Nadal Ends Federer’s Reign in an epic thriller Wimbledon final

London: Rafael Nadal played the match of his life to overcome a miraculous comeback by top seed Roger Federer before ending his five-year reign in an epic Wimbledon final. In a match full of twists and turns, Nadal gave a final twist to the heartstopping drama sealing his first Wimbledon title on his fourth match point. The match, that lasted just under five hours, got over in near darkness at 9.15 pm local time with Nadal winning the nerve-wrecking battle 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-7 (8) 9-7. And when the golden moment came—-as Federer return hit the net on the final point—-the 22-year old Nadal fell to the ground even as tears of joy started rolling down his cheeks. Nadal then rushed towards the net to hug his graceful rival before running up into the stands to greet his overjoyed family and friends. Having lost the previous two finals to Roger Federer, Nadal had to endure two rain delays and a stunning comeback by his opponent before he could go ahead with his coronation ceremony as the new Wimbledon champion and also the only man after the legendary Bjorn Borg (in 1980) to win the French Open and Wimbledon. His victory also put an end to Federer’s 65-match winning-streak on grass and also his five-year reign as the King at the All England Club. The 26-year old Federer eventually suffered his first big defeat on the Centre Court at the hands of his nemesis, preventing him from becoming only the second man to win six consecutive Wimbledon titles, and surpass Borg to match Willie Renshaw, who played in the 1880s. In a match of fluctuating fortunes, Nadal gave the final twist to the tale when he broke Federer in the 15th game of the fifth and final set. And having endured the agony of missing out on two match points in the fourth set, Nadal couldn’t have believed his luck as Federer saved a third one in the 16th game. However, on this day and in this mood, Nadal was not to be denied his moment of reckoning. The Spainard produced a thundering serve and Federer’s forehand hit the net to signal a memorable victory for the No. 2 seed. Nadal became only the third player in the Open era to win both the French Open and Wimbledon back to back.