Rafa A Winner At Wimbledon

We at 10sballs.com know that betting is something of a rude word in the world of tennis, but – and keep this to yourselves – we have a tip for you. Should happen to have a spare five tucked up your knicker leg (and should you be living in a country where a casual wager is allowed), bung that fiver on Spain to win the World Cup.

The last time Rafa Nadal won Wimbledon was in 2008. The last time Spain won a major championships was in 2008. Back then, Spain beat Germany 1-0 to win Euro 2008 and Rafa went on to beat Roger Federer in five, long, historic sets. This year Rafa has won Wimbledon again – he crushed Tomas Berdych 6-3. 7-5, 6-4 – and Spain are into the World Cup semis (they play Germany on Wednesday). Sounds to us like it’s worth a punt on Spain.

But it is odd how sometimes, the numbers just don’t add up. If Berdych could beat the world No.3 in the quarter finals (that is Federer, who will have slipped to No.3 when the new rankings are published on Monday morning), the world No.2 in the semis (that is Novak Djokovic who will claim Federer’s vacated No.2 spot), then surely he stood a chance of beating the No.1 in the final. Nice idea, Tomas, but no. Not a chance.

The big and bruising Berdych did not have a hope of beating Rafa on Sunday. Not in the Wimbledon final. Not on the court that Rafa loves so much. Not when Rafa was chasing the title that he cherishes above all others.

Even if he had lost in the first round, no one could have stopped Rafa from being the No.1 at the end of the tournament and, likewise, even if Rafa had been bound, gagged and forced to play with a feather duster, no one could have stopped him from winning the final. Rafa was on a mission.

Last year had been hellish for him. His only visit to the All England Club was to tell the world that he could not defend his title – his knees were crocked and he had to go home to wait for the medics to give him the all-clear. He was downcast, miserable and so upset that he spoke only in Spanish, leaving someone else to translate his unhappiness for the assembled media throng.

Twelve months later, Rafa was still not in the greatest of nick. One knee now works but the other is decidedly iffy and he will miss Spain’s next Davis Cup tie in order to have a “new” treatment to fix it. He tweaked a hamstring at Queen’s Club and he looked dodgy in the first few rounds in SW19 – he clearly was not moving well – but slowly and surely, he homed in on the title.

He played his best against Andy Murray in the semi final but, then again, he had to. The Muzz has a varied, imaginative and intricate game and so, against that, Rafa had to play to his best. Against Berdych, he did not need to use every string to his bow.

If Berdych came forward, Rafa passed him; if Berdych stayed back, Rafa out hit him; if Berdych did not hit his first serve with enough oomph, Rafa killed him with the return. And in return, Rafa served cleverly, he clobbered his forehand and he piled on the pressure at the back end of every set.

In a BBC commentary box at the side of the court, Boris Becker tried to explain that the fact that the game plan that has beaten Federer and Djokovic had failed miserably to hurt Nadal must come as bitter pill for the Czech to swallow. Alas, he said that it was a “bitter swill for him to pollow”. But Berdych had to pollow it, nonetheless.

He had four break point opportunities in the match and he had them all ripped from his racket (and three of them came in the first game of the second set). Rafa, meanwhile, pointed to the writing on the wall: this is my final, sunshine, and you are not going to stop me. Berdych did not need glasses to see which way this was heading.

When it was all over, Rafa was delirious. In Paris, he had sobbed uncontrollably into a towel after the winning point was done; in SW19, he did a head-over-heels somersault and smiled so broadly that his grin could be seen from space (he has lovely white teeth, does Raf).

The champion Nadal is now unbeaten in 14 matches at Wimbledon and has been in four finals. So far he has eight grand slam trophies to his name and he has only just turned 24. At the same age, Federer had won six major crowns. Federer may be the best player of all time, but his time may be limited – Rafa, the first man to win the French Open and Wimbledon in succession since Borg (and now the only man to do it more than once since Borg) is chasing him all the way into the record books. No wonder Federer looked rattled as he left SW19 so many days ago.

Topics: Bound, England Club, Euro 2008, Feather Duster, Fiver, Knees, Last Time, Medics, Monday Morning, Novak Djokovic, Punt, Quarter Finals, Roger Federer, Rude Word, Time Spain, Tomas Berdych, Wager, Wimbledon, World Cup Semis, World Of Tennis

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