12 years ago today the greatest tennis match ever took place. It was 2008, Federer had won the last 5 Wimbledon titles (including the last 2 against Nadal) looking to become the first man to win 6 in a row. Nadal was known as a clay court specialist who hadn’t won a Grand Slam off clay yet. Earlier that year Nadal absolutely thrashed Federer at the French Open in a way that had never been done before with Nadal winning 6-1,6-3,6-0. After going up 2 sets to 0 the match looked like a cake walk for Nadal but that's when Federer woke up and said to the world I’m still the King of Grass and I won’t go down without a fight and he went on to win the 3rd set. The fourth set needed a tie breaker and Nadal got a match point which Fed saved on his serve. Then tied in the breaker, Nadal hit one of the greatest passing shots ever to give him match point on his serve. Nadal dropped down to one knee as if to say yes I’ve climbed the highest mountain I’m now the king. Well if Nadal’s passing shot was the greatest in tennis history it certainly didn’t have the crown for long as the very next point (on match point down), Federer hits an equally if not better passing shot to keep the match going. Fed would win the 4th set and then we would get a rain delay. Toni Nadal went into the locker room expecting Rafa to be down and heartbroken but when he came into the locker room Nadal was upbeat and said he wasn't going to lose. Federer could win the match, but Nadal wasn’t going to lose it. In the 5th set with Nadal leading 8-7 and serving for the match, he would get a 3rd match point and again Federer would brush it aside. On his 4th match point with the lights out in the 5th set Nadal makes history and does the impossible beating Federer at Wimbledon in the finals.
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