World number two Rafael Nadal of Spain has defeated Switzerland's Roger
Federer to win the Wimbledon tennis championships, defeating the world
number one in a five-set marathon.
Nadal overcame rain delays
and a determined comeback attempt by Federer Sunday to claim his first
title at the All England Club, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7.
It was
the third straight year the two men had faced off for the Wimbledon
crown, but the first time Nadal had prevailed. With the victory, Nadal
snapped Federer's 65-match winning streak on grass and ended his five
year reign at Wimbledon.
The match, which started late and was
delayed twice because of rain, lasted four hours and 48 minutes making
it the longest men's final in Wimbledon history.
Nadal becomes
the first player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year
since Bjorn Borg in 1980 and the first Spaniard to capture the title
since Manolo Santana in 1966.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
