Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has left the club's preseason training camp in Montreal due to personal reasons.

The 12-time European champions are in Canada as they prepare for their opening International Champions Cup match against Bayern Munich, which will take place in Houston on Saturday July 20.

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"Our manager, Zinedine Zidane, will leave the preseason training camp in Montreal for personal reasons," a club statement read. "Until his return, the sessions will be taken by his assistant, David Bettoni."

Zidane returned to the Spanish capital in March following the sacking of Santiago Solari, as the club's third manager in a troubled campaign, which saw them fail to challenge in the league, Champions League and Copa del Rey.

And, following a busy summer which has seen the club sign Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Luka Jovic, Eden Hazard and Ferland Mendy, Madrid will be expecting to pose a much stronger challenge next season.

Three days after their clash with Bayern, Madrid travel to Maryland to face Arsenal before ending with a clash against Atletico Madrid on July 26 in New Jersey.

Madrid begin their domestic season on August 17 with a trip to Celta Vigo.

As expected, there was a delivery at number 10 Calle Hernandez today. Just after 1 on Friday afternoon, a car pulled up outside the offices of La Liga in north-eastern Madrid -- a smart, seemingly ever-expanding building that stands above the A2 motorway heading from the capital to Catalonia -- and a man got out carrying €120m. His name is Sevan Karian, he greeted two other men, headed inside and left. Soon after, there was an announcement: At long last, Antoine Griezmann is officially a Barcelona player.

A year on from the broadcasting of a documentary called "The Decision," in which Griezmann agonised over whether to stay at Atletico Madrid or join Barcelona, only to turn down the Camp Nou club, Griezmann is heading to Catalonia after all. Within months, he regretted that decision and has reversed it.

Barcelona had hoped to negotiate Griezmann's transfer, to pay the money in instalments, but in the end, they have had to pay the buyout clause. They were always likely to: Indeed, the buyout clause is the mechanism that has made all this possible; just as last year his clause temporarily fell to an eminently payable €100m, this year it dropped from €200m to €120m on July 1. It was an open invitation, and Barcelona accepted it.

Paying it took a while, which was pretty silly, as they had known they were going to do this for months and had always known that July 1 was the date. Barcelona had to gather up the money, get it signed off, prepare the paperwork and then help Griezmann do the delivery -- it is officially the player who buys himself out -- but it is done. Griezmann should be able to join the other Barcelona internationals in preseason training on Monday. Before that, there will be photos, thumbs up and a few words. A presentation is penned in, but they're not sure when.

And then it will be on with work.

Which takes them to the next target: another man who turned them down a couple of seasons ago. Turned them upside-down, more like.

With Griezmann done, there are six long weeks ahead in the transfer window that might, just might, end with Neymar heading back to the Camp Nou. Which for now means: nothing.

Sit.

Wait.

Watch.

Think a bit, too. And there is a lot to think about.

Think back to 2017, and the last time a massive signing went the buy-out route; to the comedy scene of a lawyer in a bowtie and a straw hat travelling around Spain trying to give away €220m -- he went to Barcelona's offices before he went to the league's, but they refused to see him -- to release Neymar from the Camp Nou. Think back to the Barcelona director claiming to be "200% sure" Neymar was staying. To Gerard Pique, the same Pique who (rightly) enjoys pointing out how the media publishes fake news, announcing: "He stays." Only for Neymar to go.

Think about the damage it did. It was a lot. They're still due their day in court, for a start: Neymar vs. Barcelona (Neymar has taken his former club to court regarding the non-payment of a loyalty bonus). Their forward line was split days before the season started. It's easy to forget the mess that manager Ernesto Valverde inherited. And that's just the short term: Barcelona's succession plan, well, that was gone too. In pieces. Neymar was Messi's partner, but also his successor. Barcelona looked weak and really rather silly. They reacted by throwing money around. Time will tell, but so far it doesn't look that well spent.

