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Spanish media hails ‘King Nadal’

Manuel Santana has predicted more Wimbledon titles for Nadal
The Swiss too motivated and talented to give up

— Photo: AFP

SINKING FEELING: Roger Federer’s countenance, after the prize distribution ceremony on Sunday, reflects the enormity of the defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal

MADRID: Just one week after celebrating Spain’s Euro 2008 football win, the Spanish media was full of praise Monday for Rafael Nadal who became the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon in over 40 years on Sunday.

“Long live King Nadal!” wrote sports daily AS on its front page below a photo of the 22-year-old world No.2 being congratulated by Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe and his wife Princess Letizia after his win on Sunday. “Memorable victory in the best final in the history of Wimbledon,” it added.

“It doesn’t matter what the ATP say, Rafa you are the number one,” rival sports daily Marca said on its front page beside a photo of Nadal biting his new trophy.

“‘Rocky’ Nadal beat Federer in the match of the century,” it added.

The last Spaniard to win Wimbledon was Manuel Santana in 1966 when Spain was still ruled by dictator General Francisco Franco.

Santana speaks

“Nadal will win Wimbledon many more times, especially when Federer is not taking part,” Manuel Santana, the last Spaniard to win the men’s singles crown in 1966, predicted in an interview published in daily newspaper ABC.

Daily newspaper El Mundo said “Rafael Nadal has opened a new era in tennis” with his win over Federer while top-selling daily El Pais said “Nadal has become a giant”.

“Neither the rain nor Federer could stop Nadal,” it added.

Menwhile, newspapers in Switzerland were united on Monday in seeing the defeat of Federer as the story of a fallen king.

New ruler

His hometown newspaper, the Basler Zeitung, announced “Nadal Dethrones Federer” on its front page while the Zurich-based mass circulation tabloid Blick proclaimed “A drama and a new king.”

Blick hailed a “frenzy” of a match and asked readers “How to find words for this madness?”

The quality broadsheet Le Temps, based in Geneva, led its front page with the headline “Nadal the conqueror.”

The French-language Tribune de Geneve described Federer on its front page as “Le Roi Nu” — the naked king.

It said that while the Swiss would keep his No. 1 ranking for the moment, this loss to Nadal on his favoured grass court meant he must carry the racquet of his great Spanish rival.

Not alone

“From now on he (Federer) is not alone in the world. He must get used to it. And all of us, too,” the Tribune’s editorial said. It also suggested that Federer’s myth was broken by Nadal during a heavy defeat in their French Open final in Paris a month ago.

Federer came to Wimbledon and “played double or quits. And he lost.”

The Basler Zeitung said Nadal was being urged on to achieve greater heights by Federer’s standards. It noted that a great series of titles was ended in the same way, by a left-hander, just like when five-time defending champion Bjorn Borg lost in 1981 to John McEnroe.

The Lausanne-based tabloid Le Matin headlined its back page with “The king forfeits.”

Its tennis correspondent said Nadal would “steal” Federer’s No. 1 ranking in the next few weeks or months.

While Federer had lost his stranglehold on the game, he had left his mark in tennis history “in indelible ink.”

Defiant note

The most defiant note was struck in Tages-Anzeiger, a German-language broadsheet from Zurich.

Its tennis correspondent Rene Stauffer, who has written a biography of Federer, said the defeat was not the end of an era.

“The Swiss is too motivated, too talented, too strong, too fit, too professionally organized and too proud to give up working toward winning the biggest titles,” Stauffer wrote. — Agencies

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