Federer makes history - again!

Roger Federer has been hailed as the greatest tennis player of all time following his marathon five-set victory over American Andy Roddick at Wimbledon overnight.

It has been highly publicised that Roddick, who took the first set 7-5, stumbled in the second set tie-break, allowing Federer to get back into the match. Blowing four set points, instead of being two sets up, Roddick found himself level with the great Swiss.
Federer then took the third in another tie-break, while Roddick struck back 6-3 in the fourth.
Up until the fifth set, Federer had failed to break the Roddick serve but eventually he did, outlasting Roddick 16-14 in an epic that contained the most games of any final in Wimbledon history!
In terms of match time, it was not quite as long as last year’s battle between Federer and Rafael Nadal, but it soon took on similarly epic proportions. And for much of the match, it seemed that Roddick would emulate Nadal's feat as he hammered away at his opponent. Federer wavered a few times, but never toppled and in the end won on merit. He returns to number one in the world, too, by way of yet another win bonus.
Federer's discomfort at being so brashly challenged on a court he has come to regard as his own was beginning to show as the second set moved into a tiebreak. As the Centre Court audience roared in disbelief, two errors by the Swiss left Roddick with four points for a two-set lead. Now was the time for Federer to unveil the genius that had stood him such good stead in previous Wimbledon finals - and he responded in brilliant fashion, winning the next six points in a row as, for the first time, Roddick's nerves betrayed him.
Two volleying errors on his own serve let Roddick down before, on Federer's first set point, the American drove a forehand over the baseline and it was level pegging again after one hour 23 minutes.
Roddick's indomitable attitude had its reward in the fourth set. He conjured two break points in the fourth game and though Federer saved one with his 24th ace, the American trapped the Swiss as he closed in on the net on the next point.
Steadily and impressively, Roddick built on the break, with the only scare coming when, at 5-2., he fell heavily. There were fears of a similar ankle injury to the one which had caused his withdrawal from the pre-Wimbledon event at Queen's Club, but this was not the occasion for something like that. He shook himself down, carried on, and held serve in the next game with that trusty weapon, a service winner. All square again after two hours 43 minutes.
The balance of power swayed in the fifth set with both players having chances to break the other, however, it wasn't until the 30th game of the final set where Roddick's serve began to falter.
Federer only needed one championship point to collect his sixth Wimbledon trophy and record 15th Grand Slam title, surpassing the great Pete Sampras, himself a master at Wimbledon, on 14.

 

 

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