But Barcelona overcame losing Neymar. Well, sort of. Two league titles, a combined 30-plus points ahead of Madrid, were tempered by two successive Champions League disasters that weigh heavily on their thinking.

Now Neymar, too, has changed his mind. He wants to come back; he regrets what he did and wants to reverse it. His best mates, Messi and Luis Suarez, would like him to return.

And it turns out that Paris Saint Germain aren't that keen on him anymore. They're talking like it was nothing to do with them. "No one obliged him to come," president Sheik Al Khelaifi said, which was true. "We didn't push him to," which wasn't quite so true. PSG have talked about "commitment" to the "project," about how they don't want "star behaviour," which was pretty much what their project of signing big stars like Neymar guaranteed. For the first time, they're talking about a player, the player, being able to go.

In fact, they seem to be trying to force it. Neymar didn't show for training, PSG said. And it is the "PSG said" part of that phrase that matters most. In a statement, Neymar's father responded by saying: No, he wasn't due to train until next week, and PSG knew that. This is out in the open, and a split shared is a split deepened. In all probability, this was a hand played.

PSG sporting director Leonardo's words the other day read like an invitation for Barcelona to come and get Neymar at the same time as an expression of his doubt that they can, a doubt which is entirely legitimate. Barcelona don't really have the money for this. They do, though, have doubts of their own. They didn't plan for this; this is an opportunity that arose. But it is one that brings its own problems, they know.

Think back, again, to everything that happened. Some people have been reluctant to welcome Griezmann back after everything he did to Barcelona, after what happened last year. And what he did was far, far less than what Neymar did. Yet there's an excitement about Neymar, that attraction, a frisson. There's also a concern. And an awareness of the cost. Of how difficult it is to make happen. If paying for Griezmann was hard, imagine how hard Neymar is. The club is in debt to the tune of €157m on the league's preferred measurement. (The total is over €500m.)

Yet it is also true that on this issue, Barcelona feel like they are in a strong position for once: PSG and Neymar have exposed themselves. Barcelona have exposed them, in fact: It was Barcelona who publicly said Neymar wants to come back. They have not said, however, that they want him back.

But they do. It's attractive, this idea. It's also a little mad. How do you make it happen? What damage does it do? Can you sign the same player who walked out on you and do it two years later, when most would say that his level has dropped? You lose the "second best player in the world" during his peak and then bring him back when he's past it? Do you have to get rid of the two players you signed to replace him? When you've been busy saying one of them, Dembele, is better than Neymar anyway. What does that say about your strategy? And what about the guy you've just signed for €120m?

In short: Is Neymar worth it?

Some think not.

Many people seem reluctant to recognise that Neymar is a superb footballer. Or they think he comes with too much baggage. Others hope that, in fact, these two years could have been corrective, a lesson learnt. There's pride too: Barcelona want an apology, they want legal actions dropped, along with his salary, they want commitment. They were hurt by Neymar's departure. There'd be some shame in welcoming him back, a loss of face. They do not forget, still less forgive. Few players have cost Barcelona what Neymar has.

Imagine if this was a fantastically elaborate, Machiavellian plan to extract the coldest revenge? PSG and Neymar made to pay, left exposed and broken. Deliciously dastardly.

There are many flaws with that theory, not least the fact that this was not planned at all. One day the opportunity was there: Neymar was no longer impossible. And for all those problems, Barcelona couldn't help feel the excitement. Imagine if they really could do this. If they could let it all go, pretend that none of this happened, magic these two years away, and put him back in. With Griezmann as well this time. And Dembele? Imagine that. Try not to get excited.

It's mad, but it might just work.

It also might not.

And it might not happen. If it doesn't, Barcelona probably don't lose anything. PSG and Neymar, though, do. There will be some explaining to do, some making up. But then things can be explained the way things often are. "You say one thing, and the next day it's another," Leonardo said. "It's incredible, but that's the way it is."

