Men's singles final latest:

R FEDERER Swi * v R NADAL Spa

2-4

* denotes server

LATEST ACTION (all times BST)
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Federer 2-4 Nadal
Fed makes the mistake of not putting his approach shot on the line and Rafa rifles a forehand right past him. Inevitable. A hold to 15 for Nadal. Gwen Stefani, sitting with Fed's support camp, looks on nervously.

1500: "Nadal has made his intentions clear and has been so aggressive from the baseline. If Nadal can get his nose in front and win this set that will put even more doubts in Federer's mind."
Tim Henman in the BBC commentary box

Federer 2-3 Nadal
Blink and you miss it. A love service game for Fed - which is one service game too late you feel. The sun is trying its best to join the party.

Federer 1-3 Nadal
Interesting. Nadal sends Fed from side to side before completely wrong-footing the world number one before two more devastating forehands make it 40-0. But Fed fights back. He strokes a delicious backhand onto the line to claw his way back to 40-30 and then attacks the net to make it deuce. Nadal sends a forehand long and it's break point Fed - but the world number one overcooks a forehand. Couple of deuces but Rafa hangs on to his break. Tim Henman points out that Nadal put 14 serves in a row onto Fed's backhand.

1445: Meanwhile a good day for British sports fans as Lewis Hamilton wins the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Hamilton wins British Grand Prix

Federer 1-2 Nadal
A searching return from Nadal finds Fed on the back foot and he's in a spot of bother at 15-30. He brings out a huge second serve to make it 30-30 but a backhand into the net gives Nadal the first break point of the match. Fed drops serve for only the third time in the whole tournament when Nadal's return skips off the line and Fed's racquet fails to make contact. Massive early blow for the champion.

1443: "Federer has responded in the best way possible to criticism. Faultless in Halle and now he has been breathtaking in the way he has got to the final here without dropping a set."
Tim Henman in the BBC commentary box

Federer 1-1 Nadal
If Federer's going to have any chance, he'll probably need to try to finish these points quickly. He does exactly that, pouncing on a short ball before effortlessly putting away the volley. Nadal, though, is much improved on serve and that gets him to 40-15 before a first double fault holds him up - only briefly though.

Federer 1-0 Nadal
If the first point is anything to go by, we are in for an absolute treat. The players exchange some gorgeous groundstrokes, Fed looking to take the initiative with his forehand before seeing Nadal belt one of his own down the line. Fed wins the next four though, finishing with a booming first serve. This crowd is ready to explode.

1435: 'Fedal' is under way...

1434: The crowd have got their act together and Centre Court is now pretty much full, as is the Royal Box. This is the most hotly-anticipated match in recent tennis history. I don't know about you but I am beside myself with excitement.

1429: This is the sixth time these two have met in a Grand Slam final - an Open era record. Federer is aiming to beat Bjorn Borg's record of five Wimbledon titles in a row. When Borg got to his sixth final, he was thrashed by second seed John McEnroe... an omen?

1427: Blair Manns, a 13-year-old representing the British Lung Fundation, performs the coin toss. Fed gets the first blow in by winning it, and not surprisingly he'll serve first. Rafa does his familiar sprint back to the baseline and we're into the warm-up.

1423: Manuel Santana - the last Spaniard to win the men's title here in 1966 - shakes Rafa's hand as the two players come through the green door and out onto Centre Court. Unusually, Rafa's wearing a tracksuit top - which tells you all you need to know about the conditions today.

1421: The pre-match interviews are revealing as always. "I have to play my best tennis against the best player in the world," says Rafa. Roger says: "It might be a tough day with the rain and a tough opponent so it should be interesting."

1420: "Bjorn Borg has just caused a stampede in the Broadcast Centre after leaving his interview with Sue Barker. Pens were flying everywhere and photographs being taken willy nilly. What a dude though. Are old tennis players the coolest of old sportsmen? See, Mac, Becker, Bjorg, Rusedski, Bates..."
BBC Sport mole

1416: The speed with which the rain went and the sun appeared seems to have caught everyone on the hop. Centre Court is barely half full. Not me though. Tuna baguette consumed, I am ready to go.

By Piers Newbery at Wimbledon

1415: OK, we're going to take him at his word and I will hand you over to Caroline for detailed, incisive and baguette-free match coverage.

1412: The Voice of Wimbledon: "Play will start within the next 10 minutes."

1410: "Shouldn't the man doing the engraving on the board take advantage of this delay and get the '2008 R....' bit done now to save time?"
From wishingandhoping on 606

1407: The Voice of Wimbledon: "We are beginning the process of uncovering all courts with a view to starting play very shortly, weather permitting." I could kiss him. If he was female and pretty.

1402: Things are brightening up a bit and there are no umbrellas to be seen on Centre Court at the moment, so fingers crossed.

