(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
If people in America were willing to wake up a bit earlier than normal Sunday, they had the opportunity to witness tennis history with Roger Federer's dismantling of Swedish underdog Robin Soderling at the French Open.
Federer's 6-1 7-6 6-4 win was his first championship at the French Open, after three years of agonizing defeats against his version of kryptonite, Rafael Nadal.
As Roger held up the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Center Court today though, the amazing thing about that moment was the mere win was his most minor accomplishment.
As if finally winning the French Open were not enough, Federer entered legendary company Sunday by tying Pete Sampras's mark of 14 grand slam titles.
In addition, his win in Paris made him just the sixth player ever, and first since Andre Agassi 10 years ago to win all four grand slams.
It was truly an unforgettable day for the quiet Swiss star who went from an all-time great, to a member of tennis immortality.
Amidst the fanfare was Soderling, who many could sympathize for getting hit by a freight train of emotion from not just his opponent, but nearly every fan in attendance and those watching on TV.
Soderling incidentally most likely made this moment possible for Federer with his shocking fourth round upset of Nadal, the unquestioned greatest player on clay court.
But it was simply not Soderling's day and he accepted his fate graciously, congratulating Federer on numerous occasions during his thank-you speech to the fans.
You could not blame him feeling a bit awe struck by the moment of being in his first ever Grand Slam final.
The way it usually goes in a sporting event, the underdog receives the fans support. Even more so, the person or team trailing almost always gets the fans behind them.
But it was not that way today in Paris, and you could see Soderling completely understood and in some small way, he was happy for Federer too. And you can chalk me up to that list as well.
Roger Federer and Tiger Woods, who are both close friends, have managed to do something in the past 10 years that few dominant athletes have ever been able to do: dominate and have the fans cheer you on.
It seems that sports fans love to see greatness unseated. It's why so many people hate the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, or Duke basketball. Even in tennis, people enjoyed seeing Steffi Graf or Ivan Lendl get upset here or there.
Yet there was 20,000 fans in Paris today all feeling the same anxiety Federer felt when he was serving for the match but down a break point. And there was the same elation and exuberance when Soderling's shot missed and Federer knew he accomplished what many began to feel was impossible: winning the French Open.
Personally, I cannot be happier to see an athlete like Roger Federer succeed. The man is the perfect example of what the modern day sports superstar should be.
He plays the game of tennis with class, and treats his opponents as well as the officials with respect, which is why he's one of the most popular players in the locker room.
It's off the court too which makes him so great. He's an extremely intelligent and soft spoken individual who speaks more languages than most people could ever hope to learn.
He works with numerous foundations, stays out of trouble and is expecting his first child with his wife Mirka Vavrinec in a few months.
Federer is very open to speaking with the press, and he doesn't duck a question. At the same time though, he is not a man that goes seeking the spotlight and is much more comfortable staying away from the glitz and glamour so many people would flock towards if they were in his position.
That is why you had NBC's broadcast booth not showing any semblance of neutrality, openly cheering for Roger to make history.
It's why John McEnroe looked like a fan himself when interviewing Federer, so thankful to see his peer accomplish what so few have been able to.
And it's why later this month, tennis fans will be tuning in, thirsty for more history to be made, this time on the grass lawns of Wimbledon.
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