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LONDON -- It seems to have the same inevitability as Celtics-Lakers -- the matchup everyone wants except for those with a personal interest. Outside the strawberries and cream, the wild outfits and Russian women leaving faster than American men, Wimbledon is marching toward a sixth Grand Slam final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
And this one should be the best.
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| Fellow five-time Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg predicts Roger Federer will fall short of a sixth straight title. (Getty Images) |
Nadal, dispelling any notion that his tricky right knee was a problem, dispatched Russian Mikhail Youzhny in straight sets and only wanted to talk about Spain's victory in the Euro 2008 Final. Nadal admitted he was hoarse from screaming for his friends and compatriots in their legendary victory over Germany.
As for legendary, Federer is already headed there, but Nadal, the king of clay, won a grass tournament before Wimbledon and has the consistent excellence to beat Federer for the first time on the hallowed grass.
Their styles are different and complementary. Federer is the James Bond of tennis, untroubled in his tailored shorts and elegant strokes. Nadal is the bionic contender, sweating under his headband and bursting like a thoroughbred from the gate. Remember the first day of Wimbledon when Federer took Centre Court in a cardigan? Nadal would rather face Federer with his eyes closed than appear as a Bill Tilden look-a-like.
Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe had this kind of epic rivalry -- contrasting styles, different temperaments. Federer wants to break Borg's record; they are tied with five straight Wimbledon titles. When Borg finally lost, in the summer of 1981, it was, of course, McEnroe who beat the Swede in four magnificent sets.
Tennis needs rivalries -- if Venus and Serena Williams are headed for the final, it probably won't be as compelling as Federer-Nadal. The sisters tend to be too nice, too concerned with each other to make an assault on either side. Nadal's muscle and explosiveness against Federer's impossible grace on the grass is the match tennis fans have been waiting for.
In the quarterfinals, Federer will face the last man to beat him on grass, Mario Ancic, who scored the upset in the first round in 2002. It won't help Ancic that his match to get to the quarters took almost four hours -- the last set was 94 minutes -- before the Croatian beat Fernando Verdasco 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 13-11.
Nadal will face the darling of the British Empire, Andy Murray, who staged one of the great comebacks in Wimbledon history with his 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over eighth-seeded Richard Gasquet. Murray, from Scotland, is front-page news in London. One scribe wrote of the tumultuous battle and deafening fans, "As evening came, Murray was bathed in celestial light ... reaching new heights as Centre Court stood to him."
Huh?
At the end of the match, Murray had a moment of levity, rolling up his sleeves and pointing to his biceps. They are nowhere near the size of Nadal's Popeye arms, but Murray was not deterred.
"I just have to recover from this match and concentrate on Rafa," he said. "I believe I can win."
