Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal - 2008 Final Wimbledon Classics

These are two of the most iconic trophies in sport,

and this is Wimbledon's world-famous Centre Court.

Welcome to Wimbledon Classics.

Sunday the 6th of July 2008 is a date

that will remain etched in the minds of tennis fans for ever. That day,

the world's top two players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal,

met for the third straight year in the Men's Final.

The world number one, Federer,

was bidding for his sixth consecutive Wimbledon title.

Nadal was aiming to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980

to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

If you can keep your head

when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting

Or being lied about Don't deal in lies

Or being hated Don't give way to hating

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise.

If you can dream and not make dreams your master

If you can think and not make thoughts your aim

If you can meet with triumph and disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue

Or walk with kings, nor lose the common touch

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you

If all men count with you but none too much

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With 60 seconds' worth of distance run

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it

And - which is more -

you'll be a man, my son.

We'd been hoping that the players would have been working out here

right now, at two o'clock, that's when play was due to start

here at Wimbledon on the Men's Final Day, but as you can see...

Sunshine coming through, so I am reasonably hopeful, Sue,

for a decent amount of play, but it is pretty miserable at the moment...

Got some good news to bring you. You can probably tell

it's a little brighter behind us here in the studio.

I'll bet this will get a big cheer. The court is being uncovered

and they've got no rain on it at all.

UMPIRE: First set, Roger Federer to serve.

Ready?

Play.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

'So, brilliant tennis from the very first point.

'It was clear this match was going to be something special.

'We rejoin it at one-game all in the first set.

'Your commentators are Tim Henman and Andrew Castle.'

APPLAUSE

15-love.

MAN SHOUTS: Come on, Roger!

Fault!

CROWD GASP, APPLAUSE

15-all.

Out!

APPLAUSE

15-30.

TIM HENMAN: Good early ball return.

Shortened his swing and got a very good contact on it.

I think Federer was caught slightly off guard by the depth.

Fault!

APPLAUSE

30-all.

ANDREW CASTLE: Now, that was a handy second serve, wasn't it? Deep, firm.

He's only served four double faults

during the entire duration of this championship.

Six matches, four double faults, that was close on a big point.

So back to 30-all now.

Fault!

APPLAUSE

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

30-40. And, of course,

Federer's only dropped serve twice in these championships.

This would be an early blow to Federer's chances

if he was to lose his serve here.

Fault.

APPLAUSE Game, Nadal.

And a break of serve it is! First blood to the Spaniard

in his attempt to win Wimbledon for the first time.

Nadal leads two games to one, first set.

SUE BARKER: 'Federer had a chance to break back immediately,

'but couldn't take advantage.'

Out!

APPLAUSE Deuce.

'Let's pick it up with Nadal leading five games to four

'and serving for the set.'

Out!

APPLAUSE

Mr Federer challenging... REST INAUDIBLE

To the naked eye, it would appear

he's not going to get too much joy from this one.

It appeared to go well long. We'll take a look at this Hawk-Eye system.

Out indeed.

30-all.

CHEERING

40-30.

Mr Federer has two challenges remaining.

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

Oh, it's one of the sights of the summer, isn't it, this?

Whack! 96 miles an hour!

Vamos and set point.

CHEERING Ah! This is top tennis now!

Yeah. Well, nobody else can do this to Nadal. Deuce.

Hang in there and then pick the backhand off,

and this was a shot that had to be played.

CHEERING

MAN: Come on, Roger!

Advantage Federer.

He had a break point in the fourth game to break back.

PEOPLE SHOUT

And another one now.

SHOUTING CONTINUES

Out! GASPS AND CHEERS

APPLAUSE

Deuce.

I like that change of tactic from Federer,

looking to get forward, taking Nadal's time away,

making him hit a few passing shots.

He knew the importance of that point.

APPLAUSE

Advantage Nadal.

Well, that would be the right time to serve your first ace.

Nadal now with a second set point.

MAN SHOUTS

Out! APPLAUSE

Deuce.

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

Federer with the belief on his forehand side

to go to Nadal's strength, his forehand, two points in a row.

And Nadal, from two set points up, is now facing another break point.

Oh... APPLAUSE

Deuce.

Well, that's a real body blow.

That was painful to watch.

Out! APPLAUSE

Advantage Nadal.

Nadal seems to be handling the strong gust of wind

better than Federer at the moment.

And, for me, those last two backhands, Federer wouldn't

hit those shots against anybody else in the world, but...

against Nadal...

