Archie's Picks: Nadal-Djokovic

Archie believes that 2011 is the year of Nole, so he's picking Djokovic to get his fifth consecutive win over Nadal in the Wimbledon final tomorrow.

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Well, here we go, the match to end all matches -- at least for a few days! No, seriously, as I mentioned in this post, this is the Grand Slam final that I've been waiting for since May, and Archie has too. Speaking of Archie, if you see that doggie biscuit perched on his nose in the picture above, you can get a feel for the kind of anticipation that has been built up for this match. He says he'd rather see Nadal play Djokovic in a Grand Slam final than eat that treat. And the dog don't lie.

If you've followed along with Archie through the men's quarters, you also know that he's a smart dog. He's gone 8 for 9 thus far, and if Nole continues doing what he's done for the last seven months, he'll be 9 for 10. Archie wants you all to know that win or lose, right or wrong, he's had a lot of fun sharing Wimbledon 2011 with you all. He say he'll talk to you all later in the summer when the US Open rolls around. Until then, he says you're on your own, because he doesn't do these piddly little Masters or Premier events (Take it easy, he said it with a smile.).

Without any further ado, here is Archie's Djokovic-Nadal pick.

See Archie's French Open picks here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tomic pick here.

See Archie's Federer-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Fish pick here.

See Archie's Murray-Lopez pick here.

See Archie's Kvitova-Azarenka pick here.

See Archie's Sharapova-Lisicki pick here.

See Archie's Djokovic-Tsonga pick here.

See Archie's Nadal-Murray Pick here.

See Archie's Sharapova-Kvitova pick here.

Archie's pick: Djokovic

Why: Because Nole is the type of guy that would befriend a dog like me, while Nadal would probably be told by his uncle that pit bulls are scary, and that I could injure him (so not true, imo).

My Pick: Nadal

Why: Does it get any bigger than this? Two absolute titans of the sport, in fine form, slugging it out for the most prestigious title in all of tennis. In one corner, Rafa, in search of his third Wimbledon-French double and 11th Grand Slam, and in the other the man who has single-handedly broken up the Federer-Nadal duopoly by the sheer force of his own desire (and brilliant play).

Djokovic has been the consummate professional throughout 2011, managing his schedule to a tee, playing world-class tennis every time he steps on the court, and conquering his health-related issues and inconsistencies with aplomb. Nadal, meanwhile, started the year with some lowlights, but eventually responded by running the table at the French Open for his sixth title.

So, then, how do we pick this?

I must admit, it's tough, but I've chosen Nadal based on the fact that his game has looked a tad more fine-tuned on the Wimbledon grass. Add to that the fact that I don't know how in the heck anybody can beat this man -- at this stage of his career -- five times in a row, and there you have my pick.

That being said, if Djokovic can do it four times in a row, than can't we assume that the man can pretty much do anything? You'd be right in saying that as well, and that is what makes this final so difficult to pick.

Enjoy the match, my friends, and don't let your rooting interests get in the way of your appreciation of the tennis, which will be played at the highest level, I'm sure.