Federer's Grass Now Nadal's Shade of Green

A year meant to land Roger Federer in the record books, surpassing Pete Samparas’ Grand Slam total, has instead left Sandra Harwitt, writing on ESPN.com, wondering if the 12-time winner remains the game’s top player. After their epic Wimbledon final, it’s abundantly clear Rafael Nadal “continues to have his number,” and Federer’s 2008 date with destiny is instead “a year he’ll prefer to forget.”

Bud Collins deems the match Shakespearean in the Boston Globe, a comedy for the Spaniard but a tragedy for the Swiss—per the declining Richard III, crying “A forehand, a forehand … my kingdom for a forehand.” Still, Collins says the finals were the finest in 41 years, so while Federer may be flattened, tennis fans certainly got their money’s worth. (More tennis stories.)