LONDON, 10 July 2006 — Roger Federer wrapped up his fourth consecutive Wimbledon title yesterday, finally subduing Spain’s Rafael Nadal 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.
Federer joined Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg as a four-in-a-row Wimbledon winner and admitted he thought it would have been mission impossible.
It looked as though the world No. 1 would run away with an eighth Grand Slam title after rampaging through the first set in 24 minutes before double French Open champion Nadal recovered to make the Swiss maestro sweat on a breezy Center Court.
Federer dropped a set for the first time at this year’s tournament as the 20-year-old Nadal refused to surrender, but in the end he had enough grasscourt craft to become only the third man to win four straight titles here in the professional era. “It’s fantastic, I never thought it was possible but I made it,” Federer, clad in his cream blazer, said in his acceptance speech after an enthralling two hour 50 minute contest. Federer had been on the receiving end against Nadal four times already this year, and he came out mean, moody and looking for revenge after his French Open final defeat last month.
His opening set demolition was the first 6-0 first set in a Wimbledon men’s final since Boris Becker achieved the feat against Stefan Edberg in 1989.
Nadal had won 80 consecutive service games at Wimbledon en route to the final, but that sequence ended when Federer crunched a forehand to break serve at the first time of asking.
For once Nadal, the first Spanish finalist for 40 years, looked overawed as he struggled for rhythm and Federer broke again to lead 4-0.
Nadal saved a set point with a brilliant lob volley at 0-5 and another with his first ace, but Federer made sure at the third attempt with an exquisite backhand pass.
Thoughts of a Center Court humiliation for Nadal, the youngest men’s finalist since Becker in 1986, soon disappeared though as he finally exploded into life.
A pummeled backhand winner gave him a break point at the start of the second set and Federer then miss-hit a forehand wide, prompting a trademark bicep-bulging fist pump and roar of “Vamos” from Nadal.
Federer responded by carving out a break point in the fourth game, only to send a backhand over the baseline. Nadal consolidated his two-game lead with an ace.
Nadal, who lost the first set of the French Open final 6-1, began to dominate the rallies from the baseline and it was Federer’s turn to look anxious as Nadal moved 5-3 ahead.
Serving for the set at 5-4, however, Nadal served a double fault at 15-30 and then looped a forehand out to gift Federer a way back into the set. An angry Nadal regained his composure to take the set into a tiebreak, in which he got the first mini-break. Three forehand errors from Nadal gave the momentum back to Federer as the Swiss won five points in a row to move 6-3 ahead. The second seed clawed it back to 6-5 but Federer roared with relief when a Nadal forehand nestled in the net. Federer served his first double-fault of the match to give Nadal a sniff of a service break at 2-3 in the third set, but salvaged the situation with a well-placed delivery. Games went with serve as the match drifted into its second tiebreak which Nadal dominated. From 2-2 he cranked up the pressure with some fierce hitting, winning five points in a row and sealing the set when Federer made a hash of a forehand.
The decisive moment came with Nadal facing a break point at 1-2 as the Spaniard leapt to hit a smash but sent it sailing over the baseline.
Finally Federer had some daylight and it became clear blue sky as he broke again for 5-1. Even then, Nadal hit back to break the Swiss when he first served for the match. Federer made no mistake at 5-3, closing out the match to love when he forced Nadal into an error.
