One For the Ages

The title fits both the player and the match. One year after vainly battling Rafael Nadal into the fast-approaching darkness, Roger Federer was embroiled in another epic Wimbledon final, this time against Andy Roddick. Federer came into the match with a career 18-2 record against the hard-serving American. Two of those wins came in a Wimbledon final, back in 2004 and 2005. With all that in mind, many (including myself) believed this would be a routine win for Federer. Sure, Roddick's serve could get him to a tiebreak or two, but no more. Whoops.
Roddick gave Federer fits all day with his booming serve, while his hustle and shotmaking kept Fed from ever feeling comfortably ahead. In fact, it was Andy who could start to feel the comfort first. After saving four break points at 5-all in the first set, Roddick broke Federer in the very next game to take the first set 7-5. Then, in the second set tiebreaker, Roddick jumped out to a 6-2 lead and held 4 set points to go up 2 sets to none. As we have all witnessed before, Federer stepped his game up in the clutch, winning the next 6 points (including a shanked volley that Roddick really should have put away) to complete a startling comeback and leveling the match. The third set went much the same way, except it was Federer jumping to a big lead in the tiebreak and holding it to go up 2 sets to 1. It looked like Roddick was out of luck. He went from being on the verge of a 2-0 set lead to facing elimination if he lost one more set. But he kept fighting. In addition to his serve and his forehand, his backhand was superb, and he passed Federer many times off of that wing. Roddick came up with an early break in the fourth set to go up 3-1, and served it out to 6-3 leveling the match at 2 sets apiece. Thus far both men had served reamarkably well, but the difference was Roddick's 2 breaks of serve to Federer's 0. As the fifth set went on, Roddick's serve looked impenetrable. He blistered bombs as hard as 143 mph and got his first serve in around 70% of the time. The only thing keeping Federer in the match was his own savvy serving. Federer served his way to a career high 50 aces (FIFTY!!!), 22 of them in the deciding set, and when Roddick had 2 break points at 8-all, Federer revved up a couple more unreturnable first serves. Roddick kept holding on, despite the pressure of having to serve to stay alive 11 straight times. At 15-14, Federer found the chink in Roddick's serve armor. He got out to a 30-0 lead in the game, putting himself in position to finish Andy off. Roddick dug in and fought back valiantly, but Federer earned himself a championship point and cashed in with a crisp crosscourt backhand that Roddick was unable to return in play. The Swiss star jumped for joy as he was once again crowned Wimbledon king.
I really have to commend Andy Roddick for his will and all around stellar play. I've been saying for years that he's just a big serve and a forehand, not Grand Slam material. But the improvements he's made in his game (particularly his backhand and movement) as well as his fighting spirit really impressed me. He looked like he expected to win out there, despite being on the losing end in 18 of his 20 career matches against Federer. He made shot after shot and served lights out, holding his first 37 service games until the one that ended the match. You could tell how badly he wanted this one, as the tears welled up in his eyes after the gallant defeat. I thought it was unimaginable that he could push Federer to 5 sets, let alone to 14-all in the final frame. He made Federer move and played defense about as well as I've ever seen him play it. Unfortunately for him, he just couldn't break through in that last set. Federer proved he was just too good, but there can be no shame in Roddick's result. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with at the U.S. Open, where his lone major championship came.
As for Roger Federer...he did it. Fifteen Grand Slam tournament championships, now officially the most all time, moving past Pete Sampras who was on hand to observe the feat. Federer was pushed to the limit by a man he's been so used to dominating, but he never let his struggles or frustration get to him. His serve was unbelievable, the way he kept dialing up aces and service winners to hold his serve. He looked overmatched at times by Roddick's power and pace, but in the end his grace made the win look as effortless as a 16-14 marathon fifth set could look. This was Federer's sixth Wimbledon title (all coming in the last 7 years) and with it he regains the world #1 ranking as of tomorrow. This achievement again begs the question: is he the greatest of all time? I spoke to this point in my blog post after he won the French (you can look in the June archive for that one) and I still think he has not yet clinched G.O.A.T. status. He is definitely in the top 2, but it is hard to say how many majors Rod Laver would have won had he not had to skip those tournaments for 5 years in his prime. Plus Laver won a calendar Grand Slam (winning all four majors in the same calendar year) not once but twice, the only man ever to do so. To put it beyond doubt, I think Federer needs to win at least 2 and maybe 3 more majors and hold on this #1 ranking for another year or so. The only thing missing on his resume is an Olympic gold medal in singles, which he can get right there on Centre Court in 2012. People have been talking about his demise for the last year, but since then he has reached the finals of all 4 majors and has won 3 of them. The tennis world is on notice, Roger Federer is not finished yet.