Tennis Flashback: Where Were You On That Special Day In 2008?

Just in case you do not know which day I’m talking about, it was Sunday, July 6, 2008. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were contesting in the 122^nd Wimbledon final and in their 18^th personal encounter.

One month earlier on the clay of Roland Garros, the Spanish Bull had comprehensively beaten the Swiss Maestro in the final, taking the head to head to 11–6 in the Spaniard's favor—but the final at Wimbledon would surely not be the same.

Bill Simmons, a writer on espn.com, guaranteed his readers that “the 2008 Wimbledon men’s final would be the best tennis match of the past 20 years.”

How he must have been smiling after that day.

I remember how excited I was to watch that match, the adrenaline pumping as the game got closer and closer to the start. Sadly, the only way I could watch the "Greatest Tennis Match of All Time" was on my computer, since our terrestrial channels would not broadcast the match.

However, I did not let that disappoint me. I got everything set in such a way as to make sure that I would be able to suck in every single detail from the match. On one side of my computer screen was the tennis match, while on the other side were the RSS feeds from different websites giving me commentary and information on the match.

After watching the first set with great intensity, my internet connection died. “Of course it would,” I thought, “this was just one of the most important matches in recent tennis history, why wouldn’t something go wrong?”

It was strange—it was like the intensity and emotional fluctuations of the match were being transferred directly to the viewers thousands of miles away.  

It was a different feeling; a special feeling.

I wonder what Pascal Maria, the chair Umpire, was feeling that day. He had the best seat in the house; however, he was also one of the figures that made this tennis match so special. It is often said that for an Umpire to do a good job, he must go unnoticed, and go unnoticed he did.

The final, even with its rain delays, panned out perfectly without any distractions or complaints by the players.

Andy Roddick had just landed in Texas when he saw the hundreds of messages on his phone asking him if he was watching the battle. He only managed to watch the final set, albeit in the airport, but at least he got to watch something.

I, on the other hand, was going insane knowing that I was missing history.

About 1.10 million viewers were watching in Switzerland, about seven million in Spain, approximately 5.1 million in the USA (NBC) and a staggering 13.1 million in the UK (BBC).

In my little world, which is comprised of only me, zero people were watching the match.

The second rain delay hit, and at that time I decided enough is enough. I had to at least see the end of this colossal battle. I called up the gang and we all went to different cafes and bars to see which one was showing the match.

After we found a place that actually garnered enough respect to show this tennis spectacle, we all sat down, or mostly stood up, to watch the end of the match.

Between every changeover, people were giving their predictions and opinions. Some people were reliving some of the points, while most people were just in awe.

How could two players play their best tennis simultaneously for so long?

It was match point and everyone in the place was standing. It was 11:15 pm and the place was still packed to the rafters. Will Rafa finally win his first Wimbledon title?

Federer hit the ball into the net and half of the place exploded with people shouting and jumping around, while the other half stared in disbelief. After a few seconds though, they too started clapping; after all it was a valiant effort from both players.

What a game! It could not have been scripted any better. There was everything in that match: Heartbreak, passion, competitiveness, drive, perfection, intensity, drama and the list goes on.

Do you remember where you were that day? Because I, for one, will probably never forget that day and the great experience that came with it.