On July 6 2008, one dream ended, and a new one began on the Centre Court in Wimbledon. In the latest, magnificent chapter of their storied rivalry, Rafael Nadal dethroned five-time champion Roger Federer by winning the lon... more »gest-ever Wimbledon men's final. The consistently heart stopping 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (8-10), 9-7 classic began at 2.35 pm and, thanks to a couple of breaks for rain it ended at 9.15 pm with the 22-year-old from Mallorca dropping to the ground with his arms outstretched in celebration. With the win, Nadal matched Bjorn Borg's fantastic feat of winning the Grand Slams at the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back and also prevented Federer from surpassing the five titles in a row Borg collected between 1976 and 1980. Conditions for the latest duel between tennis's two finest players could not have been more demanding. The rain, which delayed the start for 27 minutes, eventually cleared but the chill, gusting wind which accompanied it persisted throughout the match, blowing winning shots off course and making life even more difficult for the two competitors. That they coped so well spoke volumes for their skill and adaptability. The match is being proclaimed as the greatest Grand Slam finals of all time.The Spaniard, who had squandered two match points in a nerve-shredding fourth set tie-break, added a first All England Club title to his four French Opens, shattering Federer's dreams of an historic sixth successive Wimbledon trophy. 'It's impossible to explain what I felt when I won. I'm just very happy to win this title. I never thought I could win but to do so is a dream'; said Nadal who had lost the last two finals to Federer. It was late, very late, but not too late to crown a new champion.« less
Shore DJ | Oceanport, New Jersey United States | 08/13/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In response to another reviewer, these discs are indeed presented in the 16:9 widescreen format, with coverage by the BBC. This was indeed the match that everyone wanted, and tennis' version of Ali & Frazier or Affirmed & Alydar left it all out on the court in this epic match, taking the fans on an incredible ride. Were it not for the rain breaks, the fans would have been drained as well! Many interesting story lines, with Federer going for his sixth straight Wimbledon title, Nadal trying to get his first title, coming off his 3-set victory over Roger at the French Open. You may know the result, but this match is worth repeat viewing."
In-SAN-ity!
Progressive | Colorado | 08/13/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dude, have you actually looked at this DVD? It's Widescreen; your criticism is unwarranted. If you have a bee in your bonnet about this 1.33 issue, at least make sure it's justified."
I have to agree --- DVD1 is of poor quality, DVD2 is much be
P. P. MISHRA | Boston, MA | 11/06/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This may sound weird and while it is a fantastic match, the picture quality of DVD 1 is quite poor considering it is a 2008 recording, though oddly enough DVD 2 which is the fifth set is of much better quality. I have purchased a lot of matches from Kultur (including the 2007 Final between them) all of which have been high quality, but quite honestly i was dissapointed and surprised by the overall recording quality of this match. I agree with one of the other reviewers, rent this, do not buy it."
What happened here?
James Peyton | columbia, sc United States | 12/26/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I finally had enough time this weekend and was looking forward to seeing the BBC's take on this greatest of matches. Yikes, I was shocked at the poor picture quality of the first dvd. Yes, the second which is the last set and maybe two minutes of extras is better. The dvds I recorded from the original broadcast were superior, and though I am no John McEnroe fan, his commentary is a step above the staid British Tim Henman. The cheesy reading of the Kipling's poem, the one minute or so interview with Nadal, not really an interview-just a statement of how happy he was and how much the title meant to him, the omission of an interview with Federer, and lack of cues (one for every three games would have been great!!!) make this worse than getting wrong footed by a ten year old junior. Three stars for the match. If you don't have it and want it, then I guess this is the way to go, but the production just leaves one wondering why Kultur, the video company, couldn't have done justice to a match of this quality and magnitude."
Sorry if the DVD Quality is Iffy, But Greatest Match Ever
Anthony Ian | Chicago, IL United States | 06/23/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For any tennis fan, you will never see another match like this in your life. Most people compare it to the Borg/McEnroe match of 1980. Well, I went back and rented that after this thriller and seriously, it's not even close.
I had the good fortune of recording this from the third set on; I had errands to run and at this point Federer was down two sets and looked like he was gonna be swept. Thank GOD I set the recorder to long play because two hours later I was back and RIVETED to the TV, watching the most insanely played back-and-forth I've seen. The entire match is like a highlight reel. Incredible shots, winners, rallies, saves, misses... it has it all. And on and on it goes... you don't want it to end. And it almost didn't, becoming the longest match in Wimbledon history.
When it's finally over, in the darkness, you can't believe what you've just seen. I've watched it at least 15 times since that day. Unfortunately when you buy these on DVD, you get the BBC feed with the much more staid play-by-play; on the American side John McEnroe and his team were providing awesome commentary and insight which made it even more classic. Alas, I believe the BBC owns the rights to all Wimbledon products.
That said, commentary or not, the match will thrill you to no end. The crowd by the third set can barely contain itself and erupts frequently for the rest of the match, especially at the end. Own it. It's the best match ever."