Not his year

Roger Federer, he with 12 Grand Slam titles, came crashing down to earth when Majorcan Rafael Nadal give a blistering and consistent performance on grass to raise the 2008 Wimbledon Championship trophy. And it was a long, long battle...

It was Roger's inability to convert on his breakpoints that eventually led to his defeat, a heartbreaking one, by his own admission. After ruling the Queen's grass for five years, almost eclipsing Bjorn Borg's record of consecutive wins, the Fed Express finally ran out of steam.

He's not likely to admit that he knew in his heart Nadal was playing catch-up fast, but that's what the 22-year-old Muscleman from Spain has been doing in the last couple of years. With four French Open titles to his credit, consecutive at that, it was only a matter of time when he would finally be able to spell out Federer. And work on it, he did.

Well, this time truly a picture speaks a thousand words. Looking at Federer clutching his runner-up plate is truly devastating. There is next year to look forward to.

Photos by Fotosport International/R. Parker; Getty Images/C. Brunskill (www.wimbledon.org)