(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Both served like men possessed. There were net cords, aces, stunning slices, swerving drives—nail-biting tennis from beginning to end.
Federer’s tally of aces climbed to a remarkable 50 against Roddick’s 27. This match of over four and half hours and 77 games produced just 33 unforced errors on one side and 38 on the other.
As each held serve over and again, the result was destined to come down to nerve. And serving at 14 games to 15, Roddick wavered for just a moment and Federer sealed his place in history.
To add to the drama of the occasion, a roll-call of former champions was there to witness it: Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and the man whose Grand Slam record had fallen, Pete Sampras.
They and the whole crowd stood to acclaim a pair of players who had given their all. That one should lose seemed a travesty.
But now, all the records are Federer’s.
He has the most Grand Slam titles: 15.
He has played in the most Grand Slam finals: 20.
He has played in 21 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals.
He is the only man to contest seven Wimbledon finals in a row.
And one other prize that comes from this Grand Slam victory will taste particularly sweet: the No.1 spot in the world rankings.
Had Rafael Nadal not missed both Paris and Wimbledon, the top spot may not have changed hands until the Master’s Cup in November.
As it is, this movie’s closing shot is little short of perfect: a sixth Wimbledon, a 15th Grand Slam and No.1 ranking all rolled into one. Everything from this point on simply burnishes the Federer reputation.
So just how much more can he achieve?
Federer, with his usual openness, made a couple of very telling comments this week. About his place in the record books: “History means more to me today than it used to. It’s nice to talk about records because it gives me an incentive to do well for myself.”
About whether his ambition will remain undimmed after the birth of his child: “It might be completely different when it comes to the US Open…but I’m not really worried about my motivation in any way because I love this game too much.”
On the evidence of the last few months, the Federer game is still developing. His fitness is top-notch. He still loves playing. He still wants the Olympic title. And he’s made a commitment to his wife and imminent child that he will play long enough for them to share his success.
Great news for lovers of tennis. Maybe not such good news for the guys in the locker room.
So, Tina, let’s hear it one more time for Roger, as only you can do it:
“You’re simply the best, better than all the rest, better than anyone…….”
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