Strokes of Genius

Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played

De: L. Jon Wertheim

Narrado por: Edward Bauer

In the 2008 Wimbledon men's final, Center Court was a stage set worthy of Shakespearean drama. Five-time champion Roger Federer was on track to take his rightful place as the most dominant player in the history of the game. He just needed to cling to his trajectory. So in the last few moments of daylight, Center Court witnessed a coronation. Only it wasn't a crowning for the Swiss heir apparent but for a swashbuckling Spaniard. Twenty-two-year-old Rafael Nadal prevailed, in five sets, in what was, according to the author, "essentially a four-hour, 48-minute infomercial for everything that is right about tennis - a festival of skill, accuracy, grace, strength, speed, endurance, determination, and sportsmanship". It was also the encapsulation of a fascinating rivalry, hard fought and of historic proportions.

Strokes of Genius deconstructs this defining moment in sport, using that match as the backbone of a provocative, thoughtful, and entertaining look at the science, art, psychology, technology, strategy, and personality that go into a single tennis match. With vivid, intimate detail, Wertheim re-creates this epic battle in a book that is both a study of the mechanics and art of the game and the portrait of a rivalry as dramatic as that of Ali-Frazier, Palmer-Nicklaus, and McEnroe-Borg.

©2009 L. Jon Wertheim (P)2019 Tantor

Behind the scenes of the greatest match An absolute must for a tennis fan

Excellent story, a lot of behind the scenes moments and personal touches. Respects both legends equally. Recommended for all Tennis fans but not only

Great story

This book has fascinating insights and gripping drama. The author did a great job recounting the greatest tennis match ever.

Great story, great performance, a must for tennis fans

As a sports fan, I hate to admit this, but I didn’t see this match live. I don’t know why. Federer and Nadal were well-known athletes and I certainly had seen them in action before. But for some reason I missed this incredible battle. It’s available on YouTube and ESPN, but I wanted to check out Wertheim’s book before sitting down to watch the match. It’s a great book! Very nice performance by the narrator and of course Wertheim is an excellent sportswriter. If you are a tennis fan, this is a must.

Nostalgia at its best

I remember this day clearly, and will forever love this work by Wertheim, I’m glad he has immortalized this magical match!