Tennis wins at Wimbledon

[remdog]

After almost 5 hours Rafael Nadel walked off the courts at the All England Club clutching the winners' trophy. But there were no lossers today. Roger Federer clawed back from down two sets to love and fought off 4 championship points in a remarkable dispaly of courage, determination and coolness under pressure only to fall victim to Nadal's unending determination and unwillingness to see his dream snatched from his grasp.

In the end it was probably the greatest match ever played on the most famous court in the world's most prestigious tournement with the ultimate winner being the game of tennis itself.

If you saw any of the fight, the determination, the skill and the willingnesss to never give up by either man then you have to acknowledge what a great event this was and what a great sport tennis is.

Rem

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I got home at about 1pm right when it started to come back from delay and watched every minute of it after.

That was an epic battle between those two guys. Definitely the best match I've seen. Every game, the one had an answer for the other up until the end of that final set. Very very entertaining stuff today.

[Razor Shines]

After almost 5 hours Rafael Nadel walked off the courts at the All England Club clutching the winners' trophy. But there were no lossers today. Roger Federer clawed back from down two sets to love and fought off 4 championship points in a remarkable dispaly of courage, determination and coolness under pressure only to fall victim to Nadal's unending determination and unwillingness to see his dream snatched from his grasp.

In the end it was probably the greatest match ever played on the most famous court in the world's most prestigious tournement with the ultimate winner being the game of tennis itself.

If you saw any of the fight, the determination, the skill and the willingnesss to never give up by either man then you have to acknowledge what a great event this was and what a great sport tennis is.

Rem

I watched every minute, I had the Reds on mlb.tv and the match on the TV. Needless to say I missed quite a bit of the Reds game because I was glued to the tennis match. It was fantastic, I wanted Roger to pull it out but in the end I didn't care. I just wanted it to continue.

[oneupper]

I watched. Good stuff. But hardly the "greatest final ever".
The best I've seen was the Borg-McEnroe in 1980. The fourth set tie break went to 18-16 or something like that.

But those years were all really good. The Borg-Connors in 1977 was up there, as was the the Connors-McEnroe in 1982.

[remdog]

...but in the end I didn't care. I just wanted it to continue.

That's exactly the way I felt too.

Rem

[remdog]

I watched. Good stuff. But hardly the "greatest final ever".
The best I've seen was the Borg-McEnroe in 1980. The fourth set tie break went to 18-16 or something like that.

I saw that match too and you are correct---it was also fantastic! They didn't play tie-breakers at Wimbledon in those days---I can't decide if that was more dramatic than the 'sudden-death' of a tie-breaker. I certainly agree that, in the fifth set, at a grand-slam tourney, they should have to play it out.

Borg is my all-time favorite player and I hated McEnroe because of all of his antics. It was the perfect 'good-guy vs.bad-guy'. With Raffa and Roger they are both likeable, modest guys that say nice things about their opponents so, in some ways it takes away from the classic 'good vs. evil' battle. Even so, as both RS and I said above, we just didn't want it to end.

BTW, some guy doing comentary after the match (I think his name was J. McEnroe) said it was the greatest final he had ever seen. ;)

Rem

[oneupper]

BTW, some guy doing comentary after the match (I think his name was J. McEnroe) said it was the greatest final he had ever seen. ;)

Rem

Rare modesty from Mr. McEnroe. :D
Wonder if one can "see" a game if you're playing it. Or maybe a match isn't so great if you lose. :)

[remdog]

Rare modesty from Mr. McEnroe. :D
Wonder if one can "see" a game if you're playing it.

I like that question and, as most of us know, when you are within the game (whatever it is you are playing) you are often (usually?, always?) so focused on 'the zone' that you rarely are aware of what is going on around you.

Rem

[AccordinglyReds]

Watched the whole match today, as well as most of the tournament.

I like both Nadal and Federer because their styles are so unique and opposite, but they play with the same determination. I was rooting for Nadal to win the match from the start, but I just wanted to see them battle it out like they've done in the past.

Great win for Nadal! :)

[Chip R]

I just saw a little bit of the 5th set and the last part of the last game and I could tell from the score it was an all time classic.

[remdog]

Watched the whole match today, as well as most of the tournament.

I like both Nadal and Federer because their styles are so unique and opposite, but they play with the same determination. I was rooting for Nadal to win the match from the start, but I just wanted to see them battle it out like they've done in the past.

