Grass greener as Nadal reaps Wimbledon final with Federer

By Bill Scott Jul 7, 2006, 19:12 GMT

Rafael Nadal of Spain returns to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus during their semi-final match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Friday 07 July 2006. EPA/HUGO PHILPOTT

London - Tennis titans Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will line up for the fifth time this season in a tournament title match as both blew through in straight sets Friday into the Wimbledon final.

World number 1 Federer, his silky-smooth tennis approaching perfection, destroyed Swede Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 6-0, 6-2 to reach his fourth straight trophy contest at the All England club.

As expected against the 34-year-old surprise semifinalist rated a 200-1 outsider, Federer was ruthless in his demolition.

But number 2 Nadal, the king of clay with back-to-back Roland Garros trophies, was equally imperious as he put out Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 7-5, 6-3.

The powerful youngster saved five break points as he took a 5-2 lead in the third set. Two games later as Nadal completed a 19-stroke rally to earn a match point.

An overhead smash after nearly two and a half hours of play sent Nadal into another match-up with his Swiss rival.

'This is a dream to be in his final, I'm very happy,' Nadal said after saving all nice break points he faced and striking 41 winners to bring down Baghdatis.

'It was a tough match, maybe not the first set, but certainly the second and the third. I was down a lot of break points.

'I played with unbelievable motivation and concentration all the time.'

Nadal stands an amazing 6-1 against Federer, whom he's ambushed on clay in their last three meetings. Nadal has beaten Federer in four finals on three surfaces in 2006, including the French Open.

The Sunday contest will be history in the making.

Roland Garros and Wimbledon have never had the same two finalists in the same year in the post-1968 Open Era.

The last time the same two men reached the finals of both events was in 1952, when Jaroslav Drobny defeated Frank Sedgman in the final of the French Championships, before Sedgman defeated Drobny to win Wimbledon.

Federer has no trouble in overwhelming Bjorkman, 'It was difficult since I was such a big favourite,' said the winner, who never faced a break point while breaking the 34-year-old on seven occasions.

'I was hoping to live up to expectations - especially my own. Jonas is a veteran and knows how to play and he's been in a Grand Slam semifinal before.

'I had to be careful, play to a tough, secure game plan early on. Then I got on a roll and played played excellent tennis,' he said.

It took just 77 minutes for the Swiss to go through, winning his 47th straight on grass.

Bjorkman was the oldest men's semifinalist at Wimbledon since Jimmy Connors in 1987. He was made to look his age in only his second Grand Slam semi after losing to Greg Rusedski at the US Open in 1997.

Federer wrapped up the first set in 27 minutes and took four less to claim the second.

The Swiss master was never threatened in the tennis mugging as he moved into the title match without the loss of a set. Bjorn Borg was the last man to win the title without loss of a set, achieving it in 1976.

Federer struck 30 winners with just 13 unforced errors, while limiting Bjorkman to 13 winners.