WIMBLEDON, England - Rafael Nadal knows exactly where he was, of course, on the first Sunday of July 2009, the only time in the past five years that the Wimbledon men’s final went on without him.
“I watched at home,” Nadal said. “On the sofa.”
Yes, a year ago this time, he was in front of a TV in Spain, resting his aching knees, instead of wielding his racket on Centre Court, only the fifth player in the history of a tournament that began in 1877 unable to defend his title because of injury.
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He’s here now — once again in the Wimbledon final, once again on top of his forehand-whipping, every-shot-retrieving, foe-demoralizing game. The No. 1-ranked Nadal picked apart No. 4 Andy Murray of Britain 6-4, 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the semifinals Friday to close in on a second trophy at the All England Club and eighth Grand Slam championship overall.
“For sure, that makes (it) more special,” Nadal said, “because I worked a lot to be back, playing my best tennis. I did, so that’s very important. Personal satisfaction, no?”
Nadal’s wait to return to the Wimbledon final lasted 24 months, which probably seems like the blink of an eye to local fans. Their wait for a homegrown champion drags on: A British man hasn’t won the title since Fred Perry in 1936; one hasn’t even reached the final since Henry “Bunny” Austin in 1938.
“I obviously want to win for myself. I want to win for the guys I work with. I want to win for, you know, the U.K.,” said Murray, who also lost in the semifinals last year and appeared on the verge of tears at his news conference. “A little bit more disappointing than other Grand Slams, because this one is, you know, the biggest one of the year for me.”
Nadal has won his last 13 matches at the grass-court major, and 25 of 27, with the only losses coming against Roger Federer in the 2006 and 2007 finals. Nadal beat Federer in the epic 2008 title match, which ended at 9-7 in the fifth set as darkness descended.
On Sunday, Nadal will take on someone other than Federer in the Wimbledon final for the first time: 12th-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Berdych followed up his quarterfinal upset of six-time champion Federer by ousting No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia 6-3, 7-6 (9), 6-3 Friday.
This will be Nadal’s 10th Grand Slam final; Berdych’s first. Might Berdych feel some pressure because of that?
“I hope so,” Nadal said with a smile, “but I don’t think so.”
With English soccer superstar David Beckham seated in the front row behind Murray’s guest box at Centre Court, and about 15,000 others pulling for the Scotsman, too, Nadal was a picture of perpetual motion.
He repeatedly sprinted from one corner to another, tracking down strokes that would be clean winners against anyone else. A few times, members of the eager-to-roar crowd would applaud, thinking Murray won a point, only to be hushed by other spectators as play carried on.
When Nadal won two points in a row early in the second set with superb defense, Murray put his palms up as if to ask, “How many great shots do I need to hit?”
“His backhand’s good. His serve’s good. His forehand’s good. His movement is good,” Murray said afterward. “He does everything really, really well.”
Two qualities Murray neglected to mention: Nadal’s all-out intensity, and his propensity for coming up big at the biggest times.
“In the crucial points today, Rafael was really good,” said Nadal’s uncle and coach, Toni, “and Murray was not too good.”
The only break point of the first set arrived with Murray serving at 4-all. Nadal returned a 129 mph serve, then smacked a cross-court winner with his uppercut forehand, slathered with topspin and announced with an intimidating grunt. Nadal broke when Murray pushed a forehand wide.
Murray’s first break points came 70 minutes in, ahead 4-3 in the second set. On the first, he netted a return as a cell phone rang in the stands. On the second, he missed a backhand while trying in vain to handle — what else? — a fierce forehand from Nadal.
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