'We're like Messi-Ronaldo'

Roger Federer marked the 10th anniversary of his epic Wimbledon final loss to Rafael Nadal by claiming his rivalry with the Spaniard is the equal of the battle between football superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Federer will start his bid for a ninth Wimbledon title against Serbia's Dusan Lajovic on Centre Court on Monday.

But, on the eve of the Swiss star's 20th Wimbledon, the defending champion's mind drifted back to the evening he was dethroned by Nadal in a classic final widely regarded as the greatest match ever played.

Preparing for his 20th Wimbledon campaign yesterday, eight-time champion Roger Federer reminisced on the epic 2008 final he lost to long-time rival Rafael Nadal. Photo: Reuters

Federer had beaten Nadal in two previous Wimbledon finals before the Spaniard knocked him off his perch in 2008 with a five-set thriller lasting almost five hours and late into the evening in front of an enthralled global audience of millions.

Nadal's triumph -- his first at Wimbledon -- fuelled an epic rivalry that reminds Federer of the way Barcelona striker Messi and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo have slugged it out for the top prizes in football.

"Sure, yeah. They have a long-standing rivalry. I have the same with Rafa," Federer said. "They're very different from one another. I guess there's some similarities there as well.

"As similar as we are, Rafa and myself, we're still very different on many levels. I think it's pretty much the same for them.

And, while Messi and Ronaldo have flopped out of the World Cup in Russia, with Argentina and Portugal both eliminated on Saturday, Federer and Nadal could easily clash in a 10th anniversary final reunion later this month.

For Federer, that would bring back painful memories of one of the most difficult defeats of his glittering career.

"I think it was one of the hardest losses I ever had, no doubt about it. I was so close to making it six in a row," Federer said. "It also made me more human potentially, the loss under the circumstances. I'm sure that we'll talk about it when we're older in the rocking chair.”