MLS teams are returning to full strength following the conclusions of the Gold Cup and Copa America, and a pair of matches on ESPN this weekend should provide plenty of entertainment, with the Seattle Sounders hosting Atlanta United, and D.C. United facing the New England Revolution. Also, north of the border, rivals Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact will clash for the first time this season.

Superstar showdown in Seattle

Transfer rumors always add an extra layer of intrigue to proceedings, and we'll have plenty of that when the Seattle Sounders host Atlanta United on Sunday (3:55 p.m. ET, ESPN).

For about the millionth time since he arrived in Seattle, midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has been linked with a move back to Boca Juniors following his comments in an interview in which he expressed his affinity for the Argentine club where he played prior to joining Seattle.

It may be that one day Lodeiro will end up back in the Bombonera, but for now the sense is that his near-term future is in Seattle. He's under contract until 2021 and is the cog in Seattle's attacking wheel. Still, the talk will remain as long as Lodeiro expresses his affection for Boca.

The love for a former Argentine club is a trait shared by ex-River Plate man Gonzalo "Pity" Martinez of Atlanta United. Since arriving in Georgia from River after winning the 2018 Copa Libertadores in epic fashion, Martinez has struggled in his new digs, with just a goal and four assists.

That has prompted its own share of transfer speculation, with TyC Sports of Argentina claiming that Atlanta wanted to loan out Martinez, a report that Atlanta boss Frank de Boer quickly dismissed.

Anyone who watched Martinez at River knows his creative capabilities, and it's worth remembering that his adjustment at River in 2015 took time as well. Perhaps Atlanta won't see the best of Pity until 2020, however they could certainly use a glimpse or two in the Pacific Northwest.

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Revs get a big summer Bou-st

The summer transfer window is just a few days old but the New England Revolution have landed a haymaker with the signing of Gustavo Bou.

The Argentine is a proven goal scorer wherever he has played. The fact that he had 10 goals in the Liga MX Clausura with Tijuana suggests he could be even more prolific in MLS. If Brian Fernandez's early success with the Portland Timbers after a good season at Necaxa is a hint of things to come, Revs fans can feel optimistic.

The combination of Bou and Gil could turn New England into a force to be reckoned with this fall.

It remains to be seen if Bou will debut on Friday night at D.C. United (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), but those in the nation's capital know all too well the impact that a big summer signing can make after Wayne Rooney's stateside arrival a year ago. Unfortunately for Rooney, partner in crime Luciano Acosta will be missing due to suspension, giving a New England team with a spring in its step all the more motivation.

New arrivals in Canada

Saturday's Canadian Classique between the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) arrives at an interesting moment for both teams.

To continue the transfer theme, Ignacio Piatti is another player who has constantly been linked with a move back to his native Argentina, but Impact president Kevin Gilmore made it clear that Piatti won't be leaving anytime soon.

That will be a relief to the Impact faithful, but the wait continues for Piatti to return from an injury that will keep him out until summer's end. The Argentine danger man has played just five matches this season, yet manager Remi Garde somehow has the Impact sitting fourth in the East.

On the other side, TFC boss Greg Vanney has been missing many of his key pieces due to international duty, but Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley are back in the fold, while new arrivals Omar Gonzalez and Erickson Gallardo should give Toronto a good shot in the arm. With Toronto teetering on the playoff line, Vanney needs contributions from those four to become a contender.

It was a delivery that not only claimed Australia's fifth wicket, but confirmed the sense that England were on their way to the World Cup final. Adil Rashid's googly to trap Marcus Stoinis lbw was a fine example of England's legspinner going about his craft as well as an indication that he is getting "back to my best" after a shoulder injury that hampered his performance earlier in the tournament.

Rashid has been managing a problem with his right shoulder that required an injection and limited his ability to deliver his variations. The dismissal of Stoinis was his first wicket from a googly at this World Cup, and he followed up later in the innings by also removing Pat Cummins with the delivery on the way to figures of 3 for 54.

