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The ultimate showdown at Wimbledon has come down to a titanic battle between the World No.1 Rafael Nadal and the World No.2 Novak Djokovic.
The top two players will battle it out for the most coveted Wimbledon trophy in the men’s singles final on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic will supplant Rafael Nadal as world No. 1 when the rankings will be released on Monday, irrespective of the outcome on Sunday.
But something grander will be at stake when Rafael Nadal faces Novak Djokovic in his bid to win a hat-trick of back to back Roland Garros and Wimbledon crowns.
It’s more than just becoming the second man to accomplish the feat, other than Bjorn Borg, in the Open era. Rafael Nadal is on a 20 match winning streak at the All England Club.
Being crowned as the Wimbledon champion two times in the last three years, history will certainly be on Rafa’s side when he enters the Sunday’s final.
Though he bowed out in the quarters at the Australian Open, he stamped his authority on the red dirt by clinching a record-equaling sixth Roland Garros crown, dismantling Roger Federer in four.
In his last match, he took out the error-ridden Andy Murray in four to set up a clash with the Serb.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, overcame the sheer power of Tsonga in four to advance to his first Wimbledon final.
He has been on an incredible roll this season with a staggering 47-1 mark, the sole loss coming at the hands of Roger Federer at the Roland Garros semi-finals.
With improved movement, greater control on the serve and consistent ground-strokes, he is all poised to lift his first Wimbledon trophy.
Nadal enters his fifth Wimbledon final with a 10-2 record in the Grand Slam finals, the two losses coming at the All England Club at the hands of Roger Federer.
Novak is at 2-2 with one of those losses coming at the hands of Rafa in the US Open final, 2010.
HEAD TO HEAD: Rafael Nadal leads the head to head record at 16-11, though he has succumbed to Novak in all the four finals between the two this season, two on hard courts, the other two on clay. Nadal is 5-0 in Slams against Novak.
MATCH POINT: Rafael Nadal, given his success at the All England Club and Djokovic’s poor record on grass, is the clear favorite to lift his third Wimbledon trophy.
But the 2011 version of Djokovic is much different from his earlier ones.
If he serves big and takes advantage of the two-handed cross-court backhand, he can get the better of seemingly “unreachable” Rafa.
Though Rafa will be beaming with confidence, the psychological advantage and belief will clearly be with ‘Nole’.
If Djokovic wins it, he will become the only man other than Roger Federer to beat Rafael Nadal in the Slam finals.
This might seem to be a bold prediction but I will go with Djokovic!
Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic Wimbledon men’s singles final is live on Channel Seven at 11pm (AEST)
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