30/11/08 03:13 GMT
I suspect you knew where I was heading before you even started reading this article.
It's no surprise. This year's Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and eventual champion Rafael Nadal is destined to go down as an all-time classic. Personally it was the best match I've ever seen. It had everything. Consistently brilliant shot-making; never-say-die attitude from both men; one player (Federer) fighting back from two sets down, saving match points in the process; five thrilling sets; a dramatic late finish; and, to add to the already-gripping tension, plenty of those SW19 rain delays.
Nadal dominated early on and when he led by two sets to love, there were few signs of the drama to follow. The quality of tennis had been high, but as Federer found his real 'A' game, it simply rose and rose.
Federer has won plenty of plaudits over the years for some of his displays, many of which have resulted in blistering straight-sets wins. However, his fightback on July 6 proved he has the heart of a true champion.
After taking the third set on a tie-break, Federer's fight finally looked up in the fourth-set breaker when Nadal stepped up to serve at 5-2 knowing two holds would give him the title.
He would have to wait a few hours longer for the trophy though. Federer levelled and, after saving two championship points, eventually forced a deciding set.
How good that tie-break was is summed up by the fact that afterwards people spoke of how it would be shown in empty TV slots in years to come, in preference to that Borg-McEnroe tie-break of 1980.
I'm convinced I'll never see two better shots than those that occurred on the 15th and 16th points - a sensational forehand pass from Nadal to bring up match point and arguably an even better backhand return winner from Federer. Given the circumstances, how he threaded that shot down the line was truly remarkable, as the late Dan Maskell might have said.
Nadal deserves high praise for the way he steeled himself in the fifth set. Plenty of players, even those renowned for their mental toughness, would have been affected by the fact that the biggest prize in their sport had been just one point away and was now an entire set. Not Nadal.
The Spaniard just slipped back into the groove and didn't allow Federer a single break-point chance in the decider, which was halted midway through by a rain delay.
It meant the light was fading when the players returned but Nadal finally struck the decisive blow by breaking in the 15th game. As the camera flashlights flickered around Centre Court, he duly served out to end the longest final in Wimbledon history. Put simply, four hours and 48 minutes of brilliant sport.
The Federer-Nadal classic shone so brightly it put most of the other fare on offer in 2008 in the shade.
However, it would be wrong not to mention other contests, some of which would have been named 'match of the year' in other times.
Andy Murray was involved in several.
His last-16 clash with Richard Gasquet looked set to be Wimbledon's best match this year until Federer and Nadal intervened.
Like the final itself, the Murray-Gasquet clash had five sets, late-night drama - they really shouldn't have been playing in the 9.29pm gloom - and a comeback from two sets down.
But compared to Federer, Murray made things even harder for himself - Gasquet served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. I was lucky enough to be on Centre Court that evening and, I kid you not, the people in front of me left as the Frenchman stepped up to serve!
Murray's play after that was as electric as the atmosphere. For me, it was a vital match in his development and laid the foundations for his latter-season surge.
That, of course, included a run to the final of the US Open where Wimbledon defeat to Nadal was avenged in the semi-finals in another match of top quality.
Murray's play in the first two sets left Nadal floundering before the rain intervened. With the Briton's 'golden spell' interrupted, many felt Nadal would regroup the following day but although he got one set back, Murray knuckled down to see things through.
Murray was also involved in a memorable encounter with Federer at the Masters Cup.
Their matches have tended to be close and this one was no exception, Murray winning a three-hour epic 7-5 in the third after Federer had staved off seven match points.
Let's hope we get such entertainment when the season-ending event comes to London's O2 Arena in 2009.
Grasscourt rarely provide such quality as Nadal v Novak Djokovic at Queen's Club - at least that's what we thought until three weeks' later.
The match was, however, a fitting end to the Artois-sponsored event which will look markedly different in 2009 with the unique red stands and backboards set to disappear.
Finally, they may not have been up to the standard of those listed above, but two pretty darn good matches took place within hours of each other at the Australian Open on January 19, which has to go down as 'day of the year'.
Federer, clearly still feeling the effects of his off-season glandular fever, had to fight off a splendid effort from Janko Tipsarevic to win 10-8 in the fifth by which time the night session was already well behind schedule.
It meant Marcos Baghdatis and Lleyton Hewitt did not get on court until just before midnight. Five sets later and at 0433 local time, the day's play was over.
