LONDON, (Reuters) – Launching outrageous winners left, right and centre, obscure Czech Lukas Rosol rocked Wimbledon’s Centre Court to its foundations today by winning a final-set shootout after dusk against twice former champion Rafa Nadal.
Ranked 100th in the world, few of the enthralled 15,000 fans inside the famous arena would have heard of Rosol before the match started but none present will forget witnessing one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s 126-year history.
When Nadal levelled the match at two sets all it seemed inevitable that he would reach the third round, albeit with plenty of battle scars.
However, after a 30-minute delay while Centre Court’s roof was slid into position, 26-year-old Rosol returned to overpower the 11-times grand slam champion and complete an electrifying 6-7 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory in three hours and 18 minutes.
The late-night drama left everything that went before it on the fourth day looking almost bland by comparison.
