page_title: 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles final
section_title: Match details
hierarchical_section_title: 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles final / Match details
caption_attribution_description: Wimbledon Men's final 2008, Federer serves for 3rd set
context_page_description: The 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the Men's Singles tournament at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. A part of the storied Federer–Nadal rivalry, it pitted then-top ranked Roger Federer against then second-ranked Rafael Nadal. After 4 hours and 48 minutes of play, Nadal defeated Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7, 6–7, 9–7. Many regard it as the greatest tennis match of all time.
context_section_description: Although the players were due on court at 14:00 BST, rain delayed the start of the match by about 35 minutes. The umpire was Pascal Maria.
  Nadal won the first two sets 6–4, 6–4, but the rain stopped play once again, with Federer leading in the third set 5–4. After an 80-minute break for the weather, Federer battled back to win the next two sets, 7–6, 7–6, saving two championship points in the fourth set tiebreak. The tiebreak is often regarded as one of the greatest ever played. With the score at 5–2, Nadal had the opportunity to win the title on his next two serves. However, he double faulted, then netted a backhand, bringing the tiebreak back on serve. At 7–7, Nadal hit a forehand down the line past Federer, setting up a championship point on his serve, but Federer responded with a backhand on the line to extend the match. BBC commentator Andrew Castle said, "The two best passing shots of the tournament, without doubt, have just taken place on the last two points." A second rain delay at 19:53 BST kept the players in the locker room for another 30 minutes. When they returned onto the court, darkness had already started setting in, threatening to delay the match until the next day. During the deciding set, Federer was two points away from claiming his sixth consecutive Wimbledon crown, but Nadal ultimately held serve and eventually broke Federer's serve in the 15th game of the set. Nadal then served out the match in the following game and won the final set 9–7. The match ended in near darkness at 21:15 BST.
  During the match, Federer only converted one of thirteen break points on Nadal's serve.
  It was the last Wimbledon final to be significantly affected by rain, as a retractable roof was being installed at Centre Court and was in place by the 2009 Wimbledon Championships.
caption: Federer serving for the third set against Nadal in the Wimbledon final
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