Not bad value for money - if you could stay awake that long.
It's no surprise. This year's Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and eventual champion Rafael Nadal is destined to go down as an all-time classic. Personally it was the best match I've ever seen. It had everything. Consistently brilliant shot-making; never-say-die attitude from both men; one player (Federer) fighting back from two sets down, saving match points in the process; five thrilling sets; a dramatic late finish; and, to add to the already-gripping tension, plenty of those SW19 rain delays.
Nadal dominated early on and when he led by two sets to love, there were few signs of the drama to follow. The quality of tennis had been high, but as Federer found his real 'A' game, it simply rose and rose.
Federer has won plenty of plaudits over the years for some of his displays, many of which have resulted in blistering straight-sets wins. However, his fightback on July 6 proved he has the heart of a true champion.
After taking the third set on a tie-break, Federer's fight finally looked up in the fourth-set breaker when Nadal stepped up to serve at 5-2 knowing two holds would give him the title.
He would have to wait a few hours longer for the trophy though. Federer levelled and, after saving two championship points, eventually forced a deciding set.
How good that tie-break was is summed up by the fact that afterwards people spoke of how it would be shown in empty TV slots in years to come, in preference to that Borg-McEnroe tie-break of 1980.
I'm convinced I'll never see two better shots than those that occurred on the 15th and 16th points - a sensational forehand pass from Nadal to bring up match point and arguably an even better backhand return winner from Federer. Given the circumstances, how he threaded that shot down the line was truly remarkable, as the late Dan Maskell might have said.
Nadal deserves high praise for the way he steeled himself in the fifth set. Plenty of players, even those renowned for their mental toughness, would have been affected by the fact that the biggest prize in their sport had been just one point away and was now an entire set. Not Nadal.
The Spaniard just slipped back into the groove and didn't allow Federer a single break-point chance in the decider, which was halted midway through by a rain delay.
It meant the light was fading when the players returned but Nadal finally struck the decisive blow by breaking in the 15th game. As the camera flashlights flickered around Centre Court, he duly served out to end the longest final in Wimbledon history. Put simply, four hours and 48 minutes of brilliant sport.
The Federer-Nadal classic shone so brightly it put most of the other fare on offer in 2008 in the shade.
However, it would be wrong not to mention other contests, some of which would have been named 'match of the year' in other times.
Andy Murray was involved in several.
His last-16 clash with Richard Gasquet looked set to be Wimbledon's best match this year until Federer and Nadal intervened.
Like the final itself, the Murray-Gasquet clash had five sets, late-night drama - they really shouldn't have been playing in the 9.29pm gloom - and a comeback from two sets down.
But compared to Federer, Murray made things even harder for himself - Gasquet served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. I was lucky enough to be on Centre Court that evening and, I kid you not, the people in front of me left as the Frenchman stepped up to serve!
Murray's play after that was as electric as the atmosphere. For me, it was a vital match in his development and laid the foundations for his latter-season surge.
That, of course, included a run to the final of the US Open where Wimbledon defeat to Nadal was avenged in the semi-finals in another match of top quality.
Murray's play in the first two sets left Nadal floundering before the rain intervened. With the Briton's 'golden spell' interrupted, many felt Nadal would regroup the following day but although he got one set back, Murray knuckled down to see things through.
Murray was also involved in a memorable encounter with Federer at the Masters Cup.
Their matches have tended to be close and this one was no exception, Murray winning a three-hour epic 7-5 in the third after Federer had staved off seven match points.
Let's hope we get such entertainment when the season-ending event comes to London's O2 Arena in 2009.
Grasscourt rarely provide such quality as Nadal v Novak Djokovic at Queen's Club - at least that's what we thought until three weeks' later.
The match was, however, a fitting end to the Artois-sponsored event which will look markedly different in 2009 with the unique red stands and backboards set to disappear.
Finally, they may not have been up to the standard of those listed above, but two pretty darn good matches took place within hours of each other at the Australian Open on January 19, which has to go down as 'day of the year'.
Federer, clearly still feeling the effects of his off-season glandular fever, had to fight off a splendid effort from Janko Tipsarevic to win 10-8 in the fifth by which time the night session was already well behind schedule.
It meant Marcos Baghdatis and Lleyton Hewitt did not get on court until just before midnight. Five sets later and at 0433 local time, the day's play was over.
Not bad value for money - if you could stay awake that long.
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