LONDON: Roger Federer reached his 12th Wimbledon final on Friday (Saturday in Manila), defeating old rival Rafael Nadal “in one of his favorite ever matches”, 11 years after he lost their epic 2008 title showdown at the All England Club, a match widely regarded as the greatest ever played.

The 37-year-old eight-time champion won 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the pair’s 40th career meeting to move into his 31st Grand Slam final where he will face defending champion Novak Djokovic.