He admitted afterwards that he had been searching to "find that snap" with his wrong'un again after recovering from the injury.

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"Probably not bowled them as much," he said. "The main reason was because of my shoulder because I've got a bit of a shoulder problem. But I knew that [the googly] is a big weapon for me, that's one of my big weapons, my variations, looking to create stuff. My shoulder had that little bit of problem and I know I still had to bowl it even if I was in a bit of a pain. Knowing that's my strength, that's why I get wickets. Today and the previous two days of practice I've done was for that as well.

"It's been good for a while. But in terms of variations, googlies and stuff, it's been a bit different to what it was pre-shoulder problem. Before the shoulder [injury], I was confident bowling everything. Once you have a niggle it becomes a bit harder with the rotation - the arm gets a bit lower and you don't find that snap. The previous two net sessions I've done it's come out well."

While he said he had been forced to deliver his googly differently for a while, Rashid was hopeful that problem had now been resolved and said that the dismissal of Stoinis provided further encouragement.

"It has been [different]. But now I can get it back to my best. That would come by maybe having that confidence to do it regardless of whatever happens and knowing that I need to do it because that's my best strength.

"It was nice to make a batsman go for a cut on the back foot and spinning it back in that he doesn't pick, that's a nice feeling as any spinner that bowls a variation [knows], that a batsman doesn't pick and gets a wicket. That just gives me more confidence to make sure I keep sticking to my strengths, don't go away from that regardless of how I feel, knowing if I stick to that things will happen."

Rashid's performance also included breaking Australia's fourth-wicket partnership, having Alex Carey caught on the midwicket boundary, before he struck against Stoinis three balls later. He now has 11 World Cup wickets at 44.27, but those figures could have been better had other chances stuck - notably the drop of Mohammad Hafeez at Trent Bridge and a missed stumping against Usman Khawaja at Lord's - and Rashid suggested he was happy with his bowling.

"I reckon there's been a few times I've bowled better but not got the rewards. But that happens in cricket, sometimes you bowl well and don't get wickets. You don't bowl as well, you get wickets. That's cricket and that happens to everybody. For me personally, I want to keep striving, keep looking to work hard and keeping looking to deliver my skills and be confident in that."

Having become a central figure in the first England team to reach a World Cup final since 1992, Rashid was quick to praise Eoin Morgan as "100%" the best captain he had played under.

"100%, Morgs. He knows my game now inside out. Been with him for four years, through good times and not so good times. He knows my strengths, what I'm capable of and vice-versa as well.

"Me and him have that communication. We have that trust as well. If he senses a feel, we'll go by it. If I sense a feel, we'll go by it - what plans we want or how we should bowl. It's very easy like that. We're easygoing like that. I 100% trust him in decisions he makes."

As for their progress to the final against New Zealand at Lord's on Sunday, Rashid said the realisation was beginning to dawn that they could become the first England team to lift the trophy.

"At the beginning of the tournament I couldn't believe it. It's been a good journey in the World Cup. The ups, the downs as well. Some interesting times. We've played good cricket the past three games and now to be in a position where we can win it, it's a good feeling."

Australia have wasted little time in turning their thoughts to next month's Ashes series after yesterday's semi-final defeat against England, adding three players from their World Cup party to the squad to play the Lions at Canterbury on Sunday.

Peter Handscomb, who was bowled by Chris Woakes for 4 yesterday in his only appearance of the tournament, is joined by Matthew Wade and Mitchell Marsh - who had joined the squad as injury cover for Marcus Stoinis - in the 15-man squad that will now play as 'Australia XI' rather than 'Australia A'.

Handscomb struggled throughout his brief stay at the crease against England, and former Australia bowling coach Craig McDermott questioned his selection ahead of Wade on Twitter.

ODI captain Aaron Finch played down the impact that Thursday's defeat would have on the Ashes.