1359: "Roger's handling the pressure unbelievably well. He's the king of these courts, it's his home ground. I think it's very difficult to pick a winner today. Federer needs to serve well and if he does I think he's going to win. If he doesn't, I think he's going to have a lot of problems."
Bjorn Borg on BBC One

1354: "Federer's trying to catch Sampras at seven Wimbledon titles and he's two from Sampras's overall Grand Slam record of 14. That seemed like a foregone conclusion but I bet he's starting to think..... Most great players' records are top heavy with titles from aged 20 to 26ish. It then gets a whole lot harder."
John McEnroe on BBC One

1348: All this waiting around cannot be doing much for the finalists' nerves as the world awaits one of the most titanic clashes in tennis history. Fortunately, Jeremy Bates is an experienced campaigner and should be primed to take out Ken Flach and Robert Seguso in the senior invitation doubles final. With Anders Jarryd. They are due second on Court One, but who knows?

1343: "Cen, I'll take that challenge! 1520 for the final to start."
From Jenni via text on 81111

1340: "What is the latest on the weather, still inconclusive?! Do we expect something to happen on court 1400 UK time? Thanks."
From Pimbo on 606 (Officially no play at 1400 BST, hopeful for 1430-1500)

1335: "Piers, i'm following the live text in Hong Kong, awaiting the start of the final and if it's any consolation it's chucking it down here as well."
From whistlerst on 606 (Strangely, it is)

1333: "Shall we have a spot of 'Guess the Start of the Final'? I'll go for 1532 (twas the exact same time when the firemen removed my head from between the railings all those years ago)."
From Cen via text on 81111

1330: "I agree with Aliah (see 1303), grand prix very exciting so far, lewis showing amazing moves to now be in the lead, so rain, rain stay at wimbledon until after it's finished!"
From Vicky, Letchworth, via text on 81111

1325: Well, I've managed to sprint to and from the Broadcast Centre restaurant in the pouring rain and have returned with two slightly damp tuna baguettes for myself and BBC Sport's Caroline Cheese. And another pudding. For me. With the rain pouring down, the restaurant is packed and it's standing room only as the soggy hordes watch the Grand Prix. Watching intently from a prime spot is Andrew Castle. You have to get up really early to get ahead of him.

1318: "After two weeks of having to sit with the likes of Jeremy Kyle sapping my resolve on the TV in front of me while we wait for tennis to start, a bored flick through the TV channels this morning found two rogue music channels! Huzzah. Flagging morale was boosted immeasurably by those saucy pop sirens Girls Aloud, before Mika, the Scissor Sisters and a look out of the window brought the party atmosphere crashing back down. Grrrrr. Bring on the roof!"
BBC Sport Mole

1310: "Any sign of sir Cliff at the courts? Rain delays and a stirring singalong rendition of Living Doll will brighten up my Sunday no end!"
From fsjm33 on 606 (I'm sure the Mole would oblige)

1305: "I'm praying for rain then dry after 3pm so that we get a great British GP and hold off the mother of all tennis finals at Wimbledon to follow it! Asking too much?"
From Aliah, addicted to BBC live updates, via text on 81111 (We can be contacted, gratis, via 606 remember)

1300: Should we ever get any play, some famous faces will be venturing out into the Royal Box. Bjorn Borg is back to see if Federer can break his five-in-a-row mark, while Manuel Santana will be hoping Rafa can become the first Spaniard to win the men's title since he managed it in 1966. But both men will surely be giddy as school girls to be in the presence of London Mayor Boris Johnson, while Dame Maggie Smith and former champions Stan Smith and Billie Jean King are also in attendance. And a Thomas Hitzlsperger, although presumably not the 'Hammer' of Aston Villa, Stuttgart and Germany fame.

1250: Here he is again, the kindly Voice of Wimbledon: "These light sh>owers are due to continue until around 1400-1430 BST this afternoon and then it is expected to remain cloudy but with some sunny spells, but with the possibility of one or two heavy showers, so we remain optimistic that the situation will improve later on."

1246: "If Nadal's going to do it, it has to be this year - he has to take advantage of any possible effect the French Open may have had on Federer."
From yummycrazyrussian on 606

1240: Well, I have so far demolished a chocolate bar masquearding as a cereal bar, and a pudding posing as a healthy rice-based snack. If they don't start playing tennis soon I'll be on to the brandy and cigars. However, the rain is still falling and the lucky ticket holders are having to make do with taking photographs of each other under umbrellas at the moment. Grim.

1232: "How can anyone suggest that Nadal is the unquestionable number one? He is the king of clay, plays much better on grass, but the guy has yet to reach the final at the Australian Open, not to mention the US Open where he only got to the quarter-finals once."
From csaba via text on 81111

1228: Apparently, there is a Grand Prix on today, and it's in Britain! Rain does not stop motor racing, so while waiting for the real sport to begin you could follow my colleague Sam Lyon as he charts the progress of some space rockets with wheels around a field in Northamptonshire. Maybe Lewis Hamilton could become the new Laura Robson. Hurry back though....
Live - British Grand Prix

1220: "Watching Wimbledon takes me back to when we were students working as waiters. Phil Butler took a bowl of strawberries up to Billie Jean King who was commentating at court 18. Her face was a picture when he asked her if it was her first time at the Championships. Great memories."
From Paddy via text on 81111

