Nadal is edged out in an epic
Muller’s epic victory ends Rafa dream
All looked on course for a comeback win in a comeback career but at the last, amid fading light and after tumultuous action, a 34-year-old from luxembourg found a way.
Rafael Nadal’s hopes of crowning his remarkable renaissance with a third Wimbledon crown are over after Gilles Muller summoned the performance of his life to win one of the best matches the All England Club has seen.
The final score reads 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 15-13 but that only tells half the story of this compelling contest that offered copious entertainment in its four hours, 48 minutes and finished with an almighty upset.
Novak Djokovic could not get on and will not like having to wait until today to play, but the Court No 1 crowd did not mind a jot. This was drama at its finest, an epic of fascinating ebb and flow.
For both players it was as much a test of resilience, concentration, and nerves as any amount of skill and while romantics might mourn the loss of Nadal, who has returned to his finest form having looked on the brink of retirement through the serious wrist injury that kept him out of last year’s event, Muller truly deserves his moment. He was magnificent, keeping his resolve after Nadal fought back brilliantly from two sets down and then seeing out the contest at his fifth match point.
By the end the ferocity that Nadal had so stirringly shown as he responded to losing the opening sets was fading and serving at 15-30, the Spaniard gave Muller sight of the finish with a bad shank. As he had done many times before, Muller took the initiative in the ensuing rally and forced Nadal to hit too long and finally the match was over.
The crowd were in raptures. Where once they chanted ‘Rafa, Rafa,’ Muller was saluted with all the warmth Andy Murray might expect. He took a moment to take it all in.
Muller said: ‘ I thought I played well through the whole match. Rafa stepped it up in the third and the fourth set but I told myself, “Just hang in there and you’re going to get your chances”. It’s definitely one of the biggest wins of my career, if not the biggest.’
Not since the 2008 US Open had Muller beaten an opponent ranked in the world’s top five, a sequence stretching 22 matches. But he too is enjoying a renaissance. He is at a career-high 26 in the world rankings and an indication of the trouble he might cause Nadal could be seen in his 10-1 win-loss record on grass this year, the best on tour.
A further indication this might not be a routine day for Nadal came in the corridors of Court No 1 as he warmed up. He misjudged his customary jumping squats and banged his head on a door frame.
Perhaps the effects lasted a little. Having won 28 consecutive Grand Slam sets, Nadal relinquished the first two in uncharacteristic fashion. Muller’s serving contains a variety to challenge any opponent but more might have been expected of one of the best returners in the game.
But from somewhere, Nadal steeled himself. He clung in at the start of the third set and then, in the fourth game, broke Muller’s serve with a deep return and forehand winner. There was a full-on explosion of energy when he claimed the set and the crowd cheered for the two-time champion rather than the underdog.
Nadal fed off the momentum, breaking in the fifth game of the fourth set and seeing it out to level at 2-2. Not since 2007 at Wimbledon had Nadal won after trailing 2-0 but the comeback seemed on.
But as the fifth went on Muller looked the likelier winner, getting through his service games without fuss while threatening Nadal’s.
Serving to stay in the match at 4-5, Nadal erred to slip 15-40 down but he stormed back, saved the first match point with an ace, then sent down another unreturned. ‘Come on,’ was his cry as he leapt into the air.
At 10-9 Muller gained his third match point with a brilliant passing winner but Nadal showed tremendous heart, hitting the baseline with his approach and putting away the volley. He stoked the joyous crowd with waving arms.
Muller gained another match point with a determined net approach but he gifted up the chance with a wonky return and Nadal won the game with a magical angled half-volley.
But when asked the question by Muller for a fifth time, Nadal could not conjure a further trick.
The Spaniard said: ‘I put everything on the court. I tried different things but in the fifth he hit a lot of good spots with the serve and was very consistent. So maybe he deserves it a little more than me.’