..he struggles.

CHEERING Game and first set.

'So, first set to Nadal,

'but Federer stormed back in typical fashion,

'breaking his Spanish rival early in the second set

'to establish a 4-2 lead.'

The bin's gone over, behind the umpire.

Leave it.

Out.

Love-15.

APPLAUSE

Nadal's got 20 or so supporters up in the players' box today.

They'll be hoping that he can do something in this game

to get back in the set.

APPLAUSE

15-all.

WOMAN: Come on, Rafa!

GASPS AND APPLAUSE

15-30.

I just don't think there's anyone better

at turning defence into attack.

You know, this is chasing down Roger Federer's forehand

and Nadal able to come up with a great pass on the run.

Out! 30-all.

APPLAUSE

They are using every inch of the playing area on this Centre Court,

despite these blustery conditions.

Out! APPLAUSE

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

30-40.

SHOUTING CONTINUES

Nadal's chance to get back in this set.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE Yeah, he's picked him off!

Game, Nadal. And Nadal is very much back in this set.

Federer leads four games to three, second set, first set Nadal.

'Federer squandered a break point opportunity in the very next game,

'so the score was tied at four games all,

'heading into the latter stages of the set.'

Out.

APPLAUSE

Love-15.

Out!

APPLAUSE

HE EXCLAIMS

Love-30.

What a rare sight it is to see Roger Federer getting frustrated.

Nadal's the reason.

He's an absolute rock from the back of the court, Nadal.

APPLAUSE

Love-40. Is the great man running out of ideas?

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

He's certainly got to make something happen pretty soon.

Yes, certainly running out of time, it would appear.

APPLAUSE

15-40.

Mr Nadal. Sebastian.

His boy still has two break points.

CHEERING Game, Nadal.

Sure hitting!

He has forced his way back into this set

and will serve for a two-set lead.

Nadal leads five games to four, second set, and by one set to love.

It's just pure power as well. I mean, he really is the only guy

that can stay in these rallies with Federer

and then turn defence into attack

and a couple of forehands got Federer on the back foot,

set up the easy ball.

And this was a key point. And here's the missed smash.

Yes, just very unusual, even if he misses a ball,

to turn round and snap at somebody in the crowd.

I mean, he's irritable, he's prickly out there,

and you can understand why.

But Nadal's forehand is what's really irritating him.

He can make the ball rotate - they do all these experiments -

he can make the ball rotate something like 5,000 revolutions a minute

and most other people are maybe 2,000-2,500

when hitting with full topspin so... Time.

..a performance no doubt appreciated by Bjorn,

who's saying hello to someone.

But it looks like, at the moment, his record will not be broken.

We'll see.

Roger Federer's father, on the right-hand side there.

APPLAUSE

Love-15.

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

APPLAUSE

15-all.

APPLAUSE

30-15.

APPLAUSE

30-all. MAN: Come on, Roger!

Federer really just hanging in at this stage.

Time violation warning, Mr Nadal.

Oh, well, is that...?

Is that really necessary at this point, Pascal Maria?

That was a time violation.

There's supposed to be 20 seconds between points

and, obviously, he's taken a lot more than that.

Fault!

Oh... APPLAUSE

What a ball from Nadal!

40-30.

Just what a way to respond after being given the time violation.

Oh... At 5-4 30-all for the first time in the match,

in the second set.

Up to an hour and a half of tennis

and it's set point for a two-set lead to the Spaniard.

APPLAUSE

Deuce.

SHOUTING

Fault!

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

I mean, that's just an amazing shot selection.

Was that to do with the wind?

I don't think the wind would help,

but when you've got a forehand as strong as Nadal,

I can't understand why he would suddenly go to the drop shot,

serving for the second set at 5-4 deuce.

A bit of a hoolie blew up.

CHEERING

Deuce. Oh, this is just iron will between the two men.

They're finding it pretty hard to find the lines at this point.

Gusting wind and...

..break point for Federer

and that was the drop shot reaction a couple of points ago.

Out! GASPS AND APPLAUSE

Advantage Nadal.

WOMAN: Come on, Rafa!

SHOUTING

APPLAUSE Game, second set...

Two sets it is to Rafael Nadal,

the five-time defending champion. ..Nadal, six games to four.

Well, he's got a mountain to climb now.

Nadal leads by two sets to love.

So, the great Roger Federer was in grave danger

of losing the title he cherished the most.

He was down, but was he out?

'Let's pick up the third set, with Federer leading three games to two.'

MAN: Come on, Roger!

