 final was a rematch of a colossal five-set battle in the 2007 final between Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Swiss champion Roger Federer, who won his fifth straight Wimbledon title that year. Entering Wimbledon, two-seed Nadal was coming off his fourth straight French Open, where he beat Federer. He picked up where he left off in Paris, winning the first two sets 6-4. But the then 12-time major winner had an answer. With neither man able to break serve, Federer won sets three and four in tiebreakers, with the fourth set taking 18 points. In the fifth set, Nadal finally broke Federer’s serve again at 7-7, the first service break in 41 games. Nadal served out the match to win his first Wimbledon 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7.

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