Rain delays caused the match to last almost seven hours, but in the end, 22-year-old Rafael Nadal defeated five-time winner Roger Federer in a stunning comeback, winning 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7 as darkness fell over a mesmerized Centre Court.
Between two players who have won 42 Grand Slam championships between them, it was the final of three consecutive Wimbledon finals.
Four individuals who were present during the remarkable event are interviewed by Sport:McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam winner; umpire Pascal Maria,
A month shy of turning 27 on July 6, 2008, the day of the match, Roger Federer had held the top spot in the world rankings for 231 weeks running.
But Nadal was about to knock him out. He crushed Federer at Roland Garros four weeks prior, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 to capture his fourth straight French Open championship. Could the Swiss bounce back to exact retribution on his preferred field?
