Wimbledon 2018: A look at three memorable bagels from Roger Federer's career

#3 Federer vs Nadal 2006 Wimbledon final

The scoreboard showing Federer's dominance

Federer went into this match as a three-time Wimbledon champion and the overwhelming favourite. Nadal headed into the final as a double French Open winner and beat his Swiss opponent in the final of Roland Garros a month earlier.

No one, however, could have predicted how the first set would pan out, as Roger took the opener 6-0 in just over half an hour. Nadal, for once, seemed overwhelmed by the big occasion as Federer’s prior experience told early in the match.

This was the Spaniard’s first final at SW19 and his very first Grand Slam final outside of Roland Garros. The nature of the surface also made life incredibly difficult for the Mallorcan, as he failed to handle the pressure.

2006 remains one of Federer’s finest years and one of the most dominant years in tennis history, as the Swiss maestro won three Grand Slams and twelve titles in all. Federer’s dominance in the opening set was a result of his superiority and experience on grass, as well as Nadal’s naivety.

The then 26-year-old went on to win the final in four sets and secure his fourth successive Wimbledon final. The match, however, showed that Federer had finally found a worthy rival and someone who could go toe-to-toe with him on any surface.