The Keys to a Nadal Victory on Sunday in the Wimbledon Final: A Fan's Perspective

For Rafa to defend his Wimbledon title on Sunday and keep Novak from taking both that AND the top ranking, Rafa will have to serve smart and be aggressive from the first point!

Against Murray he was a bit passive in the first set. Murray on the other hand came out swinging and took the game to Rafa from the first balls, hitting big forehands and big serves. Rafa was continually hitting shots from his back foot and wasn't allowed to attack.

After getting the break from Murray in the 5th game of the second set to go up 3-2, he finally started to settle down and do what he does best. He started ripping his backhand. The forehand started hitting its' mark on the baseline with pace and spin. The forehand also started finding it's mark on the ad court sideline as Rafa took full use of his lefty angles to draw Murray off the court so that he could take the next groundstroke/volley to the open court. He dictated the point construction and had Murray running side to side to defend the barrage. And the times when he needed defense, he defended with interest often causing Murray to miss on subsequent shots as he realized he needed to "go big or go home".

One of the many differences between Andy and Novak Djokovic (and I do mean many), and it's a huge one, is that Andy's natural instinct is one of defense. Novak is a different breed. His natural instinct is one of aggression. Yes his defensive brilliance saved him in many matches. But that defense allowed him to stay in the point in order to go back into offensive mode. His offense has been outstanding this year. He absolutely believes he can hit toe to toe with ANYONE... and come out with the better shot in the end.

If Rafa allows Novak to get on top at the start of the match, that will be the end of it. After 4 consecutive victories in huge finals, he will complete faith in his ability close out Rafa for the victory again. And after 4 consecutive losses in huge finals against Novak in matches where he utterly could find no solution to breakdown Novak's strokes or mental strength, Rafa will know that his chances to recover his edge in the match will be slim.

The one intangible that I don't think will make any difference toward the outcome is Rafa's experience on the grass and the fact that he is playing in his 5th Wimbledon final in his last 5 tries. THAT is an amazing achievement. His comfort on the court is high and he has played many a big match on that court. Remember his stunning victory over Federer in the waning light for his first Wimbledon crown? The stakes don't get much bigger than that.

Rafa's past experiences might have some bearing on the outcome. But for someone like Novak who is coming off of one of the most incredible winning streaks in tennis history, the pressure of the moment will have little bearing in comparison. His grass experience is not lacking either, having made it to the semis last year and now in the title match. He moves just as well on grass as the other surfaces which still allows his defense to shine. So no grass court edge for Rafa.

Aggression from the start for Rafa, and hope that it's his day.