Rafael Nadal held off Roger Federer to win his first Wimbledon title and end the Swiss star’s reign at the All England Club. Nadal missed two championship points in the fourth set but recovered to win a dramatic rain-interrupted match 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (8-10) 9-7.
Nadal, 22, is the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back-to-back. Thought of as tennis’s version of a world heavyweight title fight - it lived up to the hype, Nadal finally won the longest Wimbledon men’s singles final after four hours, 48 minutes.
After his victory, a tearful Nadal climbed through the stands to celebrate his win with his family and supporters before heading to the royal box to speak to members of Spain’s royal family.
The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to trade Yi Jianlian to the New Jersey Nets for Richard Jefferson. They are also are sending Bobby Simmons to the Nets. He has $20.5 million left on a contract that expires in the summer of 2010, when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh would become free agents.
This trade might be considered a sign that the Nets are looking to get involved in the LeBron sweepstakes, based in no small part on his close friendship with Nets minority owner Jay-Z. As a result of this trade, the Nets are no longer committed to paying Jefferson $15 million in 2010-11.
Yi’s camp was said to be thrilled about going to the re-structuring Nets and playing in a major market, which was one of the original concerns when he was drafted by the Bucks last year. Yi threatened to not sign with Milwaukee in hopes of forcing a trade to another team. The Bucks will keep their No. 8 pick in the draft to further spruce up their team. The Nets hold the No. 10 pick.
The Bucks, meanwhile, are providing new coach Scott Skiles with a veteran player who can help him win. Jefferson averaged 22.6 points a game last season.
Rafael Nadal secured his status as The King of Clay yesterday when he took a fourth straight French Open title. Nadal pretty much destroyed world number one seed Roger Federer in three straight sets - 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Nadal, who hails from Spain, who has never lost a match at Roland Garros, didn’t lost a single set in this year’s competition.
Tennis season will heat up now as the road to Wimbledon begins today with the Artois Championships getting underway at the Queens Club in London.
Big Brown made history to win the 134th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, but the race finished under a dark cloud as runner-up Eight Belles broke down on the track. Eight Belles, trained by Larry Jones and ridden by 20-year-old Gabriel Saez, was trying to become just the fourth filly to win the Derby. Minutes after the race the filly fell to the ground and Saez jumped off. She was found to have broken both front ankles and was humanely destroyed on the track. With the memory of Barbaro still fresh, Eight Belles’ devastating breakdown Saturday put increasing focus on a sport already suffering a decline in popularity.
Her death has raised major issues about the industry, including whether fillies should be allowed to run with males.
In 2006, Derby winner Barbaro shattered his fight rear leg at the start of the Preakness, as thousands of people watched in horror. Barbaro was euthanized eight months later.
Roger Federer has won twelve Grand Slam singles titles (three Australian Open, five Wimbledon, four US Open), four Tennis Masters Cup titles, and fourteen ATP Masters Series titles.