New tennis balls here.

They go through the court a little bit quicker,

slip off the surface and generally it's thought they help the serve.

APPLAUSE Oh, that's incredible.

15-love.

Not a lot of Federer does wrong here,

but that is just unbelievable strength.

So much right hand in that hooking the ball back.

Wonderful to start the game in that way.

APPLAUSE, ANDREW LAUGHS

15-all.

What's this shot?

A little bit of squash to get back in,

it was about three inches over the net

and Federer had to play a difficult volley, which he did well.

Not this time, Spaniard.

Out! APPLAUSE

15-30.

SHOUTING

Certainly looking a little darker overhead and,

if there is going to be an interruption to play,

I'm sure Federer would like to go back to the locker room

a break up. 15-30, got a half chance here.

Out!

APPLAUSE

An injection of pace off Federer's forehand side!

15-40. And the challenger unable to cope

on this occasion on the backhand side.

More break points for Federer.

Fault! Ball's good.

No need for Hawk-Eye on that one.

An immediate overrule from Pascal Maria.

Absolutely right from the chair.

Fault!

Out!

APPLAUSE

30-40.

SHOUTING

"Move your feet, Roger," I think she said.

And certainly, when you had all those break points,

and you've only managed to get one,

it just seems like they get harder and harder to take advantage of.

Fault!

Oh, dear, oh, dear!

APPLAUSE

Deuce.

Strangely subdued from Federer here. Strange.

Two second serves at 15-40 and lame returns, really,

by his very high standards and Nadal let off the hook. Back to deuce.

Fault!

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

What's he got to do differently?

I think he's got to have a plan on these points.

We saw those two break points previously

and it just looked like he didn't really

have an idea in his head what he was trying to do

and therefore, you know, just played weak returns.

APPLAUSE

Deuce. Granite-like resistance from Nadal

and is that perhaps the last point that we're going to see

absolutely in the wrong place for Federer to play the ball,

so well done to Nadal again. Three break points saved.

Heavy weather overhead.

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

It's brilliant, isn't it? They play a point to the deuce box

and it looks so easy.

Forehand winner, straight down the line.

Play the point from the ad box and it's a totally different story.

APPLAUSE

Fantastic depth from Nadal. Mr Federer challenging.

Well, I mean, I think he's just buying a little time out here,

because that ball was good and he knows it.

Again, hope, rather than expectation. Absolutely.

APPLAUSE So disgusted with himself.

Four break points gone. Deuce. Nadal still resists.

Mr Federer has two challenge... HE STAMMERS: ..s remaining.

SOME PEOPLE LAUGH

CHEERING

Advantage Nadal.

PEOPLE SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT TO ROGER FEDERER

SHOUTING CONTINUES

Yes, getting very dark out here

and that's not just the mood of Roger Federer.

Lightning around, we hear.

How much more tennis have we got left in this session?

APPLAUSE Game, Nadal.

What a battle for Nadal to win in that game.

Great game for Nadal to come through

and it just adds to the frustration.

We look at break points so far in this match for Federer.

One of 12 converted.

Rafa Nadal, three of four converted and...

Thank you. ..boils down to those big points and, up until this stage,

Nadal is the one that's taken the majority.

Oh, he's got him again! APPLAUSE

Love-15.

A pretty solid volley as well, but Nadal gets down for this

and flicks it, just catches the tape, but a great shot.

Long! APPLAUSE

Love-30.

SHOUTING

We've watched so much of Federer this tournament

and there's always been a sense of inevitability

and right now, the inevitable is...

Nadal breaking serve. It's a huge momentum change.

Out!

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

Love-40. Nadal has been sharp

in every element of his game during this final.

CHEERING, PEOPLE SHOUT

Out!

APPLAUSE

15-40.

GASPS

30-40.

APPLAUSE

MAN: Go on, Roger.

WOMAN: Come on, Nadal!

Fault!

Oh! APPLAUSE

What a crucial set of points those break points were!

Deuce.

SHOUTING

He speaks a number of languages. Mirka's saying, "Allez!" That'll do.

Out!

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

SHOUTING

Out! ANDREW LAUGHS

Game, Federer.

CHEERING

Federer leads four games to three, third set.

'After all that drama, both players held their nerve before

'the dreaded rain forced them off court for an hour and 20 minutes.

'When they finally re-emerged,

'neither man could break the deadlock,

'meaning we were heading for a tie-break.

'We join it at 3-2 to Federer.'

Out!

