Eight years ago today, two of the modern-day great men’s tennis players treated the crowd at the All England Club to not only one of the greatest Wimbledon finals ever, but one of the game’s greatest.
Spaniard Rafa Nadal beat Swiss legend Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 6-7 (8/10) 9-7 in a game that lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes. Nadal won the first two sets 6-4, 6-4 to take a commanding lead in a final interrupted several times by rain.
Federer battled back to win the next two sets 7-6, 7-6, saving two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak. After another delay, darkness threatened to send the final into a second day, but play continued as Nadal won a maiden Wimbledon crown.
Other memorable events on this day…
1933: The first MLB All-Star Game is played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The AL defeat the NL 4–2.
1957: Althea Gibson becomes the first black Wimbledon tennis champion by defeating Darlene Hard in the women’s singles final.
2002: David Nalbandian becomes the first player in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon men’s final on his tournament debut.
