1975 Arthur Ashe, the perfect gentleman, against the abrasive defending champion, Jimmy Connors. Ashe won the first two sets for the loss of two games, but back came Connors, winning the third set 7-5 and going 3-0 up in the fourth, before Ashe claimed six of the next seven games.

1980 The fourth-set tie-break, all 34 points and 22 minutes of it, is a classic of its own but the whole match could be regarded as the greatest drama in Wimbledon history before yesterday. Bjorn Borg, chasing his fifth Wimbledon title, against the cocky American, John McEnroe. Borg won, but only just, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-7, 8-6.

1990 Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker met three years in a row on Centre Court for the title and after Edberg won in 1988 and Becker won in 1989 it was always going to be a thrilling decider. The Swede won the first two sets 6-2, 6-2, but Becker won the next two 6-3, 6-3. Edberg regained his dominance to win the fifth, 6-4.

2001 Was there a more popular winner than Goran Ivanisevic, with his multiple personalities and his three previous defeats in finals? Throw in the fact that the final happened on People’s Monday and the Croatian wild card’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 win over Pat Rafter was met with wild adulation.

Expert View

Nadal was playing with the forces of youth and change and revolution to power him on

Simon Barnes

• More

• Post a comment

Multimedia

• Was this the greatest Wimbledon final ever?

• Rafa's blog: thank you and goodbye

• Relive the drama of the final

Nadal shows superhuman spirit

Tennis of such high quality has never been played so long and so late even on the most hallowed of courts, writes Barry Flatman

• Rafael Nadal pulls out of Stuttgart Cup

• Spanish media hail new Wimbledon champion as "King Rafael Nadal"

• Relentless Rafael Nadal stays strong for 'dream title'

Related Links

• Nadal shows superhuman spirit

• Nadal scales heights, Federer falls

• Burden of history too much for Federer

Multimedia

• Pictures: Wimbledon finals

...and vintage celebrations

1977 Virginia Wade and her pink cardy endeared herself to the Wimbledon crowd by winning in Jubilee year. The picture of her receiving the Venus Rosewater Dish from the Queen, her knees slightly flexed in curtsy, stands out as one of relief (it was her sixteenth year at Wimbledon), deference and sheer happiness.

1987 Pat Cash pumped his fist, shook Ivan Lendl’s hand and then climbed on to the roof of the commentary box to reach his father in the supporters’ area.

1998 Jana Novotna sank to her knees, arms raised to the skies and tears forming, after beating Nathalie Tauziat in the final. Five years earlier she had wept on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after blowing her chance to beat Steffi Graf. This time, Novotna clasped the Duchess’s hands and thanked her stars for the chance to make amends.

2004 Maria Sharapova ran into the crowd to embrace her father, Yuri, after winning as a 17-year-old, then took his mobile phone and tried to make a call to her mother, Yelena, only to fail to get a signal.