Federer and Nadal stir the soul again
I flew home from the 2008 Wimbledon feeling like the luckiest sportswriter in the world. I had just witnessed Rafael Nadal defeat Roger Federer in the greatest tennis match of all time — enthusiastically confirmed by historians within moments of its conclusion. And I wondered who might come along, in the ensuing years, to offer the sport that kind of drama.
Answer, 11 years later: Nobody.
In the glorious lateafternoon light that has graced so many Wimbledon matches over the years, they were out there again on Friday, meeting for the first time on Centre Court since that longago classic, and it wasn’t quite the same. Federer prevailed 76 (3), 16, 63, 64, and for all we know, Sunday’s final against Novak Djokovic could provide a fiveset masterpiece. In any case, the gathering of elite men’s players remains a very private affair.
Astonishing, isn’t it? Between them, Nadal, Federer and Djokovic will have won 51 of the past 59 majors. Wildly talented young players arrive from all over the world, with the kind of panache and shotmaking that suggests future greatness, but it always seems to come down to the Big Three.
And as we discovered once again on Friday, there is nothing quite like the spectacle of Federer vs. Nadal.
As Federer took a 31 lead in the fourth set, ESPN’s John McEnroe spoke of “finishing this guy off.” That would be no cinch against Nadal, the most relentless fighter the sport has ever known. It took five match points to get the job done. Unfamiliar with the concept of caution, Nadal ruthlessly blasted away on every shot, creating angles that barely existed, and by the late stages of the match, it really was a classic — if for no other reason than how it made you feel. It’s just a shame the cherished Wimbledon trophy was not on the line.
Whenever these two retire — remarkably, we’re not seeing any signs — we’ll look back on the special components of this rivalry: Federer’s onehanded backhand, struck with a flourish and representing blessed elegance in a twohanded world. The wicked topspin of Nadal’s forehand. The artistry of both men at the net (although Nadal was a bit reluctant on that score this time). Federer finding magic against titanic odds, exemplified by a memorable point in the seventh game of the final set.
Nadal crushed a forehand that sent Federer scrambling off the court, but he managed a desperate forehand in reply. Nadal answered with a sliced forehand drop shot, and Federer was 5 feet behind the baseline as it was struck, but he not only got to the ball, pointblank at the net, he picked it off the grass at shin level and laced a ridiculous crosscourt, backhand winner.
By Sunday, the details will have faded. It’s likely, though, when people look back on this Wimbledon, they’ll remember how two legends came together one more time. One would hope it’s not the last.
In memory of Bouton
There are so many ways to remember Jim Bouton, who died at 80 on Wednesday. If you haven’t read “Ball Four,” or even if you devoured it so many years ago, it’s worth your time as a book that not only exposed the very human side of baseball (it doesn’t get more human than the escapades of a drunken Mickey Mantle) but revealed Bouton’s eye for detail and his deep affection for the game. But I’ll never forget the sight of Bouton on the mound, in his prime, starting in Game 3 of the 1963 World Series for the Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Up against the fearsome Don Drysdale, Bouton unleashed a torrent of howling fastballs at the L.A. lineup, his hat flying off after nearly every pitch. He gave up just a single run, on Tommy Davis’ firstinning single, but the sidewinding Drysdale pitched a threehit shutout. In my experience, only a handful of pitching duels top that one for superb theater . ... Former Cal slugger Andrew Vaughn didn’t need long to impress the White Sox, who are playing in Oakland this weekend. After three eyecatching games in the Arizona Rookie League, Vaughn earned a quick promotion to Class A, where he had a .318 average for Kannapolis (South Atlantic League) through Thursday. Imagine this team retaining its highlevel talent and Vaughn joining the likes of Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Yoan Moncada, Tim Anderson, AllStar catcher James McCann and perhaps Cuban outfielder Luis Robert, the team’s No. 1 prospect who is in TripleA, before too long . ... The fact of the matter as the A’s launch the second half: The two teams ahead of them in the wildcard standings, Cleveland and Tampa Bay, are not
that formidable. If the A’s get some luck bringing their bangedup young pitchers back to good health for the stretch drive, they can pull this off . ... What will become of Andre Iguodala? The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly want a firstround draft pick in trade, with no takers so far, and they’re willing to start the season with him. But if it comes down to a buyout, turning Iguodala into an unrestricted free agent (Most likely months from now), a number of teams — including Houston, Dallas, Denver, the Clippers and, yes, the Warriors — would be interested.