#FEDAL

July 6, 2008, Rafael Nadal beat his rival Roger Federer in the most most dramatic of their numerous encounters, after four hours and 48 minutes of play, (6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7) in what has come to be known as the greatest match ever played.

In the fourth set Nadal earned his first championship point at 7-6, but Federer dismissed it with a service winner. Then followed two incredible points, at such an important moment. First, Nadal hit a stunning forehand passing shot to earn a second match point then after he moved toward the net, Federer hit an out of this world backhand passing shot to stay in the match. Two points later, the Swiss sealed the tiebreak 10-8 to push the match to a fifth set.

Most players would have collapsed after being so close to victory. Not Nadal. If he wanted to win his first Wimbledon title he would have to fight for every single point. At 2-2 in the final set, a rain delay occurred and Rafa consulted with his long time coach, Uncle Toni.

"I'm telling you at that point I thought that Rafael was more likely to lose than to win" said Toni. And then he looked up at me and said, 'relax, I'm not going to lose this match, maybe Federer will win, but I'm not going to lose."

Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are almost polar opposites in their playing style. Nadal prefers a two-handed backhand while Federer uses a classic and elegant one-handed backhand. Federer plays far more quickly and gracefully than Nadal, he appears to glide across the court, while Nadal plays with force and power. Quite simply, Federer-Nadal is a rivalry between the artist and the raw athlete, between the apparent effortlessness of Federer and the physical exertion of Nadal.

Rafa's Game Plan:

• Serve nearly every ball to the backhand and control the court with his forehand

• Serve out wide to the forehand in clutch moments as a surprise

• Work harder than your opponent on every point

• Calm down on big points, breathe and focus on your game plan

• Focus on your performance not the outcome

• Understand you can't control the outcome but you can control your effort

• Be coachable and listen to advice

• Always believe you can improve

Roger's Game Plan:

• Have an A, B and C plan

• When opponents get used to a pattern of play, change the plan and adjust

• Trust in your abilities

• Understand and accept that you can't control everything that happens on the court

• Never give up! Roger believes he can pull off a win to the final point

• A loss is not always your fault, sometimes your opponent plays better

• Present yourself as a winner even when things aren't going your way

If you are like me, you are missing watching Wimbledon this year. It's a perfect time to watch this epic 2008 final and explore the lessons we can learn from both of these great players.

See you on the courts! Barb