Nadal conquers in scintillating final

TENNIS:THERE WAS a point midway through the third set when fans looked to the malevolent skies funnelling over southwest London and wondered if the weather could save Roger Federer. It seemed so preposterous that the five-time winner and 12-time Grand Slam champion would need third-party intervention.

There were 15,000 doubters, with the only believer being perhaps Federer himself.

On this occasion they were right to disbelieve, as Rafael Nadal defeated the reigning champion 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in one of the most thrilling matches ever seen on centre court.

In the Royal Box, Bjorn Borg looked on. The last man to win five successive titles at Wimbledon, he too was twitching, wondering if Federer could quell Nadal's force-of-nature game and win a record sixth title. He must also have been thinking whether Federer's fearless tilt at six would be ended as his was in 1981, to the second seed that year, a certain John McEnroe.

The Swiss world number one had become something akin to a piece of installation art on Centre Court. Such is his familiarity with the dull, matt green surrounds and the beaten up grass along the baseline, it seemed almost improper to think that one of the masters of the court needed the luck of the gods to overcome the remarkable 22-year-old Spaniard at the other side of the net.

His 64 successive wins at Wimbledon; the astonishing record of having lost only seven sets in SW19 since his last defeat against Mario Ancic in 2002, and that he was in his 231st week as the world number one all became nothing.

Nadal was in the ascendant, two sets up and brilliantly dismissing Federer's sleight of hand; then the young Spaniard dipped to allow the champion back into the match. Two tiebreaks and Nadal squandering championship points twice in the fourth set sent minds thinking that the younger player may have blown his chance.

For every perfect shot Federer produced Nadal matched, and vice versa, and even after the late start and the two rain delays and with the light fading fast, nobody left their seats. Up in the player's box, Nadal's uncle Toni and his father, Sebastian, watched nervously, while in Federer's seats his girlfriend, Mirca, and his mother lived every rise and fall of the match - and there were many.

But Nadal has shown himself to be every bit as mentally strong as Federer. It has always been the dream of the young Spaniard to win the title, and as they moved into the fifth set the tiebreaks were removed. Federer's pristine grass record was on the line and threatened.

Nadal had moved seamlessly from the clay he adores and dominates on to the grass at Queens and, now, Wimbledon, and finally, in the gloaming, as the two met service game with service game, Nadal unlocked the champion.

A long forehand from Federer gave Nadal the service break he was looking for, and at 8-7 and with new balls Nadal was to serve for the match. A mishit backhand gave Nadal his third match point, but an outrageous Federer backhand winner brought it back to deuce.

He earned his fourth match point on a huge serve, and when Federer hit his forehand into the net, it was over.

Nadal had become the first player to beat Federer since 2002 and he had taken his crown.

"I beat Roger here after five years. I lost the last two finals, close finals," said Nadal. "But he's still the number one. He's still the best. He is still five-time champion here. Right now I have one, so this is very important for me."

FEDERER NADAL

1st Serve % 128 of 195 = 66% 159 of 218 = 73%

Aces 25 6

Double Faults 2 3

Unforced Errors 52 27

Winning % on 1st Serve 93 of 128 = 73% 110 of 159 = 69%

Winning % on 2nd Serve 38 of 67 = 57% 35 of 59 = 59%

Receiving Points Won 73 of 218 = 33% 64 of 195 = 33%

Break Point Conversions 1 of 13 = 8% 4 of 13 = 31%

Net Approaches 42 of 75 = 56% 22 of 31 = 71%

Total Points Won 204 209

Fastest Serve 129 MPH 120 MPH

Average 1st Serve Speed 117 MPH 112 MPH

Average 2nd Serve Speed 100 MPH 93 MPH

Match time: Four hours 48 minutes