Nadal, Berdych seek men's crown

WIMBLEDON, England (AP):

While Roger Federer is at the start of a two-week vacation he wasn't eager to begin, Rafael Nadal will be hard at work today, facing a new sort of challenge in the Wimbledon final.

For the first time since 2002, the last round at the All England Club won't include six-time champion Federer. Instead, Nadal will take on the player who eliminated Federer in the quarter-finals, first-time Grand Slam finalist Tomas Berdych.

They will be hard-pressed to equal the drama of the past three Wimbledon finals. Federer beat Nadal in 2007, Nadal beat Federer in 2008, and Federer beat Andy Roddick last year. All three matches were decided in the fifth set, including last year's 16-14 thriller.

But Nadal's Wimbledon comeback and Berdych's Grand Slam breakthrough also offer compelling story lines.

'Undefeated'

Nadal missed last year's tournament with tendinitis in both knees, then endured a prolonged slump. The Rafa of old resurfaced this spring, and he capped an undefeated clay-court season with his fifth French Open title.

Since mid-April, Nadal has gone 30-1 and regained the No. 1 ranking. He is one victory away from his eighth major title.

"I didn't win a tournament for 11 months," Nadal said. "When you have tough moments and you are another time in the top, it's more special."

The 6-foot-5 Berdych's fortunes are on the rise, too. He has displayed flashes of brilliance since the age of 18, when he upset Federer in the 2004 Olympics. Now 24, he has achieved milestones twice in the past month, reaching a major semi-final for the first time at the French Open and advancing even further at Wimbledon.

Career-best

Seeded 12th, Berdych will climb to a career-best ranking of at least eighth next week. He is the first Czech to reach the men's final since Ivan Lendl in 1987. The only Czech to win the men's title was Jan Kodes in 1973.

Berdych's major final debut comes in his 28th try, the second-most major tournaments anyone has played before reaching a title match. Perhaps he is a late bloomer like Lendl, who won the first of his eight major titles at age 24.

"He achieved much, much more than me," Berdych said, "but things need to start somewhere. Hopefully it's a really good time to start building hopefully similar results as he did."

Lendl never hit the ball as hard as Berdych. His serve regularly tops 130 mph, and dealing with his flat, deep forehands is a handful for any opponent.

He has improved his movement and his resolve in big matches, as wins this week over Federer and No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic confirmed. If he can beat Nadal, he will have defeated the world's top three players en route to the title.

"It would be bad if I say I'm in fear of somebody," Berdych said. "I'm still not done yet here. One more to go."

Nadal has beaten Berdych in their past six meetings, and it would seem the Spaniard caught a break not having to face Federer.

Nadal said he doesn't see it that way.

"Roger's been there all the time for the last seven years, and that's amazing," Nadal said. "But no opponent can be more difficult than Tomas to play this final."

Well, Nadal might be more difficult to play. He has reached the final each of the past four times he has played Wimbledon.

He struggled to five-set wins in the second and third rounds, then complained of pain in his right knee. Treatment eliminated the pain, and Nadal eliminated sixth-seeded Robin Soderling and fourth-seeded Andy Murray with little trouble to reach his 10th Grand Slam final.

While Berdych is all about power, Nadal is all about persistence. His defensive skills make him the King of Clay, and even on Wimbledon's faster grass surface, he forces opponents to hit several great shots to win a single point.

"That's an incredible weapon _ that will," three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe said. "That's like having the greatest serve in the history of tennis."

The forehand is formidable, too. During one exchange with Murray, Nadal hit four consecutive delicate slice backhands, then threw himself into a forehand with a grunt so savage the crowd laughed.

There will be plenty of such shots Sunday, making the final worthwhile viewing, even if it turns out not to be an epic. Maybe even Federer will decide to watch.