Our next installment of the Top 10 Games of the Decade takes us to 2008 once more, but to Britain instead of Beijing. The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal came to a climax at The Championships 2008 in what is universally recognized as the greatest tennis match ever played... so, logically, that would be our Game of the Decade for tennis, right?
What: Wimbledon Final
Where: Wimbledon... duh
When: July 6, 2008
How: The routine leading up to 2008 had been established: Nadal beats Federer in Paris, Federer beats Nadal in London. However, there was something different in the air at Wimbledon 2008. In 2006, Federer beat Nadal in 4 sets at Wimbledon, in 2007 it was in 5. The 2008 Final was the one everyone wanted to see because it was the year that Federer's Wimbledon dominance would end and Nadal would be crowned the new king of men's tennis.
After the first two sets, it looked like that would be the story. Nadal took Set 1 and 2 by a 6-4 score. However, Federer wouldn't just roll over and die now would he? But, maybe he would just win a set and then go riding off into the sunset. Federer won the 3rd set 7-6 in a tiebreak, which was around a rain delay of over an hour. The 4th set was where the drama really started to kick in as Nadal was ahead in the tiebreaker 5-2 with a gluttony of match points. But, Federer would not give in. Ultimately, he got it even, pulled ahead, and won 10-8 on the back of his amazing rally skills.
The 5th set saw the action go back and forth and after another rain delay, Federer looked likely to stage a remarkable comeback and remain in his throne as the best in the game. He was 2 points away from winning the match at 5-4 and, but that was when Nadal staged a comeback of his own. Nadal was able to come back and take the title out of Federer's grasp and take the match to 7-7 as the darkness rolled in. (Just typing it brings back memories of what an amazing match this was!) You know, this silly recap can't do the match justice; Nadal finally came out on top 9-7 in the 5th in the greatest tennis match ever played. Roll the highlights already for goodness sakes!
Why: Simply put, this was Da Vinci and Michelangelo trading brushstrokes, or Einstein and Hawking discussing relativity, or Pele and Maradona kicking the soccer ball around. This was the greatest display of pure tennis that the world may ever see. And I don't think that I'm over-exaggerating that point. At Wimbledon 2008, the two greatest players of a generation were at their very best, and pushed each other to even higher levels. So many times, the biggest games on the biggest stages disappoint, but this certainly did not. It was widely hailed as the best tennis match ever played. And if John McEnroe, involved in one of the contenders for that honor, says it's the greatest match ever, it's good enough for me.
Any good rivalry needs to have that signature moment, and this was it. Nadal and Federer will be forever linked in the history books like Ali and Frazier and Bird and Magic. The great thing about Wimbledon 2008 is that it wasn't the end of Federer. Rog showed what true champions are made of by bouncing back and winning Wimbledon in 2009 (albeit beating Andy Roddick while Nadal was hurt). Let's hope that 2010 brings another classic meeting between Nadal and Federer that could even approach their 2008 masterpiece and be the tennis match of the teens.
Others Considered:
2001 Wimbledon - Goran Ivanisevic d. Patrick Rafter
2001 US Open - Pete Sampras d. Andre Agassi
2008 Wimbledon - Serena Williams d. Venus Williams
2009 Wimbledon - Roger Federer d. Andy Roddick
Next up, we'll stay go from one individual sport to another. What was the most memorable golf tournament of the decade? Does it involve Phil Mickelson, Chris Dimarco, Bob May, or Rocco Mediate, hmmm. Oh yea, that Tiger Woods fella might play a role too.
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