Rafael Nadal finally overcame Roger Federer and became world no. 1 in 2008. The Spaniard dominated clay and grass swing and played on a high level during the North American hard-court swing. He headed to the US Open as the world’s best player after winning the Olympic gold medal in Beijing.
After a well-deserved rest and two Davis Cup matches, Rafa was back in action at the home Masters 1000 event in Madrid, hoping to repeat the title run from 2005 and lift the season’s ninth title. The Spaniard suffered only one break of serve in the opening three matches against Ernests Gulbis, Richard Gasquet and Feliciano Lopez and was the favorite against Gilles Simon in the semi-final.
Simon worked for every point in the first four matches to set the Nadal clash. He prevailed against Igor Andreev, Robby Ginepri and Ivo Karlovic in the deciding tie break to find himself in the last four. Like it was not enough, another marathon waited around the corner against the world’s leading player.
In one of the most entertaining matches of the season, Simon toppled Nadal 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 in three hours and 23 minutes for the most significant final of his career, performing an impressive comeback and staying on the title course!
Rafa led 6-3, 4-3, 40-30 but wasted a break chance to heat the drama. He fell in the closing stages of sets two and three to finish on the losing side despite giving 120% against a persistent rival who refused to surrender.
Nadal was two points away from victory in the deciding set tie break. Still, it was not to be for him, experiencing one of the most brutal losses of the season and missing the opportunity to fight for another Masters 1000 crown.
The Spaniard won three points more than his rival but not the ones that mattered the most. He created 22 break opportunities and converted only five, missing his chances to seal the deal and advance into the final. Nadal played against eight break chances and gave serve away four times, enough for Gilles to stay in contention and control the scoreboard in the decider’s crucial moments.
The match kicked off in Nadal’s favor, breaking in the opening game and holding at 15 for a 2-0 lead. Rafa served well in the rest of the set and kept the pressure on Gilles while converting the fourth set point at 5-3 and clinching the opener in style.
Gilles Simon prevailed over Rafael Nadal in the 2008 Madrid marathon.
One of the crucial moments of the entire clash occurred in the second set’s fourth game. Simon fended off three break points for a vital hold, staying on the positive side and keeping his chances alive.
Nadal was in an even better position to move ahead while leading 4-3, netting an easy backhand that proved to be one of the pivotal shots of the encounter. Simon held with an ace to level the score at 4-4 and broke Nadal at love after the Spaniard’s costly double fault in the next one.
Serving for the set at 5-4, Gilles got broken after Rafa’s backhand winner, and the set turned into open war. The 11th game was one of the longest and most exciting ones. Simon proved mentally more decisive, fending off Nadal’s four game points and breaking for the second time in a row on his third chance.
Serving for the set for the second time, the Frenchman fell 40-15 down before winning four straight points to seal the set 7-5 with a smash winner and more drama after some 70 minutes! Rafa had the opportunity for an early lead in the decider but squandered six break points in game two, unable to strike that final punch.
Simon saved another break chance at 2-3 with a lucky net cord before Nadal finally found a way to break him and move 4-2 up. That was not enough to carry him over the finish line, as Simon pulled the break back a few minutes later to stay in touch and build confidence.
Nadal cracked under pressure first, spraying a forehand error at 5-5 to hand the break to his rival, who was now serving for a place in the final. Gilles also showed nerves after netting an easy forehand in game 12. He lost serve and sent the match into a deciding tie break, the best possible way to determine the winner after such a tight battle.
Nadal sent a forehand wide while leading 3-1, and Simon moved 5-3 up after forcing an error from world no. 1 in the eighth point. Rafa moved back to 5-5 and 6-6 before experiencing another mini-break and pushing the Frenchman 7-6 in front.
Gilles moved over the top when Rafa’s backhand landed long, celebrating one of his career-best wins in a notable season that saw him winning three ATP titles.