Started in 1877, Wimbledon remains the oldest and the most prestigious tennis tournament. It is one of the four Grand Slams and is organised annually in the All England Club, Wimbledon, in London.
Over the years Wimbledon has witnessed some of the most interesting tennis duels and has amassed a dedicated fan following all over the world. Moreover, due to the profitable gambling and the rise of websites that allow fans to grab free betting tips, the event invites even greater viewership each year. Although each and every Wimbledon final has been hugely entertaining for the fans, we have compiled a list of the Top 3 that are remembered even today.
Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer, 2008
This match between the two legends was one of the fiercest encounters in the history of the tournament. It is vividly remembered by the tennis fans everywhere. On 6th July 2008, Nadal and Federer played against each other in the final match of Wimbledon.
It was a big moment for Federer as he was the defending champion and had won 5 Wimbledon trophies in a row. The two were already pretty famous for their rivalry in the game. The excitement escalated all the more after Nadal’s defeat at the hands of the Swiss champ in 2007 Wimbledon final.
The 2008 final lasted for about 4 hours and 48 minutes, and a new record was set for the longest running final. In a closely fought match which was had to be put on hold twice because of rains, Nadal defeated Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (6-8), 9-7.
Bjorn Borg v. John McEnroe, 1980
Recognised as one of the classic matches in the Wimbledon history, the final game went on for 22 minutes and scored well in terms of entertainment. The two players had different playing styles and personas which garnered much interest from fans.
Borg registered a hard-fought victory over McEnroe with the score line of 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16-18), 8-6. During the fourth set, McEnroe was able to sustain a lead of double match point, but had to fight 5 additional match points when he reached the tie-breaker. On the contrary, in the tiebreaker round, Borg was able to manage 6 set points
At last, the tiebreaker round came to an end after Borg got a volley in the seventh set point. The tiebreaker almost went on for almost the length of a set making it a first-of-its-kind experience for everyone watching the finals.
Goran Ivanisevic v. Patrick Rafter, 2001
On one hand was the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic who was an unseeded player with a wild-card entry into the tournament and had witnessed a strong support from the crowd in his previous matches, the other was the Aussie legend Patrick Rafter who had large number of Australian fans cheering for him. The match continuously swayed from one player’s advantage to others’ and finally Ivanisevic defeated Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.
The match could not be organised on the scheduled date because of the rains and had to be postponed till Monday. About 10,000 tickets were sold and the enthusiastic fans made a three-mile long queue outside the stadium, with their sleeping bags. The atmosphere in the stadium was extraordinarily energetic and the crowd participation was such that it led BBC to comment, “the most raucous crowd a Wimbledon final has ever seen.”
