Rafael Nadal may be king of clay but when it comes to grass there is no match to Greatest of all Time Roger Federer.
Federer will play Novak Djokovic after he reached his 12th Wimbledon final on Friday beating Spanish rival Rafael Nadal 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 37-year-old eight-time champion — the third oldest Grand Slam finalist in the modern era — will be appearing in his 31st final at the majors.
It is the first time the Swiss legend has beaten Nadal in a Grand Slam semi-final having lost all four of their previous encounters, most recently at this year’s French Open.
In the eleven years that have passed since that iconic, sport-changing day in 2008, the two men have woven the richest of rivalries together. It is a tapestry of epic battles – 40 in total, fought out across the globe – that runs through two glorious decades. And as today’s meeting showed, the competitive edge that exists between these two men has not waned with the passing of time. It burns as brightly as ever, manifesting in a spectacle that left those present here on Centre Court humbled by what they had witnessed.
After yet another titanic struggle between these two greats – the fourth of its kind at the All England Club – it was Federer who emerged triumphant following just over three hours of absorbing tennis, winning 7-6 1-6 6-3 6-4.
