Wimbledon - Nadal's victory

[MalcomX]

Newly-crowned Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal paid tribute to Roger Federer, the five-time winner he dethroned in an epic final.

Nadal claims first Wimbledon title in epic
The Spaniard said it had been his misfortune to play in the same era as the man he regards as the greatest player, having lost the previous two finals to the Swiss.

"Well, it is disappointing for me I am in the same time as the best player in history, Roger Federer," Nadal told the packed Centre Court after his five-set win, secured in the dying light after nearly five rain-interrupted hours of play.

"So it's very tough always to play against him, especially here. I had lots of chances to win the match [earlier] but I just congratulate Roger, because he always fights unbelievably," said Nadal.

World number one Federer had looked on the verge of losing the match in three sets and saved two championship points in the fourth-set tiebreak before taking the match into a fifth.

"His attitude is always excellent when he wins, when he loses. So just thank you very much, Roger," said the 22-year-old, who added his first Wimbledon crown to four successive French Open titles, the last three of which he won in finals against Federer.

Asked if the victory was more special because of the quality of Sunday's match, Nadal said: "For sure, to beat Roger here after his five years.

"I lost the last two finals, close finals. But he's still the number one. He's still the best. He's still five times champion here.

"Right now I have one, so for me it's a very, very important day."

[A-Cube]

About time someone ends Federer's supremacy on the grass courts...

Great sports year for Spain (except Fernando Alonso )...

[Nesta]

[tarantula]

[Icepick]

[MalcomX]

Rafael Nadal's epic final victory over Roger Federer at Wimbledon has seen him close the gap on the world number one to 545 points in the ATP rankings released on Monday.

The Spaniard could end the Swiss' stay at the top of the rankings, a position he has held for a record number of weeks since February 2004, before the end of the season.

Nadal, 22, only reached the fourth round of last year's US Open and a better performance this year would give him a rankings boost. Federer must win the event to defend the points he earned at Flushing Meadows last year.

Meanwhile, Britain's Andy Murray has climbed back into the top 10.

Murray moved up from 11th to ninth after reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, his best performance in a Grand Slam.

Murray had no ranking points to defend from this time last year, when he missed almost three months of the season with a wrist injury.

The ATP world rankings:-

1. Roger Federer (SUI) 6600

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6055

3. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 4945

4. David Ferrer (ESP) 3045 (+1)

5. Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 2970 (-1)

6. Andy Roddick (USA) 2065

7. David Nalbandian (ARG) 2030

8. James Blake (USA) 1975

9. Andy Murray (GBR) 1805 (+2)

10. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 1760 (-1)

11. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 1515 (+1)

12. Radek Stepanek (CZE) 1430 (+3)

13. Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 1375 (+5)

14. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) 1365

15. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 1310 (-5)

16. Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 1305 (+1)

17. Tommy Robredo (ESP) 1300 (+2)

18. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 1270 (-2)

19. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 1265 (-6)

20. Juan Monaco (ARG) 1240 (+1)

[rob]