Rafael Nadal wins Wimbledon 2010 Title

Rafael Nadal defeated Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to win the 2010 Wimbledon championship at the All England Club.

Nadal broke Berdych four times and never lost serve in 15 service games, winning in just 2 hours, 13 minutes. He extended his record to 5-0 in his last five major finals and reinforced his current status as the No. 1 player in the world.

“It was probably one of the toughest moments in my career,” Nadal said after accepting the winner’s trophy about his 2008 season.

“After not an easy year for me, to be back at my favorite tournament of the world and to play well another time, and not only play well (but) to finish with the trophy, is amazing for me,” he said.

It’s the second time Nadal has won the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back. Until he and Federer accomplished the feat for the last three years, the last man to do it was Bjorn Borg in 1980.

“If you really want to play well on one surface and you are a good player, I think in the end you are going to find a way,” Nadal said. “I move very well on this court and that’s a very important part of the game.”

“For sure the U.S. Open is going to be one of my goals for the rest of my career,” Nadal said. “But right now (my goal) is to enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party, and Mallorca.”

Nadal posed with the trophy in the clubhouse next to the green board with his name already etched as the 2010 winner. He cradled the trophy under his left arm as he signed autographs outside the members’ entrance, where hundreds of fans gathered to see him.

“For the Spanish players for the last 40 years it was very difficult to play here,” Nadal said. “We are doing better right now. We are very satisfied for that.”

Nadal won all the big points against Berdych, who failed to convert any of his four break points.

“He was strong,” Berdych said. “I think the biggest difference between us was that when he got a chance, he just took it. He gave me one (break point) in the second set, one in the third set, and none of them I can bring to my side and just make a break. That just shows how strong he is.”

It was typical grass-court Wimbledon tennis, with play dominated by serves and only a few break points here and there making the difference. Nadal lost only 24 points on serve.

Nadal played his usual grinding baseline game featuring whippet forehands. Yet it wasn’t a vintage performance from Nadal, who had 21 unforced errors compared to 17 for Berdych. Nadal had 29 winners, two more than the Czech.

Nadal broke twice in the first set, dropping only four points in his own four service games. Nadal won five games in a row from 3-2 down in the first set to go up 1-0 in the second.

Berdych’s chances may have evaporated in the first game of the second set, when he failed to convert on three break points. In a game that lasted about 10 minutes, Nadal overcame two double faults and four forehand errors.

Berdych will rue his chance on the second break point, when Nadal hit a relatively weak approach shot and the Czech had plenty of time to line up a forehand passing shot but slapped the ball into the net.

Nadal broke Berdych at love in the 12th game to go up two sets to love. Nadal saved another break point at 1-1 in the third set, then broke Berdych again in the last game to close out the match.


Source Reuters/AP/Yahoo