1218: "Piers, don't you think the Voice of Wimbledon deserves a graphic?"
From anon via text on 81111 (I fear that would ruin the magic)

1213: Right, here's the deal. Should the final be held over until Monday becuse of rain, tickets for Sunday will not be vaild - the normal refund policy simply takes effect. That means we will have an empty Centre Court for a Monday final, no? No. At the risk of causing gridlock in south west London, tickets for Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal will be available on a first come, first served basis to those who queue. Wait for it, wait for it.... before you start grabbing tents out of the shed and legging it to the car, there is every chance that the match will be completed today, although probably after several interruptions. Here are the details on the Wimbledon rain policy...Wet weather policy (official website).

1206: "I managed to get hold of tickets last night, I just want it to stop raining!! What's the likelihood of play? If there is none, is it a free for all tomorrow?"
From SA via text on 81111 (Er, you're not going to like this but explanation to follow....)

1201: Just to confirm, play is officially meant to get under way now with the girls' doubles final on Court Two, and the wheelchair doubles final on Court Three. But it's raining.

1200: "Nadal has just had to leg it for cover and end his practice session on court 19 due to a torrential downpour. Anyone see the pictures of Nadal's entourage carrying a load of Kit Kat chunkys (other chunky chocolate based confectionary are available) for him? What sort of a diet is that? I might eat one in his honour now. Mind you they probably cost about £2.50 at Wimbledon's prices. Crisps cost £3.50! £3.50! We're in the middle of a credit crunch for heaven's sake."
BBC Sport Mole

1153: As the rain falls gently onto Centre Court, we are already misty-eyed about Laura Robson's glorious victory in the girls' singles yesterday. For Britain. She's only 14, you know. Here's what 1978 junior champion Tracy Austin says about our girl. "In Britain you guys tend to build someone up so quickly because you have so many expectations, so what's most important now is for her mum, her dad, her agent to try to keep her life as normal as possible, not do too many interviews. Give her time for her game to gel and come together. She's only 14 and her parents have to help her out. I went through it and agents were all over me. I hope she does well because she's a great personality."

1149: Even the soothing Voice of Wimbledon cannot disguise the facts as he welcomes us to a "rather damp start to the day". He adds: "The foreacast is not without hope, with showers predicted between now and 2pm, followed by sunshine and the risk of showers, coupled with a fresh south-westerly breeze."

1141: "Nothing against Federer but I want Nadal to win today. I love watching Federer and I was wishing he would win French to win all 4 majors, and for the same reason I want Nadal to win today because he's been in 2 losing finals and came so close last year, but my heart says Nadal my head says Federer. Let's hope this is sublime."
From lionrustbucket on 606

1136: Rog and Rafa are now out on the practice courts, the Swiss facing serves from a left-hander on Court 17 and the Spaniard, fresh from nearly two hours of practice yesterday, steaming around Court 19 as if he's playing the final itself. And with the rain just starting to fall, it may be the closest he gets today. But enough of that negativity...

1130: "I've just had a chat with a steward and he tells me you can get a ground pass into the All England Club for £8 today and there is virtually no queue. And after 5pm, you can get in for £5."
BBC Sport's Ian Westbrook

1122: "It's not easy to forget a defeat like the one Federer had at Roland Garros in a hurry, but the best way to do it is to get out on the court and get some wins under your belt and that's exactly what he has done. I don't really think he can feel any better about his game than he does right now. He has been flawless."
Henman on Federer v Nadal

1116: "I think if Nadal wins the French and Wimbledon, then in everybody's mind he's the number one in the world," says former champion and BBC analyst Boris Becker.

1108: "Extremely excited about today's final as long as the rain doesn't spoil it. Nervous looking groundstaff are bowling tennis balls to each other and one young whippersnapper is demonstrating how to bowl a Doosra. Impressive. Still no sign of the 99p cricket bat I brought in the other day though, fuming about that. Anyhow, the brass band have set up, packed up, then set up again and have now disappeared. Might be one of those days. High hopes for some A-grade celebs showing up today…"
BBC Sport Mole

1102: Had the All England Club heeded my advice and played the men's final in Peckham at 7am this morning, we would already be looking back on a classic encounter and hailing our new/old men's champion. But they did not. As a result, we could be in for a frustrating afternoon. The covers are across on Centre Court and the skies look threatening. The weather forecast from BBC Breakfast News says: "It does look like we'll see a rain delay at Wimbledon first thing, then it's a mixture of sunshine and showers, so we could see intermittent play after a delayed start."

1100: This is it, people. The final day of a fantastic fortnight and the best is still to come. Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal for the heavyweight championship of the (tennis) world. Kick-off is at 1400 BST, but we'll be knee deep in analysis and inane chat between now and then.

- We'll be here throughout the day to bring you the latest news from around the All England Club, both on the courts and off, so whether you're settling down at home, stuck in the office or queuing on Church Road, send us your thoughts.

(BBC)

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