Trey's Table: Roger Federer's Wimbledon Win Over Andy Roddick

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3. Based on his performance alone, do you believe Federer would have won either the French or Wimbledon titles if he had been forced to face Nadal in the final?

Allen: That is like asking if Federer would have won if there had been an eclipse of the sun or if the stadium had blown away.  There is no way to answer the question objectively.  We all imagine that Nadal would have made an impact, but someone else took him out at the French and his injury kept him away from Wimbledon.  Not a relevant question.

York: Both Roddick and Soderling are tough, huge-hitting players, but Federer went into both of their matches with extremely favorable records against them. Having Nadal and his 13 prior victories over the Swiss across the net would certainly have changed that dynamic.

I won’t go any more in depth into this subject, though, because I’d not want to imply that Federer doesn’t deserve this. He’s not only talented, but wholly professional and a superb ambassador for the sport.

Silver: It’s a hypothetical question, and the answer to it will not make any difference to what reality is. Mate, you can only play who showed up to play on the Second Sunday of a slam.

Iyer: Roland Garros would have been difficult for Federer to triumph, though definitely not impossible; when you lose to your rival in a most humiliating manner, that rankles a lot and Federer’s 2008 RG loss would have played a pivotal role in this year’s final had Rafa contested that. Federer would have had to summon every ounce of mental solidity in addition to his clay court prowess to edge past Rafa if Rafa was his rival on the seventh of June, 2009.

Wimbledon, however, remains another matter, for Federer was possessed to regain that silverware back from Rafa, so it was always a moot point in Federer’s favour-come hell, come rain!

4. Put yourself in Andy Roddick's seat on that transatlantic flight back to the States. What must he be feeling, and will he ever win another major?

Silver: What must he be feeling… ‘Where’s the Sam Adams I asked for 15 minutes ago? I just want to get out into the sea on my boat in Austin (TX) with Brook.'

He’ll be all right. This is Justin Gimelstob’s tweet last night:

just left Andy at his rented house. he has a great team of people around him that care about him. he knows he has a lot to be proud of.

Will ROD win another slam? Of course he will. May I dare say, Big Apple 2009.

York: The last Wimbledon final he lost to Federer was in 2005 and it sent his career into a tailspin. That match was over in straight sets, so this loss is both better and worse for the American.

It's better because it showed Roddick can stay with Federer, and worse because he lost despite playing (and competing) his best. I wish I could say for certain that he will win another, because no other One-Slam Wonder has ever more deserved to shake that label.

Allen: Andy Roddick played his heart out on Sunday and he proved that he has the arsenal and temperament to win a major.  He will.  He is a year younger than Federer and does well on hard courts.  In fact, his one slam title was earned at the U.S. Open. There is no reason to doubt Roddick's ability to recapture that title even as soon as 2009.

Iyer: He would have definitely been shaken and demoralised, but at the same time he would have understood that Federer is not an invincible factor and even he can get past him if he tries and zeroes in on the right moves; and, yes, he does have the potential to get himself another slam or two. He has resurrected himself into a rival who can pose a stiff challenge to the top three contenders and possibly create an upset!

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