Roger Federer Beats Rafael Nadal to Book Novak Djokovic Clash in Wimbledon Final

Roger Federer will meet Novak Djokovic in the 2019 Wimbledon final after beating Rafael Nadal in a four-set clash on Friday.

The two rivals needed a tiebreak to separate them in the first set. While the third-seeded Nadal dominated the second set, it was No. 2 Federer who had the upper hand the rest of the way, winning 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

No. 1 seed Djokovic beat No. 23 Roberto Bautista Agut in four sets in Friday's first semi-final.

Before the match, sportswriter Bill Simmons couldn't believe the two rivals would come face-to-face again at Wimbledon:

It was their first meeting on the hallowed London lawns since 2008. Initially, the two were just as evenly matched on Friday as they were in that epic final, won by Nadal in five sets.

Both men had their serves clicking, leading to few lengthy rallies and plenty of alternating dominance.

The two rivals had their chances at a break, but whenever one went close, the other had an answer ready. Per tennis writer Christopher Clarey, it didn't feel like a classic Federer-Nadal battle:

A tiebreak seemed inevitable, and even then, there was little to split them during the first six points. Nadal bagged the first mini-break, but it was all Federer after that, as he won the set to claim the early advantage.

Per tennis writer Ben Rothenberg, winning the opener was crucial:

The two continued to go blow for blow early in the second set, but then Nadal struck, taking the first break of the match to love.

The Spaniard found a rhythm Federer couldn't keep up with, dominating the middle portion of the second set:

Aggression was key, as he hit his groundstrokes much longer and deeper than he did in the first set. It led to a second break of serve and an easy set win for the Spaniard.

Avoiding mistakes was a big part of his success:

Federer's poor play in the second set turned out to be an aberration, however, as he went right back to the strong forehand play and serving that won him the first set. He bagged his first break of serve in the fourth game, and despite facing three break chances in the following game, he held for a 4-1 lead.

The 37-year-old had momentum fully in his corner. After cruising through the third set, he pushed right on in the fourth with another break in the third game.

Nadal wasn't done yet, pushing the veteran in every rally. Basketball great Kobe Bryant was impressed with the tennis on offer:

But Federer ground out serve games at a steady pace. While Nadal did have a break point in the final game, it was the Swiss star who booked his ticket in the final.