"There'll be a high turnover of players I imagine," he said. "I don't think the guys carry too much baggage when [they are] going between formats. If we rolled up and played a one-dayer tomorrow, there might be a few scars, but in terms of the Tests, I don't think so."

Pat Cummins said that while Australia did not need much extra fuel, the defeat "gives us a little bit more".

"We're back here in two or three weeks," he said. "I feel like I've played here now, know what to expect from the crowd."

The tourists' squad for the game includes 12 players with 196 Test caps between them. The only members without experience at that level - Michael Neser, Will Pucovski, and Chris Tremain - have all previously been named in Test squads.

The squad includes Joe Burns and Marcus Harris, who are in direct competition to partner David Warner at the top of the order in the first Test at Edgbaston on August 1. Both men hit hundreds in a 10-wicket win against Sussex this week.

Tim Paine, who will captain the side, said he expects the tourists to increase their focus in Sunday's game. "It's not that we weren't at 100 percent intensity," he told cricket.com.au, "but next week's game is against an English team and we expect to be right in the contest.

"Potentially, there's going to be guys in [the Lions'] team that play in the first Test, so any opportunity we get to put some doubts in their mind we've got to take."

Following their game against the Lions, Australia play an intra-squad first-class game at the Ageas Bowl on July 23.

James Pattinson and Josh Hazlewood are both expected to be rested for the game at Canterbury, with both likely to be named in the Ashes squad.

England Lions, meanwhile, go into the game with only three players with Test caps - Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, and Sam Curran, who received a late call-up to the squad after Saqib Mahmood withdrew due to injury.

They will be captained by Lewis Gregory, the Somerset allrounder, and also include Dom Sibley, the leading run-scorer in Division One of the County Championship this summer.

Australia XI squad: Tim Paine (captain), Jackson Bird, Joe Burns, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Jon Holland, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Kurtis Patterson, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Chris Tremain, Matthew Wade

England Lions squad: Lewis Gregory (captain), James Bracey, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Sam Hain, Jack Leach, Sam Northeast, Jamie Porter, Ollie Robinson, Dom Sibley

Ireland 134 for 1 (Stirling 83*, Balbirnie 28*) beat Zimbabwe 132 for 8 (Ervine 55, Williams 34, Adair 4-40) by nine wickets (DLS method)

A blazing Paul Stirling special powered Ireland to a nine-wicket demolition of Zimbabwe in the rain-truncated second T20I in Bready. Craig Ervine's rapid fifty lifted Zimbabwe to 132 for 8 in their 13 overs, but Stirling made light of Ireland's DLS-adjusted total of 134 with an innings remarkable for the ferocity and adventure of its strokeplay. Flaying pace and spin alike, Stirling cracked seven sixes and six fours in an unbeaten 36-ball 83. He shared an opening stand of 58 with Kevin O'Brien before sealing the match with a 76-run partnership alongside Andy Balbirnie that took up all of 5.5 overs. Unless the visitors can pull off what would be, at this stage, a surprise win on Sunday, a clean sweep is very much on.

The Stirling show

Before today, no-one had more sixes for Ireland in this format than Kevin O'Brien, but that record now belongs to Stirling. With a required rate of 10.3 from the start in their shortened chase, the two most destructive batsmen to have played for Ireland opened the batting together and quickly set about Zimbabwe's bowlers. O'Brien didn't add to his 46 maximums in his knock, but his breezy 13-ball 19 added to Stirling's merry hitting at the other end as Ireland rocketed past fifty in just the fourth over. This was the seventh time O'Brien and Stirling have opened together in this format, and the third time they have added fifty-plus together.

Having started his innings with 44 career T20I sixes to his name, Stirling got going with a remarkable bottom-handed flamingo flicked six in Tendai Chatara's first over, and then drew level with O'Brien by launching Chris Mpofu over long-off an over later. Shrugging off O'Brien's dismissal to a smart catch in the outfield, Stirling made the record his own with a brace of mighty hits over the leg side off Ryan Burl's legspin.

