Midsummer Classic

Five Sets and Nearly Five Hours Later, Nadal Wins Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England, July 6 -- Rafael Nadal wasn't the first Wimbledon champion to climb through the stands and bury a tearful face in his parents' embrace.

But he was the first to scamper from there to the Royal Box and shake the hand of his country's Crown Prince. Nadal broke with tradition again by marching outside the All England club's entrance with the Wimbledon trophy in his arms to sign as many autographs as he could, triggering shrieks worthy of the Beatles before stepping back inside to fulfill the media obligations that awaited.

Only glimmers of light remained by the time Nadal completed the longest final in Wimbledon history Sunday, defeating five-time champion Roger Federer, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (7-5), 6-7 (10-8), 9-7. And there wasn't a person Nadal didn't want to share his life's greatest moment with as darkness fell.

Federer fought off three match points before succumbing, sending a final forehand into the net to end the 4-hour 48-minute battle that was twice halted for rain. Nadal collapsed on Centre Court in relief, exhaustion and disbelief over dethroning Federer to win the game's most coveted title.

"It's impossible to describe," said Nadal, 22, who grew up on the clay courts of Mallorca. "It's a dream. When I was a kid I dreamed of playing here. But to win here? For any player -- but for the Spanish especially -- it is a dream."

Nadal had beaten Federer in 11 of their 17 previous matches. But he had never beaten him on grass, falling just short in last year's five-set Wimbledon final.

No player had beaten Federer on grass since 2002. And most predicted that his mastery would continue on Sunday, as the Swiss star sought to top Bjorn Borg's modern mark of five consecutive Wimbledon titles.

But it was Nadal who added the asterisk next to Borg's name instead, becoming the first man since Borg (in 1980) to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

It was a Wimbledon final made memorable by more than streaks and statistics.

Federer and Nadal are the best players in the world, miles above their challengers in shot-making and grit. And their rivalry, now in its fifth year, often has produced magic.

Sunday's match was their most riveting. It included every shot in the game's lexicon as the Swiss and Spaniard varied tactics and tempo, trying to coax mistakes out of each other. It proved that a clay-court master such as Nadal can adapt his game to grass. And it underscored the best qualities in athletes: resilience, courage, creativity and fair play.

If ever a Grand Slam final called for splitting the trophy, this was it.