The comeback
If anyone was doubting Federer’s response in the third set, they would be silenced soon. There were no breaks of serve in a very even third set. A rain delay ensued with Nadal serving at 4-5. There were no momentum shifts following the rain and the set went to a tie-break. Federer played a near-perfect service game. His service sequence in the tie-break read – Ace, Ace, Ace, First Serve, Unreturned Serve and Ace; helping him win the tie-break.
The quality of the match had been excellent till now. But in the fourth set, it reached a level we didn’t know existed. Each point was played with a sense of urgency one associates with a person confronted with mortal danger. The whole set was an exhibition in Tennis excellence – inside out forehands, backhands down the line, sublime drop shots, deft volleys – every shot was on display.
Once again, with so little to choose between the two, it came down to a tie-break. Nadal raced to a 5-2 lead with 2 serves coming up. ‘Fear of defeat’ is something we hear all too often. But as Nadal would mention later, it was ‘Fear of victory’ that would grip him. With the finish line visible, Nadal flinched, sending down a double fault and a meek backhand to the net.
Federer was back in the tiebreak. Nadal saved a set point at 5-6. At 7-7, the Swiss stepped in and hit a big forehand to a corner. But then the Spaniard pulled out a moment of magic. Not only did he sprint across, but he sent the ball back hard with his body at full stretch, for an astonishing down the line winner. It was championship point for him now with his serve.
But if Nadal had produced magic, Federer replied with wizardry. Nadal hit an approach shot to the Swiss’ backhand. But Federer guided the ball back in what seemed to be the only empty space available on the court for him, bringing the crowd to its feet. He later called it one the best shots he’s ever hit. Federer eventually took one of the great tie-breaks 10-8.
The final stretch
Nadal had been 2 sets to love up, had championship points on multiple occasions and yet the match was all even now. A lesser mortal would have mentally broken down at this stage of the match. But this was Rafa. He had lost the previous Wimbledon final from an advantageous position and had felt so bad about it that he wept in the locker room shower for almost an hour. He was not about to let himself down today.
If the fourth set had been a shot making exhibition, the fifth set was all about the mind. Each 0-30, 15-30 raised the heartbeats of the respective fans and quite possibly the players themselves. 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7. Two champions, their bodies screaming for rest, their minds telling them to ease. But they could not; it would be a sin for them to do so. We had been transported to another world. What we were witnessing was not earthly. It was dark.
Thanks to the rain delays, almost 6 hours had passed. And then, in the fifteenth game, the elusive break happened. Nadal now had to serve out the match. But Federer gave him hell. He saved another championship with a super backhand return of serve. Finally on Nadal’s fourth championship point, a Federer forehand went to the net. A 22-year Spaniard lay on his back, arms outstretched. Tennis had reached its zenith.
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