Balbirnie was made to look almost anonymous at the other end, despite working the angles well and striking four boundaries of his own while Stirling ruthlessly dismantled Zimbabwe's attack. Sikandar Raza was reduced to bowling seam-up slow-mediums as Stirling dispatched his first two balls of the game cleanly out of the ground, and as early as the ninth over, a stiff chase had become a simple one and Ireland needed less than a run-a-ball.

Not that Stirling showed any sign of slowing up. He spanked a seventh six, and the 51st of his career in this format, walking across the crease to lift Kyle Jarvis high over square leg, before fittingly tapping the winning run to put Ireland 1-0 up.

Left handers on the charge

Zimbabwe have been desperate for a batsman of Stirling's pedigree at the top of their order on this tour, but neither Brendan Taylor nor Hamilton Masakadza have particularly enjoyed themselves with the bat on this tour. Zimbabwe's two most senior batsmen's iffy run continued as both were back in the pavilion two balls into the fourth over. That brought the left-handed pair of Ervine and Sean Williams together, and for the four-and-a-half overs they were together - on either side of a rain break that lasted almost 90 minutes - Zimbabwe controlled the game.

Williams came into this game on the back of two measured fifties in the ODIs, but with rain circling there was no time to be wasted and he burst out of the blocks, cracking the first two balls he faced sweetly to the cover boundary. When play resumed with Zimbabwe having lost seven overs from their innings, both men were in a hurry, hitting five sixes in the space of 12 deliveries after the resumption.

While Williams couldn't add another fifty to his name, Ervine motored on to a 28-ball fifty - the second of his career in this format - in the tenth over. Together, they had set Zimbabwe up, but Ireland's seamers brought their team back at the death.

Adair in the wickets

One of two Ireland debutants today, Mark Adair struck a vital early blow when he had Taylor caught off a swirling top edge. He then returned after the rain break to halt Williams and Ervine's charge, and while Zimbabwe targeted quick runs, Adair found the low, dipping full toss to be his most incisive delivery.

Williams sliced one such delivery into the hands of Stirling at cover, while Ervine lined up another full toss but could only get it as far as Tyrone Kane, who sprinted around the midwicket boundary to hold a sharp catch. A third full toss brought Adair his fourth wicket, PJ Moor skying a catch out to Balbirnie in the deep, and with Shane Getkate and Craig Young also chipping in with wickets, Zimbabwe could never completely pull away with the bat.

Oakland Raiders guard Richie Incognito has been suspended two games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

The discipline was not unexpected, given Incognito's spate of off-the-field issues before the Raiders signed him to a one-year "prove it" deal on May 28.

"We're all going to take ownership with Richie," Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said at the time, adding that the team's infrastructure included a "clinician" to work with Incognito.

The expectation, Mayock said, was for Incognito "not only to be a good football player but to be a really good human being.

"At the end of the day, you can't have all boy scouts. And what you do is you have to do your homework on each individual case."

Incognito pleaded guilty in April to two misdemeanors after an incident involving his 90-year-old grandmother that took place last August in Peoria, Arizona.

According to court documents obtained by ESPN, Incognito agreed to plead guilty to charges of criminal damage and disorderly conduct -- both Class 1 misdemeanors in Arizona -- after he punched a fist-sized hole in a wall in the living room and ripped a security system's control box off the wall during an argument with his grandmother at her house on Aug. 19, 2018.

The police report described Incognito as "enraged" and said he blamed his grandmother for the death of his father, which he had announced on Twitter the day before. A domestic violence charge was removed when a plea agreement was reached on April 1.

Incognito was ordered to take 10 weekly anger-management sessions and pay a $569 fine. He also was given one year of unsupervised probation per terms of the agreement. Incognito was ordered to stay away from his grandmother's home, stay on his medication, avoid alcohol, not possess firearms and write a letter of apology.