CHEERING

APPLAUSE

4-2, Federer.

Federer decided before this second serve came

what he was going to do with it, moved early to set up the forehand.

Was a little bit short, the second serve, from Nadal

and Federer absolutely crushed it.

And it could be a shot like that

that proves the difference in a tie-break.

CHEERING

5-2, Federer.

Well, there's no mistaking what the crowd want and it's no

disrespect to Nadal but I think they quite fancy some more tennis.

Thank you.

Out!

Calling out. Called out.

Mr Federer is challenging the right far side, ball was called out.

Oh, Nadal was just running Federer ragged in that rally,

he covered so much turf.

And the final topspin forehand...

was wide.

5-3, Federer.

Mr Federer has two challenges remaining.

6-3, Federer.

It looks like Federer fancies a bit more tennis as well.

Not sure Mum can take it. Set point. Three of them.

6-4, Federer.

There are easier...

Sorry, and then there was one. Indeed.

And easier people to serve to than Nadal.

CHEERING

Federer, seven games to six.

Nadal leads by two sets to one.

'With the atmosphere on Centre Court at fever pitch, on they went.

'These two great warriors, stroke-for-stroke,

'point-for-point, bringing out the very best in each other.'

'Neither man could break the other's spirit

'and the quality of tennis continued to be sublime and

'after three hours and 18 minutes, we headed for another tie-break.

'What followed next was quite simply magnificent.'

Six games all, fourth set, tie-break.

Both players receive one additional challenge.

Thank you. Thank you. Quiet, please.

CHEERING

1-0, Federer.

Well, if all seven points in the break are going to

be like that, the crowd are going to lose their voices.

1-0, Federer.

Fault!

Fault!

Out!

2-1, Nadal.

Nadal takes back the advantage.

3-1, Nadal.

CHEERING

The serve hit the line...

and the ball stopped up.

It was another first serve at a crucial time.

Nadal is closing in on this Wimbledon Men's Singles title.

4-2, Nadal.

And serving at 1-4, Federer,

you really feel like he had to win, got to win both of these.

Won the first one.

He'll really be looking for another good first serve here

to keep him in touch, keep him in this tie-break.

That's wide and that could be the crucial blow.

Uncle Toni can't even watch any more. 5-2, Nadal.

He's coached this young man, his nephew, since he was four years old.

He's grown up a bit and he is two points away from the championship

and he will serve the next two points.

Fault! AUDIENCE GROANS

Fault!

5-3, Nadal.

Got to say that was one tight-looking second serve, 83mph.

Into the top of the tape.

CHEERING

5-4, Nadal.

Five times a champion. Federer is as well, and playing like it.

But if he loses this point,

he'll be two match points down and he knows it.

Nadal is tight.

CHEERING

Set point or match point from here on in.

6-5, Federer.

Out! Oh, he waited for it.

6-6.

And he got the shot that he wanted to have.

CROWD CHANT

Well, continuous play.

Rafa will not be rushed. He has saved a set point.

Federer was down 5-2 in this tie-breaker.

6-6 now.

Mr Federer is challenging the left baseline, the ball was called out.

Well, he got past but was the ball in or out?

Well out.

7-6, Nadal.

And that means championship point.

Mr Federer has three challenges remaining.

Mr Nadal is challenging the left service line, ball was called in.

7-7.

Mr Nadal has one challenge remaining.

Oh, stunning!

8-7, Nadal.

Oh, my goodness!

8-8.

Check this out.

The two best passing shots of the tournament without doubt

have just taken place on the last two points.

It's 8-8. What's next?

Two championship points gone for Nadal.

9-8, Federer.

Sheer quality from both players.

Game and fourth set, Federer.

Seven games to six.

Simply stunning, the best tennis we had ever seen,

and after four sets of breathtaking play,

it would all come down to this - the fifth and final set.

Federer against Nadal,

the world number one against the world number two.

A dramatic conclusion guaranteed.

'The first four games went with serve before rain halted play

'yet again.

'30 minutes passed before they were back on court for the final act.

'We rejoin it at 3-2 to Federer.'

Out!

Out!

3-3, final set.

One minute short of four hours.

This, of course,

is part three of the final which started a little bit late.

Then they went off with the score at two sets to love,

Rafael Nadal, at 5-4, Federer.

But now they've been playing for four hours in total and there'll be

a little delay as Rafael Nadal takes out a nice, new racquet.

A restring anyway.

Puts his little vibration dampener in there and he's ready to attack again.

Nice new tennis balls.

