Peerless Federer stands alone

By PRITHA SARKAR

In the end Andy Roddick, like the rest of Wimbledon, had no choice but to embrace the greatness of Roger Federer.

In one of the most heart-stopping and unforgettable finals seen in a grand slam arena, Federer held his nerve for four hours and 16 astonishing minutes before finally subduing Roddick 5-7 7-6 7-6 3-6 16-14 to claim the trophy he cherishes above all for the sixth time.

As a Roddick mishit forehand sailed long, Centre Court exploded into a roar of deafening cheers and a jubilant Federer leapt high in the air knowing that he was now the proud owner of a record 15th grand slam title.

Among the 15,000 souls lucky enough to witness the momentous occasion was a beaming Pete Sampras, whose milestone of 14 majors Federer eclipsed on Sunday, in the front row of the Royal Box.

"It's not really one of those goals you set as a little boy but, man, it's been quite a career," Federer, who has enjoyed a remarkable month having won the French Open title for the first time just four Sundays ago, told the enthralled crowd.

"It feels amazing but this is not why I am playing tennis, to break all these records but it is definitely one of the greatest ones to have."

A jetlagged Sampras, making a surprise first appearance at the club since 2002, said Federer had settled the perennial debate over who was the game's greatest player.

"The critics say (Rod) Laver, and (Rafael) Nadal beat him a few times in majors, but he's won all the majors, he's going to win a few more here, so in my book he is."

Few imagined that Federer's seventh consecutive Wimbledon final would come anywhere close to emulating last year's five-set thriller when he lost his crown to Nadal in a match that ended in near darkness.

But if Federer could have dreamed up a scenario when he became the most successful racket swinger of all time, he could not have scripted it any better and his thoughts quickly turned to the vanquished man who had helped to make it such an extraordinary day.

'CRAZY MATCH'

"Andy played an unbelievable tournament and don't be too sad, I went through some rough ones as well, one on this court last year and I came back and won," father-to-be Federer, who had slipped on a gold-trimmed jacket with the number 15 emblazoned on the back, said as he cradled the trophy like a new-born baby.

"You're an unbelievable guy and you played unbelievable today. Unfortunately there has to be a winner and today I was on the lucky side.

"It was a crazy match and it was an unbelievable end. My heads still spinning, it's an unbelievable moment in my career."

So relentless has been Federer's reworking of the tennis record books that he might as well travel with a personal statistician. He won his 15th major just six years after winning his first – on the same Centre Court stage.

With no grasscourt equal in sight, Federer has plenty of time on his side to climb to the top of Wimbledon winners' list – a position currently occupied by seven-times champions Sampras and Briton William Renshaw.

On Sunday, he improved his win-loss record in major finals to 15-5, with all five of his defeats coming to Nadal. To cap it all off, he also regained the world No 1 ranking from the injured Spaniard.

An utterly dejected and drained Roddick, who did not have his serve broken until the final the game of the duel – which lasted an incredible 77 games – slumped into the courtside chair and sat staring at the ground as he tried to fathom how he let the match get away from him.

When it was his turn to speak, he told fellow American Sampras: "Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off."

Sampras was not the only great in attendance on Sunday. Sitting alongside him in the Royal Box was Laver and Bjorn Borg and all three were perhaps thanking their lucky stars their careers did not coincide with the magician from Basel.

WHIPPING BOY

No such luck for Roddick. When he won the 2003 US Open, he was tipped to win many more. Many factors may have conspired against him but none more so than Federer's brilliance.

Most people expected him to be a mere whipping boy for Federer on Sunday as the 26-year-old had lost 18 of his 20 previous clashes with Federer, including the 2004 and 2005 finals here.

That prediction proved way off the mark as Roddick fought gallantly in the longest ever grand slam singles final in terms of the games played.

Roddick has always been blessed with two principal weapons, a thunderbolt serve that could clear pigeons from Trafalgar Square and an equally brutal forehand.

On Sunday, the new fitter Roddick backed that up with stinging groundstrokes and passing shots to steal the first set from under Federer's nose by breaking him in the 12th game.

But if he ever chooses to watch the official DVD of the match, the fast-forward button might come in handy when the contest enters into the second set tiebreak.

On the verge of taking a two-set lead, he ended up blowing a 6-2 lead to let Federer off the hook. A missed backhand volley on his fourth set point will haunt him for a while.

Federer, who served a career record 50 aces in the match, did not flinch in the third and took it 7-5 in another tiebreak.

While Federer barely got a look in on Roddick's bone rattling serve, the American broke for the second time in the match for a 3-1 lead in the fourth set, thanks to yet another screaming passing shot.

While the first four sets were tight, they were nothing compared to the drama that unfolded in the fifth set which alone lasted 95 pulsating minutes.

Ten times Roddick had to serve to stay alive. Ten times his missiles hit their targets.

Federer got himself out of trouble in the ninth game when he trailed 15-40, blasting down an unreturnable first serve and then whipping a drive volley.

Just when it seemed as if for the second year running Wimbledon could be heading for another long night, Federer conjured a match point out of nowhere.

At 14-15 Federer slapped away a forehand winner after a couple of mishit exchanges from both players. Seconds later the ball shot off Roddick's frame and Federer celebrated with a flying leap before embracing his shattered opponent.