Rafa Nadal will play Tomas Berdych in the first Wimbledon Final in seven years not to feature Roger Federer. Nadal handed the Fed-Express his first lost in 2008 and is the only man to have beaten him in the final of the Grass Grand Slam.
Andy Murray did not play badly - he was simply outclassed by the Mallorcan Machine. Nadal, who dropped a nervy set to his nemesis, Robin Soederling, in the Quarters, never looked in doubt of his own ability to win. Deep in the second set tie-break, Nadal was staring down a set-point to Murray. Three points later, Nadal was 2-0 up and Murray's challenge looked to have gone west.
A spirited break from the Scotsman in the first game of the third revived hopes briefly, but Rafa bided his time and struck back in the eight and tenth games to win the final set 6-4, a break to the good.
I had expected this game to go the distance, and figured the exhaustion of the victor to play a factor in Berdych's chances of springing a surprise that would be SW19's biggest since the aging Goran Ivanisevic won from a Wild Card in 2001.
As it is, Nadal should steam-roll Berdych in three sets to lift his second, and by far easiest, Wimbledon title. Berdych can win if he plays the game of his life, but in spite of his burgeoning confidence, Rafa's popularity and Grand Slam experience should prove too much for the first Czech to reach the Wimbledon final since Ivan Lendl.
Enjoy!
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