July

[Sweder]

And so . . . the final set.

In the past eighteen months Nadal has been closing the gap on Federer. Already a master on his native clay the Beast has worked tirelessly to improve his grass-court game. The fifth set was a microcosm of that last year and a half, Nadal getting closer and closer to breaking Federer’s serve until finally, painfully, after four attempts he took it in the 15th game. Federer never wilted, never looked down or out, yet Nadal set about his own service game, the sixteenth and deciding game of this fantastic match, with the same fire and verve he’d brought to the very first game some seven hours before.

That someone should lose such a match is almost unbearable. You could hardly call Federer a loser, yet lose he did. Even at the death, with all hope surely abandoned, he pulled off the most magnificent cross court passing shot to extend the game to deuce. This time though Nadal didn’t flinch, those muscles did not tighten. He stood up and hit the winning serve to take the crown, the world number one title and as far as I’m concerned right at this moment, ruler of the known Universe.

Stunning.