Federer turns back Nadal, wins fourth Wimbledon title

WIMBLEDON, England -- When Roger Federer stepped onto Centre Court, dressed for success in his creamy white, custom-made blazer, one thought was prominent as he prepared to face Rafael Nadal in the Wimbledon final:

He absolutely had to beat this guy -- after all, how could Federer make the case he's the best tennis player ever if he's not even the best of 2006?

Untouchable early, steady enough late, the No. 1-ranked Federer did indeed vanquish his nemesis, No. 2 Nadal, 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3 Sunday for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship and eighth Grand Slam title.

Federer is 55-0 this year when he plays anyone other than Nadal. But the Swiss star entered Sunday with a 1-6 career mark against Nadal, 0-4 this season, when all four losses came in tournament finals, including at last month's French Open.

"I'm very well aware of how important this match was for me. If I lose, obviously, it's a hard blow for me -- he wins French, Wimbledon back-to-back," Federer said. "It's important for me to win a final against him, for a change, and beat him, for a change. At Wimbledon, I knew it was going to be the place for me to do it the easiest way."

The keys to the grass-court kingdom have been passed from Bjorn Borg to Pete Sampras to Federer, who joins that duo as the only men since World War I to win this Grand Slam title four years in a row.

"This is Roger's backyard," his coach, Tony Roche, said. "It was played on his terms."

Federer sure strode in as though he owned the place, wearing the jacket his sponsor made especially for him. It features a crest on the breast pocket with three rackets to represent his previous three Wimbledon titles; Federer wants a new one now and will donate the old blazer to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.

He kept the blazer on for the coin toss, standing with a hand in his pocket while the 20-year-old Nadal bounced on the balls of his feet, raring to go.

On clay, where the ball stays in the air longer, Nadal forces foes to hit extra shots over and over to win a point. That's part of the reason he's won a record 60 consecutive matches on the red surface. On grass, though, balls skid and footwork is different, and while Nadal might stretch a point by a shot or two, even he couldn't make Federer work too hard.

"He's unbelievable," Nadal said.

Nadal held serve 80 consecutive times from the second round through the semifinals, but it took Federer all of one game to break, blocking back a 128 mph serve and eventually flicking a running forehand winner that caught a corner to make it 2-0.

Federer broke Nadal again in the match's fourth and sixth games, closing a masterful first set with a cross-court backhand passing shot.

The message in Federer's play was unmistakable: This is a whole new ballgame, kid.

"The start was absolutely perfect. I played fantastic, didn't miss any shots," Federer said. "It was over in a hurry."

It was the first time in 131 matches, dating to February 2005, that the relentless Nadal was shut out in a set. He did, however, drop the first set of the French Open final 6-1 before roaring back.

As they sat there Sunday, both might have had that June day on their minds.

Actually, Nadal said, "I was thinking: 'Win one game.'"

He did so right away, breaking Federer to start the second set with the help of two of Nadal's seven passing winners. Nadal then held at love as Federer made three errors with his backhand, the shot that betrayed him repeatedly at Roland Garros, one after another flying off the frame.

But when Nadal served for the second set at 5-4, he faltered, missing three forehands and double-faulting.

"I played bad," Nadal said, thinking back on that key game. "In this moment, maybe I lost the match, no?"

The set went to a tiebreaker, where Federer was better, including one chopped forehand on a full sprint to somehow extend the point, catching Nadal so much by surprise that he sailed a forehand wide.

"Two sets to love -- it was too much," said Nadal's coach and uncle, Toni.

Nadal matched Federer stroke-for-stroke in the riveting third set. Both men played serve-and-volley tennis. Both kicked up chalk with pinpoint shots. Both held serve into another tiebreaker. This time, Nadal came through, whipping one backhand passing winner he celebrated with a leaping uppercut, and smacking one forehand return winner on a line.

It was the first set Federer lost all tournament, and another sign of Nadal's remarkable progress on grass. Consider: The match was Federer's 75th on the surface (he's 64-11) and Nadal's 16th.

"He did a terrific job by making the final here," Federer said. "I was very impressed."

Things changed in the fourth set. When Nadal followed a serve to the net and sailed a leaping overhead volley all the way to the back wall, Federer broke to 3-1. When Federer snapped off a volley to break again for 5-1 and a chance to serve for the championship, the indomitable Nadal hung his head.

Not one to go away quietly, Nadal broke, then held serve to 5-3. This time, Federer served it out at love, one final game in which Nadal couldn't, as he put it later, "get a read" on the Swiss star's ever-changing speeds and angles.

When one last Nadal shot sailed wide, Federer raised his arms in a muted celebration, then they met at the net for an embrace. Asked during the on-court trophy ceremony about their rivalry, one in which No. 2 held the upper hand over No. 1 for months, Federer replied: "Now I like it again."