Fault!

Game, Federer.

CHEERING

Federer leads 4-3, final set.

So, what have we had?

Four hours and two minutes' worth of play and there's the points won.

I suppose Nadal from the back of the court, hardly surprising,

that's baseline.

Federer has won more points on serve and at the net as well

but what Tim Henman wanted to point out was...

346 points played

and it's 174-172 to Federer.

Well, now, who's being an anorak?

Well, they've just been... Well, hello.

Oh, just watch yourself, we might be on the box.

Nadal serving, 3-4,

in the fifth set of this championship match at Wimbledon.

Out!

Challenge. Mr Nadal is challenging the call on the left far side,

the ball was called out.

Players get these three challenges a set and if they're right,

they keep that amount of challenges and it's just a way of checking

whether or not they were dealt with fairly and he was.

Mr Nadal has two challenges remaining.

This man, who had championship points,

two of them in the fourth set tie-break, trying to hang in now.

Let.

First service.

No net call judges, just a little vibration device that sends

a beep into the ear of the umpire.

It's very sensitive.

CHEERING

Out!

Oh! CHEERING

You will not see a forehand struck better than this.

Ever. That was perfect.

Nadal, break point down.

The speed and the weight of Nadal's forehand under pressure,

break point down.

Fault!

Advantage, Nadal.

Game, Nadal.

Well, Mum and Dad loving the work from their son and rightly so.

What a three-point run after being break point down.

Never a moment of doubt in Nadal's head. 4-4 in the fifth.

CHEERING

And even at this stage, this importance of the match,

points being won by winners, so few unforced errors.

Fault!

Thanks, Roger(!)

Nadal benefitting from a return that really didn't come out of the middle

of the racquet, it was a mishit return, it keeps him in the game.

Fault!

Federer leads 5-4, final set.

Well, great sport bringing us

all together here at 8:40 on Sunday night.

It's been a match that will live long in the memory

and we may still have a long way to go.

Nadal serves at 4-5 in the fifth set.

Wonderful serve. APPLAUSE

Second serve.

CHEERING

A gust of wind really did not help the Spaniard there.

It's really picking up.

Out!

40-30.

Game, Nadal.

CHEERING

5-5, final set.

CROWD CHANT

A strong hold of serve from Nadal at 4-5 including a second-serve

ace on the first point.

Now, he gets the jump on Federer here by winning the first point.

Let. First service.

15-30.

The speed and determination of Nadal.

Admirable.

Never out of a point.

CHEERING

Wondrous forehand, curling, dipping forehand into the corner.

15-40.

And suddenly, Federer on the rack.

CHEERING

Deuce.

Advantage, Federer.

Game, Federer.

CHEERING

Federer leads six games to five, final set.

Well, Federer escaping again from 15-40 as he escaped from two

match points down in the fourth set tie-break but how on earth

does Nadal keep coming back from this sort of disappointment?

He has knocked on the door, Tim Henman, time and time again.

It's just absolutely incredible at this stage in the match,

the quality of the hitting.

Nadal gets to 15-40, Federer responds.

And the tennis gets better and better and the crowd, louder and louder.

The longest Men's Singles final in 28 years.

Fault!

Fault!

Fault!

Out!

APPLAUSE

30-15.

40-15.

Ever resistant. Ever able to run every ball down.

He will leave a piece of himself out here on this court.

Trying to stay with Federer who had the advantage this

set of serving first.

Out!

Game, Nadal.

Six games all, final set.

The number of challenges for both players is reset back to three.

So three challenges each on the Hawk-Eye challenge system

because they got to six

but there's no tie-break in a fifth and deciding set at Wimbledon.

So we go on. It has to be a two-game advantage.

Love-15.

I think Federer would have preferred a tie-break

looking at the scoreboard. He's won two tie-breaks in this final.

He won two tie-breaks in last year's winning effort, as well.

Love-30.

Maybe this time.

15-30.

30-all.

40-30.

Out!

He's missed it.

He had the court open.

Deuce.

Had the whole court.

Certainly wouldn't want that to cost him.

Fault!

Out!

Advantage Federer.

That was as surprising a miss from Nadal as Federer's high

forehand volley had been.

A second serve and he's put it a foot long.

Out!

Deuce.

Let. First service.

APPLAUSE

Advantage Federer.

He's relentless with that forehand.

Really looking to hit it at every opportunity.

Out!

Federer leads seven games to six. Final set.

Nadal had 15-40 at five-all. He had love-30 in that game.