He also pleaded guilty in April in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. Two days after the fight with his grandmother, Incognito was arrested in Scottsdale after making threats at a funeral home where his father's body was being held.

The 36-year-old lineman has played for the Rams, Bills and Dolphins. Incognito was at the center of a 2013 investigation into the bullying of Miami teammate Jonathan Martin, which led to a suspension for Incognito, who did not play football during the 2014 season. He has not played in the NFL since 2017 for Buffalo.

"Whenever he's been focused on activities solely on the field, he's been fine. ... We think he's going to be a good football player and allow himself to compete for the left guard job," Mayock said in May. "And just as important, he's got to prove it off the field. We're going to provide the infrastructure for him. At the end of the day, it's a two-way street -- we've got to help him help himself."

Incognito, who was competing with Denzelle Good for the left guard job, is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games and is eligible to return to the Raiders' active roster on Sept. 16. The Raiders open the season against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9 in Oakland before playing host to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 15.

LONDON -- In their 40th career showdown, one thing remains certain: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal know how to put on a show at Wimbledon.

Second-seeded Federer outlasted No. 3 Nadal 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court on Friday to reach his 12th final at the All England Club, where he will seek a record-extending ninth title against top-seeded Novak Djokovic on Sunday.

It was the first meeting at Wimbledon between the two longtime rivals since the 2008 final, when Nadal won an epic fifth set 9-7 as darkness descended -- considered by some to be the greatest match in the sport's lengthy annals.

This one felt like just as much of a classic contest, though, and one that anyone is not likely to forget.

"I'm exhausted," 38-year-old Federer said. "It was tough at the end."

The Swiss star failed to capitalize on two match points in the penultimate game. Then he had trouble closing out the match on serve as Nadal fought off two more match points -- one after a long rally; another on a sharp crosscourt shot -- before Federer finally was able to raise his hands in victory after a shot by Nadal went long.

"It had everything at the end, which was great, I guess," Federer said. "I'm just relieved it's all over at this point. But it's definitely, definitely going to go down as one of my favorite matches to look back at, again, because it's Rafa, it's at Wimbledon, the crowds were into it."

Said Nadal, who offered no excuses: "I had my chances. He played little bit better than me, I think. Probably I didn't play as good as I did in the previous rounds, and he played well. So he deserve it. Congrats to him."

The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion capitalized on his serve throughout the match against Nadal, finishing with 14 aces and landing 69% of his first serves.

"I was able to stick to my game plan, stay aggressive, stay offensive," Federer said. "I guess I also started to serve a bit better maybe after that second set.

"I think I won a lot of the important points in the third and fourth sets. There were some brutal rallies in key moments that went my way. I think those might have made the difference today."

Djokovic overcame Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 earlier Friday to reach his sixth Wimbledon final.

As entertaining as that match was -- including a 45-stroke point won by Djokovic -- it was merely a tasty appetizer ahead of the day's delectable main course.

After being greeted to Centre Court by a standing ovation, both Federer and Nadal seemed to have an "anything you can do, I can do, too" vibe.

Federer would kick up chalk with an ace to a corner, and Nadal would do the same in the next game. When Nadal jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the first-set tiebreaker, Federer used sublime returning to reel off five points in a row to claim it.

One key for Federer, however, was that his rebuilt backhand, hit strong and flat more frequently than it used to be, held steady against Nadal's bullwhip of a lefty forehand. Another was that he was able to withstand Nadal's serve, which has improved a ton over the years.

Federer amassed 10 break points, and though he succeeded on just two, that was enough, with the last, vital conversion making it 2-1 in the fourth set. And then there was this: Federer won 25 of the 33 points when he went to the net.

"It's always very, very cool to play against Rafa here," Federer said. "... It lived up to the hype, especially from coming out of the gates, we were both playing very well. Then the climax at the end with the crazy last game, some tough rallies there."

