On paper, he was the better player and on grass he proved it. Lleyton Hewitt has powered to victory, capturing the 2002 Wimbledon men's title in convincing style.
Maybe it was the nerves. Maybe it was the inexperience, but the David in this "David and Goliath" battle on center court came out looking shaky.
The underdog, 20-year-old Argentinian David Nalbandian, was broken twice in the first three games and against the world number one. And that proved fatal. Lleyton Hewitt went on to take the opening set 6-1.
The second set was more even, with two rain delays and even a streaker thrown in for good measure, but it was Hewitt on top in the battle of the two old-style baseliners, 6-3.
The third set was straight forward for the world number one who was quicker and sharper than his competitor, with Hewitt taking it, and the match, 6-2.
It was a great win for the reigning U.S. Open titleholder and at just 21, Hewitt is sure to be around for many more Wimbledons.
As for David Nalbandian, this tournament has put him on the tennis map. He is the first player ever to reach the finals in the open era on his first attempt. He goes away with a wealth of experience gained, his largest ever paycheck and a big boost up the ranking.
He will certainly be back at future Wimbledons as part of a wide open field on the men's side with young talent taking over from the old stalwarts like Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras.