I just expect to play against probably the best player in history on this surface. Tune in to re-live the unforgettable 2008 Final between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal # WimbledonRecreated. He's also playing very differently. Related Videos. "In the 2008 final, this was played out in microcosm. McEnroe, whose 1980 final against Borg had for so long been tennis's gold standard, turned to his fellow NBC commentator Ted Robinson and said: "We’ll never see anything like that again." "The battle to be the man with more Grand Slam titles than any other provides an added element of intrigue to the match between Federer and Nadal.A third Wimbledon triumph for the Spaniard, who won the 2008 and 2010 titles, would move him just one behind the Swiss, having never been so close to his tally.Federer, who is aiming for a record-extending ninth men's singles title at Wimbledon, was nine majors clear of Nadal at the end of 2007 - when he was 26 and had already won 12 of his 20 majors.Nadal closed that gap to just two with his 12th French Open title last month, while 32-year-old Djokovic is hot on their heels despite only winning his first major in 2008 and only adding a second three years later.11 - Successive Grand Slam titles won between them, stretching from the 2005 French Open to the 2007 US Open12 - Finals reached by Nadal at Roland Garros - a record which Federer is trying to match at Wimbledon65 - Consecutive grass-court wins for Federer before Nadal ended that run in the 2008 Wimbledon final70 - The combined age of 37-year-old Federer, who turns 38 next month, and 33-year-old Nadal100 - Matches won by Federer at Wimbledon, the first man to reach a century at a single Grand Slam211 - Consecutive weeks sharing the top two spots in the world rankings between July 2005 to August 2009234,308,576 - Combined career prize money (US dollars)
"I think it is the best grass-court tournament Rafa has played, even though he has won two titles here," Becker added. It took Nadal four hours, 48 minutes of play to unshackle Federer’s fingers from the Wimbledon trophy, in a spine-tingling match every tennis fan remembers and reveres. You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Read our community guidelines in full Rafael Nadal‘s win over Roger Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final proved to be more than an instant classic, a book, a documentary.It, more than … The greatest match? He feels comfortable here. "I know he's playing well. "He lost the first two sets and I said we better start writing about basketball," Wertheim told In the documentary, Federer revealed he initially hated the idea of a rival emerging. 4:51:41. And then, eventually, I realised there’s something good to take out of these situations. It means a lot for me and probably for him, too. Friday's highly-anticipated semi-final will be the:40th meeting between the pair in their illustrious careers14th meeting at a Grand Slam, having only played in semi-finals and finalsfourth meeting at Wimbledon, with Federer leading 2-1 in the head to head"Often we see matches being overhyped but you can't overhype this one - and rightly so," three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker told BBC Sport. After losing the first two sets, Federer was forced to go for the jugular, and after an 80-minute rain delay pinched the third set on a tie-break.

"The opportunities to play against each other are becoming less, but we still here.

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal embrace after the 2008 Wimbledon finalBoth players wipe away seat during a break between gamesDark clouds hang over Centre Court as the players duelNadal holds the trophy as he shakes hands with Federer Analysis and opinion from the BBC's tennis correspondent.How to get into tennis - it's fun, will keep you fit and caters for all levels and abilities. I understand this is unpalatable to people who have racial vitriol in heart but facts are facts. He's gone through his matches easily against difficult players like Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Sam Querrey, and that's because of his level. Find your nearest court and learn the basics with our guide.Get the latest tennis headlines sent straight to your phone, sign-up to our newsletter and learn where to find us on online. So you can dive into the tactics like mad, or you say 'it's grass-court tennis so I'm going to come out and play my tennis'.
I’ve never seen such sustained involvement in a tennis match. ""Rafa has improved so much over the years on this surface. "I'm not expecting to learn new things about him. "So we're very lucky to have this opportunity again on Friday.