Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played

Tennis is great. At the time of this writing, it is Middle Sunday, the traditional Sunday without action during Wimbledon. The non-appearance of Nadal at this tournament due to injury, combined with Federer's historic win at the French Open and the reading of a book (more on this in a few) has made me reflect on the significance of last year's Wimbledon Mens Final. In the last several years Roger Federer has become my favorite player to watch, due to his grace, fluidity and ease of play. Some of the other players I enjoyed watching before him include Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg, and Mats Wilander. All these players had rivals, and that made them raise their games to the next level. For Andre Agassi, of course it was the greatness of Pete Sampras, for Edberg it was Becker and in the case of Wilander one of his main rivals was Ivan Lendl. Still many people talk about the rivalry between McEnroe and Borg as the greatest, which I was too young at the time to fully experience and enjoy. What led me to think about this on a Middle Sunday during Wimbledon 2009? The answer to that question is L. Jon Wertheim's book, Strokes of Genius. This book is about Federer, Nadal, the rivalry, Pascal Maria (the match umpire), the game of tennis and most importantly about the greatest game played, Wimbledon 2008 Mens Final. The author does a great job of weaving the story of the game together, from the pre-match ongoings, the sights and sounds of Wimbledon and the historical background of the game of tennis. The author delicately crafts historical information about the game of tennis at the right junctures as the match is being described, like flashbacks in a movie. This book has been an easy, fast, and an enjoyable read. It makes me want to pick up a racket again and play tennis. It is a book that celebrates the greatness of tennis. This book is a must read for all, and including those up and coming young tennis players. Thanks to Mr. Wertheim for capturing this great moment in tennis history and hopefully further jolting the popularity of tennis.

This was a book that delved into much more than a tennis match, it gave background information on both players as well as match analysis, but it focused more on the mental aspect of such a trying match on both players. Mr. Wertheim clearly collected his facts with much diligence and this lead to an instant literary classic. I have read it four times already and would recommend it to tennis and non tennis fans alike, it appeals to all, not just the avid tennis fan!!

I am a huge sports fan and I think that the 2008 Wimbledon Final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was not just the greatest tennis match I have ever watched but the greatest sporting event I have ever watched - two of the best ever in their sport, in the midst of a growing rivalry, played a match that actually exceeded the hype. This book is the perfect way to relive and remember the Match of the Century. At a length of about 200 pages, I could have finished reading STROKES OF GENIUS in a single sitting because it is equally informative and interesting. Wertheim gives equal time to both great players as he provides a play-by-play of the epic match interspersed with a generous amount of side-stories including biographical backgrounds of Federer and Nadal, a history of Hawkeye (the instant replay technology used in tennis), a description of modern racket strings, Federer's relationship with other players and with the media, the influence on Nadal of his coach - his uncle Toni, and even how Andy Roddick and Venus Williams followed the match. This book is a great reminder of a match that took place about a year ago and that will be remembered forever.

Wertheim has captured the brilliance and excitement of the match. Wertheim demonstrates eloquently that the 2008 Wimbledon Final between NADAL and Federer truly was the greatest match ever. Thank you John for capturing two great champions in their prime and covering the world class match that they played

As a huge tennis fan I sat in awe as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal played the greatest tennis match ever a year ago. It was one of those matches where as soon as it ended, I immediately wanted to watch it again. Jon Wertheim has written a fantastic book about Nadal and Federer's epic Wimbledon match, filled with great behind the scenes anecdotes and terrific analysis. It's also a great look at two very different players, whose paths in life led them to this great rivalry. Any tennis fan would be fascinated by this book, especially with the French Open and Wimbledon coming up. The Nadal-Federer rivalry deserves a great book, and now it has one.