Often considered one of the greatest matches ever played, the 2008 Wimbledon Final was truly a match of epic proportions. In 2006 and 2007, the great rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, had played in the finals of Wimbledon but Federer won both the encounters.

However, in 2008, even though Federer was the heavy favourite to win, in a 4 hours and 48-minute long slogger, it was finally Nadal who emerged victorious.

The match ended with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7, in Rafael Nadal’s favour. Nadal has often talked about how important that match was in his career. He also talked about how it sort of served as a milestone for him, winning his first Wimbledon crown, after being denied for the last two years.

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Rafael Nadal did something he never does in the final

In a recent interview, held at the Rafa Nadal Academy, he was asked about the most difficult point that he’s ever had to play in his long and illustrious career. As fans know, Nadal is quite the fighter and has had to extricate himself from extremely difficult situations, all his life. But, he said that a particular point in the fourth set of the 2008 Wimbledon final is the point he considered was most difficult to play.

“The hardest point that I can remember was the backhand passing Federer hit in the fourth set, to save match point. I had match point during the tie break… I did an open serve, his rest was a slice in the middle of the court. He put the ball where I could best hit it, mid-height, I can hit it with my drive…,” Nadal said.

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He continued describing the point in shot by shot detail. He added, “When I hit that forehand I did something I never do… I thought ‘I just won Wimbledon’. I hit that forehand, *pam*, parallel passing, my world collapsed [as Federer won the point with a sublime backhand].”

Nadal won the first two sets of the match. But Federer fought back to clinch the next two sets in a tie-breaker. However, it was finally Nadal who persevered, collapsing onto the grass on the centre court, against a setting sun, all smiles, having clinched his first Wimbledon title.

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