Inhistoric.com

Stepping in place of the retired Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, Roger Federer was dominating tennis at an historic level. The Swiss superstar had been the No. 1 ranked player in the world for over four years, had won a dozen Grand Slams, appeared in ten straight singles finals, and set records for consecutive hard court and grass victories. From 2004 to 2006, Federer won all but 13 of the 280 games he played and even surpassed Tiger Woods in scale of invincibility.

As Federer climbed to new heights, the one player who seemed capable of opposing him was Rafael Nadal of Spain. Nadal was an expert on clay and once held an 81-match win streak on the surface before Federer took him down. Nadal had somehow compiled a winning record over the unstoppable Federer, though he still struggled to challenge him on grass.

But in 2008, Federer had begun to show signs of vulnerability. He had lost eight matches that year alone, with three of them coming at the hands of Nadal. At the French Open, Nadal not only beat Federer, he destroyed him in straight sets. Factoring in his obliteration at the French, and his close five-set win over Nadal at the previous Wimbledon, many were predicting a passing of the guard.

With Nadal's improvement on grass and Federer's slight decline, that year's Wimbledon was seen as the place where their talents could best converge in terms of competitiveness. To no one's surprise, Nadal and Federer once again faced off in the tournament's final round. Sure enough, the two men put on a five-set masterpiece that many experts consider the greatest tennis match of all time.

Historic significance was at stake for both competitors. If Nadal won, he would be the first man in 28 years to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. A win by Federer would move him within one Grand Slam of Sampras' record total, and would give him his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title, a streak that hadn't been done in 128 years.

Getting the contest in was difficult at the All England Club. Rain delayed the start of the match by 35 minutes and interrupted it twice again, once for almost an hour and a half. It would take nearly five hours for the champion to be decided, and to the purists, this just elongated the pressure and intensity even more.

Nadal won the first two sets 6-4, 6-4, and was on his way to a convincing victory. But the rain came in the third set, and Roger retaliated with the desperation of a king trying to hang on to his mantle. Federer won the next two sets -- much to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, who had become accustomed to him -- though he struggled mightily to prevail. The third set went to a tie-break, which he narrowly won 7-5.

The fourth set epitomized the greatness of the match. Nadal and Federer won each game alternatively, making it the ultimate back-and-forth competition. The set went to another tie-break, which was preceded by a series of brilliant rallies and well-positioned shots. Nadal had the match in his hands. He led the breaker 5-2 and had two championship points to walk away as the victor. Federer again responded terrifically and alluded defeat by sending it to a 5-5, 7-7, and 8-8 tie. On Nadal's last championship point, Federer backhanded the ball down the right line for a point that had the crowd rejoicing. He eventually won the tie-break 10-8 and sent it to a decisive fifth set.

The weather intervened again with the finale at 2-2. After a 30-minute reprieve, the tightness of the match did not let up. A 40-15 serve by Nadal was mishandled by Federer, giving Rafa the game and bringing the set to 6-6. Since there was no tie-breaker for the final set in Wimbledon, the dramatic dual continued.

With it at 7-7, Federer's shots were long as he failed to hold serve for the first time in three sets. Now serving with the title on the line, with impending nightfall threatening to suspend play, Nadal was looking at match point number four. 4 hours and 48 minutes after the start of the championship, Federer responded to Nadal's serve by forehanding the ball into the net. Nadal collapsed to the ground in triumph; Federer's 65-match winning streak on grass was over.

Nadal jumped into the crowd before accepting his first place trophy. He hugged his overjoyed relatives and conversed with the prince of Spain before returning to the court, his native flag in hand. Federer was gracious in defeat, and saved his real emotions until after the cameras were off.

"I’m disappointed, and I’m crushed,” said Federer, who called it the toughest loss of his career. “He played a super match, and I’m sure it was a great match to watch and to play, but it’s all over now. I need some time.”

“The most important thing is to win the title," said Nadal, who won the longest Wimbledon final ever. “After that, you think about winning against the No. 1, probably the best player in history or close, and the fact it was so dramatic. But it’s one of the most powerful feelings I’ve had in my life.”

He also added, "I am very happy for me, but sorry for him, because he deserved this title, too."

There was no question that this Wimbledon final was one of the greatest matches in tennis history. But if the experts and players are to be considered, this was definitively the best match of all time.

Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, who were involved in what was previously considered the greatest match ever, both thought Nadal-Federer was the creme de la creme of tennis. "The Wimbledon final was probably the best I've ever seen played," Borg said. McEnroe was even more emphatic, calling it, "the greatest match I've ever seen!"

Despite the loss, Federer retained his No. 1 world ranking the following week. But in the eyes of the public, it was Rafael Nadal who was atop the tennis world.