1877 Wimbledon Championship H. Walsh, in his capacity as editor of "The Field", persuaded his employer to donate a cup worth 25 guineas for the winner; the "Field Cup". The cup was made of sterling silver and had the inscription: "The All England Lawn Challenge Cup – Presented by the Proprietors of The Field – For competition by Amateurs – Wimbledon July 1877". On 6 July 1877, three days prior to the start of the tournament, a notice was published in "The Times": Next week at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club Ground a Lawn Tennis Championship Meeting will be held.
2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles final 2008 Wimbledon Championships – Men's singles final The 2008 Wimbledon Men's Singles final was the championship tennis match of the Men's Singles tournament at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships. A part of the storied Federer–Nadal rivalry, it pitted then-top ranked Roger Federer against then second ranked Rafael Nadal. After 4 hours and 48 minutes of play, Nadal defeated Federer 6–4, 6–4, 6–7, 6–7, 9–7. It is widely regarded as the greatest match in the history of tennis. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have a storied rivalry that many consider to be the greatest in tennis history. As they entered the 2008