The most captivating rivalry in men's tennis will play out for a 40th time on Friday when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battle for a place in the Wimbledon final, 11 years after they mesmerised Centre Court in a final widely regarded as the greatest ever played.
Nadal emerged triumphant that day, winning in five sets in a four-hour 48-minute epic of fluctuating fortunes that stretched out over seven hours because of constant, momentum-shifting rain interruptions.
The Spaniard won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 as the clock ticked past 9pm and with the famous stadium in near-darkness.
Over a decade later, the sport's two most successful players now have 38 grand slam titles between them and more than $100 million (Dh367m) in prize money each.
Nadal, the 2008 and 2010 champion at Wimbledon, has the edge overall, leading his great rival and friend 24-15 and 10-3 at the majors.
However, it is eight-time champion Federer who edges their Wimbledon head-to-head 2-1 after winning the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal famously broke the spell in 2008.
Nadal, who demolished Federer in straight sets in the semi-finals at Roland Garros last month on his way to a 12th title in Paris, admits his game has developed since 2008.
Mostly, that's due to his age as well as the need to protect his creaking knees which so often conspired against him on the low-bouncing lawns of the All England Club.
"I am running less so I need to serve better. I probably cannot play 20 weeks a year any more,' said 33-year-old Nadal. "I am serving better. I am hitting the backhand better. Maybe volleying better, slicing better."
In terms of the bare statistics, there is little to choose between them.
Nadal has served up 47 aces so far and been broken just four times; Federer has 42 aces, dropping serve on only three occasions.
The Spanish third seed has yet to face a seeded player and has only been truly tested once, in his four-set second round victory over Nick Kyrgios in what was comfortably the tournament's most bad-tempered match.
Federer, 37, is the oldest man in a grand slam semi-final since 39-year-old Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open. He is in his 13th semi-final at the tournament and 45th at the majors.
In a career illuminated by landmarks, he became the first man to register 100 match wins at a single Slam when he came back from a set down to beat Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals.
Federer is wary of the dangers presented by Nadal. His loss in Paris, which took place in what he described as "insane" windy conditions, was his heaviest at the majors in 11 years.
"Rafa really can hurt anybody on any surface," said Federer. "He's serving way different. I remember back in the day how he used to serve, and now how much bigger he's serving, how much faster he finishes points."
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Ranked: the 13 Federer v Nadal grand slam meetings
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13. French Open final 2008. Nadal won 6-1, 6-3, 6-0. Comfortably the most one-sided match ever played between the pair at a grand slam. Federer simply had no answer as he was swept aside by Nadal, winning only four games as he looked completely lost on court. Getty -
12. Australian Open semi-final 2014. Nadal won 7-6, 6-3, 6-3. A fairly unremarkable encounter, a rare thing to write about meetings between the two. Nadal was simply too good as he strolled to victory. Getty -
11. French Open semi-final 2019. Federer's form on clay had been encouraging going into this match-up. But he was swept aside by Nadal, with the Spaniard prevailing in straight sets on his way to a 12th title at Roland Garros. AP Photo -
10. Australian Open semi-final 2012. Nadal won 6-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4. This one highlighted the shifting status of the players in the game at the time. Federer edged the first set on a tie-break but then was simply out-gunned by his younger rival as he lost in four sets. Getty -
9. French Open final 2011. Nadal won 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1. Federer's best chance until now to beat Nadal at Roland Garros. Nadal was not at his best that yet and Federer had the edge early on. He really should have won the first set and was punished for failing to do so. Nadal won in four sets but this was the one that got away for Federer. Getty -
8. Wimbledon final 2006. Federer won 6-0, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3. Memorable for the only time that Federer has every won a set off Nadal without losing a game. The defending champion dominated the match, but it was a credit to Nadal's spirit that, after such a bad start, he took the third set before losing. Getty -
7. French Open final 2007. Nadal won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. A third successive win for Nadal in Paris over Federer. Again the world No 1 pushed his rival hard, taking the second set, but ultimately he fell short in the end. Getty -
6. French Open semi-final 2005. Nadal won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The first ever meeting at a major between the two. The hype had been huge. Federer the dominant force in the sport against a teenager who was producing astonishing consistency and results on clay. After sharing the first two sets it was Nadal who took charge to mark the first chapter of their rivalry in style. Getty -
5. Wimbledon final 2007. Federer won 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. Nadal was beginning to become a force on grass but was not quite on Federer's level yet. But through sheer force of will he dragged this to five sets before the Swiss raised his game to triumph. Getty -
4. French Open final 2006. Nadal won 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6. Since September 2004 Federer had needed to win Roland Garros to complete his career Grand Slam. He came out absolutely swinging here, winning the first set in quick fashion. But Nadal hit back with his own brilliance and he prevailed in four sets despite Federer leaving it all out there as he threw everything at his opponent in a valiant display. Getty -
3. Australian Open final 2009. Nadal won 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. Another epic between the pair, best remembered for Federer's post-match tears as he reflected on a third loss in a row to Nadal in a major final. Nadal showed his tenacity in defeating Federer here to claim what remains his only Melbourne crown. AFP -
2. Australian Open final 2017. Federer won 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. The best days of both players looked to be behind them as they looked to have been usurped by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. But they rolled back the clock with this classic, which came 11 years after their first grand slam final meeting. Federer prevailed in a five-set thriller to win his first major since 2012. Getty -
1. Wimbledon final 2008. Nadal won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7. One of the greatest finals in the history of the sport. Two men at the top of their game slugging it out. Nadal won his first major away from clay with this gutsy success, ending Federer's run of five Wimbledon titles in a row in the process. Getty
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The eager anticipation of their 40th clash has relegated defending champion Novak Djokovic's push for a fifth title to second billing.
The top seed and world No 1 reached the semi-finals for the ninth time, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club by sweeping past David Goffin in straight sets, reeling off 15 of the last 17 games.
In his 36th grand slam semi-final, the 15-time major winner faces Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut, who is making his last-four debut at the majors at the 27th attempt.
Djokovic leads the 31-year-old 7-3 in career meetings, including 3-0 at grand slams.
However, the unheralded Spaniard, who had to cancel plans for his stag party in Ibiza as a consequence of his run to the semi-finals, has defeated Djokovic twice in 2019, in Doha and Miami.
"He's got amazing consistency," said Djokovic. "Very flat from both forehand and backhand. He has improved his backhand. I think he's got more depth on his backhand.
"The ball bounces lower on the grass, which is I think more suitable to his style of game."