No one else has managed to reduce Federer to midmatch mediocrity quite the way Nadal can on occasion, part of why the Spaniard entered Friday with a 24-15 overall lead head-to-head, including 10-3 at Grand Slam tournaments.

"I think at the end of the match I started to play much better, no? But was late. ... " Nadal said. "I think he played aggressive, he played a great match, and just well done for him."

This was the second major in a row where they've faced off: Nadal won their French Open semifinal last month en route to his 12th championship on the red clay there.

Wimbledon, however, is Federer's dominion. He has won 101 matches at the place -- more than any other man at any Slam, even Nadal at Roland Garros. The most recent of his eight trophies was won in 2017.

"[It] is great to be part of this rivalry, be in the middle of these three players [including Djokovic] that achieved that much in this sport in the same era," Nadal said. "Is something that is going to be difficult to see it again. We are not done, so ... things continue."

Lying in wait is Djokovic, who beat Federer in the final here in 2014 and in 2015.

Djokovic sarcastically encouraged fans to get louder after he dropped the second set of his 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 semifinal victory against Bautista Agut.

After watching Bautista Agut's shot hit the net tape, pop in the air and slide over for a winner that tied things at a set apiece, Centre Court spectators stood and cheered. Walking to his changeover chair, Djokovic nodded and waved his racket, then his right hand, at the crowd.

Then he went to work.

"You go through these kind of emotional moments, especially in big matches like this, all the time. ... " Djokovic said. "Sometimes I show my emotions, sometimes I don't."

Soon enough, the defending champion was bellowing and shaking his fist after putting away an overhead to go up a break in the third set. Moments later, he was ending a 45-stroke baseline exchange -- the longest on record at Wimbledon, where such stats date to 2005 -- with a backhand winner to save a break point.

"I had to dig deep," said Djokovic, who will play for his fifth Wimbledon title in six finals appearances and his 16th Grand Slam trophy overall.

It was his 36th career appearance in the final four at a major tournament -- and the debut in that round for Bautista Agut, who was seeded 23rd.

Even Bautista Agut himself didn't expect his visit to the All England Club to last this long: The Spaniard was supposed to meet a half-dozen of his buddies on the island of Ibiza this weekend for his bachelor party. Instead, those pals were sitting in a guest box at Centre Court on Friday.

"He was not really overwhelmed, so to say, with the stadium and with the occasion. He played really well," Djokovic said. "First set, he was still probably managing his nerves and he made some uncharacteristic unforced errors. But later on, at the beginning of the second, he established himself."

After a flat forehand return winner off a 107 mph serve on the very first point, Bautista Agut certainly did lose his way for a bit. Djokovic won 14 of the next 18 points while pulling out to a 3-0 lead -- and he didn't need to produce much magic to do so. Just one of those initial 14 points came via his own winner; 10 resulted from Bautista Agut's unforced errors.

But the second set saw a shift. Djokovic stopped his until-then-successful tactic of offering some variety and heading to the net when he could. His forehand also became problematic, while Bautista Agut, who had already beaten Djokovic twice this season, couldn't seem to miss a shot.

Djokovic rediscovered his best abilities, though. He came up bigger in the longest points, eventually holding a 29-17 edge when they lasted at least 10 strokes.

Once his volley winner found the net tape and trickled over to cap the third set, the outcome seemed inevitable. Djokovic broke to lead 2-1 in the fourth, and again for 4-1, then needed a handful of match points to seal the victory.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The father of Boston Celtics rookie Tremont Waters was found dead in a West Haven, Connecticut, hotel on Thursday, according to police.

The medical examiner's office on Friday ruled that Ed Waters' death was a suicide.

Waters, 49, was found dead by police around noon Thursday after they responded to a report of an injured or ill person.

Tremont Waters, a point guard at LSU, was drafted in the second round (No. 51 overall) by the Celtics in last month's draft. He was averaging 10 points and 5.3 assists in four games during the Las Vegas Summer League. The Celtics do not have a summer league game scheduled for Friday.