London (AFP)

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Spaniard Rafael Nadal, N.3 and World No. 2, meet for the fourth time on Friday at Wimbledon, in the semi-finals ... eleven years after the last of the three finals between the two champions (2006, 2007 and 2008), which marked the history of the London Grand Slam tournament.

2006

Final: Federer beats Nadal 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (2/7), 6-3

Federer, already 24 years at the top of the world, won against Nadal, then 20, his fourth consecutive title at Wimbledon.

Before the final, Federer lost only four times in 2006. Each time against Majorquin, who broke the hegemony of Switzerland in four finals: hard on Miami, then three times on clay, his surface fetish, in Monte-Carlo, Rome and Roland-Garros.

With these successes, Nadal, who reaches for the first time the final at Wimbledon, believes in his chances. But Federer will remain master in his kingdom: he shower of entry Majorcan by inflicting a scathing 6-0 in the first set.

Nadal will have to wait to become the first Spaniard to win Wimbledon since Manolo Santana in 1966.

"Roger is amazing," Nadal said. He will have the slight consolation, taking the King the third inning, to have prevented Federer to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1976 to win the title without losing any set.

2007

Final: Federer def. Nadal 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-2

Federer wins its fifth consecutive title at Wimbledon, following the third longest final in the history of the All England Country Club.

He thus matches the series of Björn Borg, five times consecutively titled on the London turf.

"I do not know how long I can continue, but I really feel able to continue mentally and physically for many more years," said the Swiss, probably far from imagining he would still play a half final 12 years later, at almost 38 years old.

But the vice has tightened on the Swiss, pushed to the fifth set by a Nadal more and more confident on the grass.

2008

Final: Nadal beats Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (8/10), 9-7

The third attempt will be good for "Rafa", who unbolts the Federer statue after an epic fight and a final, the longest in the history of the tournament (4:48 min), still considered today as one of the most sublime in the history of tennis.

The Majorcan, despite the loss of the fourth set where he got two match points, found the resource to start fighting in a fifth set that will end at night.

It ends a staggering 34-game winning streak by Federer at Wimbledon, and 64 consecutive field wins.

Despite the exploit, Nadal persists in claiming that "Roger is still number 1, always the best".

Federer, fair play, admits his defeat: "I tried everything, but Rafa played fantastically."

Nadal not only puts an end to the long reign of Federer in London, but becomes at 22 the third man only to succeed the double Roland Garros / Wimbledon, the first since Borg in 1980.

A few weeks after his first triumph at Wimbledon, the Majorcan will also overthrow Federer from the world No.1.

Legend John McEnroe did not hesitate to call this 2008 Wimbledon final "the greatest match ever". Waiting for Friday's reunion. In semifinals "only". Because since the last decade, a certain Novak Djokovic, the current N.1 world, came to mingle with the fight ...

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