Great win for Nadal! :)

Yep! Almost makes me wish that the US Open was next week so we could watch them do it all over again. :)

Rem

[AccordinglyReds]

Yep! Almost makes me wish that the US Open was next week so we could watch them do it all over again. :)

Rem

I wanted to get tickets to the upcoming tourney in Cincinnati (womens and mens), but I figured some of the more notable players wouldn't be going due to the fact that the Olympics will be coming up soon. I'm still debating. Seeing the Williams sisters back in the finals was nice, but I'd love to see Safina and Jankovic reach the finals once because I know they can put together a nice run, but Jankovic usually comes up short. I wish more people I knew enjoyed tennis as much as me so I'd be able to play it more often.

[RFS62]

I saw most of it. It was fantastic in every way.

[remdog]

Sorry, double post.

Rem

[remdog]

I wanted to get tickets to the upcoming tourney in Cincinnati (womens and mens), but I figured some of the more notable players wouldn't be going due to the fact that the Olympics will be coming up soon. I'm still debating. Seeing the Williams sisters back in the finals was nice, but I'd love to see Safina and Jankovic reach the finals once because I know they can put together a nice run, but Jankovic usually comes up short. I wish more people I knew enjoyed tennis as much as me so I'd be able to play it more often.

The Cincinnati tourney is one of the Masters Series for men so it's likely that you will see many of the top players there. The Masters Series is only one step below the four Grand Slams.

I'm not sure how the women's tourney figures into this because it was previously a level three tourney. Add into that the fact that the Olympics has thrown the normal summer schedule off and I'm not quite sure how all that falls.

Rem

[AccordinglyReds]

The Cincinnati tourney is one of the Masters Series for men so it's likely that you will see many of the top players there. The Masters Series is only one step below the four Grand Slams.

I'm not sure how the women's tourney figures into this because it was previously a level three tourney. Add into that the fact that the Olympics has thrown the normal summer schedule off and I'm not quite sure how all that falls.

Rem

I saw the entry list, and all the good players are intending to attend. However, since I will be going to the Rockies/Reds game on Saturday 7-26, I picked up some opening round tickets since I'll already be in Cincinnati. I might have to head back up during the tourney, but for now, I'll still be happy to go. I'd really like to see the women's tourney, but I'd say it's a toss-up for some of them.

[Dom Heffner]

It was the greatest match I've ever seen and it won another fan in my household.

I'm going to to get egged here, but I was so happy Nadal won. Federer is a classy guy, he's great, but he's beneffited from "There's nobody else in my sport so I dominate it" for far too long. It was good to see somebody finally beat him. I know Federer is awesome, but he's not having to beat anybody at all to get to these finals. Quick- name the top 5 male players in the world. Yeah, you can't because the field is terrible right now.

And is it just me or does tennis come off as being a pompous sport? Advertisements for lear jets and Roger Federer wearing his own mongrammed cardigan was a bit much.

Tennis is my favorite sport behind baseball, but the last few years- with the exception of Nadal and Federer- it has been lacking personality and players. Just a bunch of nobodys.

[improbus]

What separates Federer vs. Nadal:

1) This has been building for years (Federer won in four sets in 2006, Nadal almost had in in '07 losing in 5 sets)
Borg and McEnroe had never played before at Wimbledon.

2) The Clay Court specialist vs. the Grass Court specialist

3) Every set was close; in 1980 McEnroe won the first set 6-1 and Borg the third 6-3

4) The rain delays changed the momentum of the match twice, first for Federer and then for Nadal, and heightend the tension.

5) Federers backhand on Nadal's championship point in the corner is one of the greatest, gutsiest shots I've ever seen.

[AccordinglyReds]

It was the greatest match I've ever seen and it won another fan in my household.

I'm going to to get egged here, but I was so happy Nadal won. Federer is a classy guy, he's great, but he's beneffited from "There's nobody else in my sport so I dominate it" for far too long. It was good to see somebody finally beat him. I know Federer is awesome, but he's not having to beat anybody at all to get to these finals. Quick- name the top 5 male players in the world. Yeah, you can't because the field is terrible right now.

And is it just me or does tennis come off as being a pompous sport? Advertisements for lear jets and Roger Federer wearing his own mongrammed cardigan was a bit much.

Tennis is my favorite sport behind baseball, but the last few years- with the exception of Nadal and Federer- it has been lacking personality and players. Just a bunch of nobodys.

I'd have to disagree that the men's sport has been "just a bunch of nobodys" aside from Nadal and Federer. I think it's been more of up-and-down for others, rather there being a lack of talent. And I don't think the sport has been advertised as any more of a pompous sport than it has been in the past because the sport is increasingly becoming more and more international in respect to the players and the sponsors, thus the advertisements can't be not only local, but also it must be a product that has wide appeal internationally.

[improbus]

Wimbledon by definition is elitist.