The commentator, at the end of the marathon 5-set Wimbledon Men's 2008 Final between Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal, said "What we have witnessed here tonight is something very special, very extraordinary..."
His words couldn't have been more apt. After five successive Wimbledon Championships, Federer had to hand the cup over to Nadal. We all love Roger. It was very sad to see him lose last night, but throughout the match I was supporting Nadal...because he has always been touted as a player that can win only on slow clay surfaces. He was perceived not to possess the calibre to win on grass, and we've read enough about how much he wanted to win on grass. But the bigger reason I wanted Nadal to win was because he has worked really hard on his game on grass & the way he was playing yesterday, he totally deserved to win. Not that Roger deserved it any less. He's a player of a different class altogether but Nadal gave him a fight on every ball.
Yesterday, while Nadal held the champion's trophy, Federer held the runners-up trophy. Am not sure when Federer saw himself holding the runners-up trophy last!
What's extraordinary is the respect the two players have for each other. While Federer said that Nadal was a deserving champion, here's what Nadal said about his great rival :
"Well, it is disappointing for me I am in the same time as the best player in history, Roger Federer.
...I just congratulate Roger, because he always fights unbelievably
I lost the last two finals, close finals. But he's still the number one. He's still the best. He's still five times champion here."
If watching Federer & Nadal stand side-by-side on Center Court, holding trophies that the other generally holds, and reading the words above didn't touch your heart and put you in a mellow mood, I don't know what would.
2 comments:
I love them both. But I kept rooting for Roger. Like you say, he is a class act. A gentleman more than anything else. I wanted him to win, because for reason i don't think he will be able to win again, and Nadal is just starting out and will have many years of winning. It was a treat. And hats off to nadal for those superb words he uttered about Roger.
I watched the game in a room full of people that were all supporting Roger. Was indeed very sad to see him lose, but there are times when being able to do something means alot to some people. It was the same with Nadal wanting to win the Wimbledon. It was a special moment for sure.
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