Books: Strokes of Genius - Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played

Wimbledon starts tomorrow, but the tennis tournament has lost a little bit of its luster because defending champion Rafael Nadal pulled out this year due to tendinitis in the knees. So, it's as good a time as any to look at "Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played," a book by L. Jon Wertheim that tells the story of last year's epic, rain-delayed, five hour long Wimbledon final.

The book doesn't just recap the 2008 Wimbledon tournament, though; it also gives fairly complete biographies of the two participants. Between descriptions of the action in each set, Wertheim writes all about how tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal grew up, as well as how the game of tennis itself has changed. A reader can almost feel the inertia of history bearing down on the match - represented best by Nadal's modern topspin-heavy lefty forehand to Federer's old-fashioned one-handed backhand.

Wertheim is one of the most accomplished tennis writers, and his attempt to get inside the two minds on court sometimes slips into the spiritual. Through his prose, Federer v. Nadal becomes less of a slugfest and more of a clash of wills. Nadal's struggle against the ethereal genius of the Swiss superstar must have taken a superhuman effort, and its these kinds of efforts that are at least partially to blame for his knee problems.

Ironically, I think "Strokes of Genius" is best for non-tennis fans, since any avid follower of the sport will already know much of the information Wertheim presents, and will have watched and rewatched the final. In any case, it's a breezy read, the perfect companion to a Wimbledon rain delay.