And yet he resists, Tim.

Just from both players the way they've dealt with adversity.

Every time their back is against the wall

they manage to raise their level.

Come out with some even better shots. More winners.

And it is going to take something special for somebody to end

this match.

It might take the clock. We're approaching 9:00.

One can imagine a 9:30 finish perhaps.

But certainly no more than that.

The late finishes we've had during these championships have come

after a nice clear day.

And this has not been one of those.

Plans have been changed.

Nobody has left.

And Nadal will come out to serve again to stay in the match.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Love-15.

15-all.

30-15.

Great use of the body serve there.

Federer couldn't get out of the way of it.

Out!

40-15.

And the human dynamo that is Nadal continues to knock the ball

back with interest.

Been pummelling Federer for 4 hours and 34 minutes.

And two chances now for seven games all in the fifth set.

Out!

40-30.

The drop volley was no more than an afterthought from Federer.

It was a very high tariff of difficulty on that shot.

It keeps him in the game.

Nadal unlucky to have the net cord go against him.

Game Nadal.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Seven games all, final set.

What can you say about that?

Thank you. Quiet, please.

Love-15. I don't know about second wind, third wind, whatever it is.

You can't be playing a short ball to Nadal's forehand at this point.

After the end of that last game he's got the blood coursing

through his veins.

Love-30.

Another half chance for Nadal.

Love-30 on the Federer serve.

Out!

15-30.

Oh! Magnificent strike.

That's the shot he's worked on for hours.

And now it pays dividends.

30-40.

Deuce.

Advantage Nadal.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Deuce.

It's just incredible the importance of these points

and the way they've been played by both players.

Advantage Nadal.

I suspect Bjorn's quite pleased he's not involved in a match like this.

But no doubt enjoying it. Here is another break point.

But no doubt enjoying it. Here is another break point.

The fourth of the game.

Game Nadal.

New balls, please.

Nadal leads by 8-7, final set.

Finally the breakthrough and the umpire says new balls.

Advantage for Nadal.

CROWD CHANTS: Rafa!

When Nadal had a chance to serve the match out in the tie-break...

..fourth set, that was too much for him.

Time.

Can Nadal find the four points he needs to claim his first

Singles Championship here at Wimbledon?

8-7.

Out!

Love-15.

I wonder if that's where new balls didn't help him,

that forehand just flying a little bit longer.

Not taking the spin as it has done so often.

15-all.

Believe it or not, after four and three quarter hours of this

final, that is the first serve and volley from Nadal.

He's got a keen sense of timing.

Match player, both of them.

30-15.

That backhand from Federer looked like it was going long

and Nadal played it.

I think he was so anxious to try and hit the volley.

Could he have left it?

If he had and it would have gone out it would have been two match points.

Ifs and buts are no good now.

As courtesy to the players please don't use cameras with flash.

Thank you.

INAUDIBLE

Out!

Took his eye off that one.

The five-time defending champion is at the mercy of Nadal here.

CROWD CHATTERS

Thank you.

Well, no wonder people stand.

It's just different tennis than we've ever seen.

Three match points Nadal has had. Three times he's been on the brink.

And three times Federer has said no.

Advantage Nadal.

There's a new man at the helm of men's tennis. Rafael Nadal.

..6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7.

Federer's magnificent run ends. Nadal is the top man.

Memories of Pat Cash in 1987. Straight to Dad.

And Mum.

And Uncle.

And they know all the work that it has taken to achieve this excellence.

He's off and running. He's into the Royal Box.

Spanish dignitaries receiving a sweaty handshake from the champion.

And why not?

ANDREW LAUGHS

No need to feel sorry for Roger Federer. It's been a wonderful run.

He played a fantastic match.

And he may well be back but this is Nadal's moment.

Ladies and gentlemen, to the runner-up, Roger Federer.

So no six in a row for Roger Federer.

But what an effort.

Borg lost to a left-hander when he was going for six in a row.

He lost to McEnroe.

Federer losing to Rafael Nadal.

And the Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles Champion for 2008, Rafael Nadal.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

'So the longest Wimbledon final in history was also the greatest.

'Indeed, many say the greatest tennis match of all time.

'Four hours and 48 minutes

'of sublime spirit, courage and raw emotion.

'A true Wimbledon classic.'

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat these two imposters just the same

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue

Or walk with kings nor lose the common touch

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you

If all men count with you but not too much

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With 60 seconds worth of distance run

Yours is the earth and everything that's in it

And, which is more,

you'll be a man, my son.