It’s not the Wimbledon final most wanted to see but a Roger Federer victory over Andy Roddick could see the Swiss become the first man to win a 15th grand slam
The first since 1936? How about the first since never? All those who have paid thousands of pounds on the black market to be on Centre Court for the men's final on Sunday afternoon should think twice before tearing up their tickets.
True, they won't see Andy Murray attempting to become the first British men's champion at Wimbledon for 73 years, since Fred Perry. But, those who have parted with silly money will be watching something of greater global significance, with Roger Federer trying to become the first man, of any nationality, to win 15 grand slam titles.
A British man has already won Wimbledon; no one has ever won 15 slams. On the Parisian clay last month, Federer won his first French Open title, a victory that meant that he had won all four of the grand slam tournaments at least once each, and put him level with Pete Sampras on a record 14 majors.
So, even if the second Sunday of the grass-court slam won't involve Murray, and even if you can predict with some confidence that this year's men's final is not going to be as entertaining as last summer's title-match when Rafael Nadal won a fifth set against Federer in Centre Court gloom today could be the day when the Swiss becomes the most successful man in slam history.
Anyone who bought their tickets on the black market to be in the stadium today should at least be thankful for the fact they haven't handed over a wad of £50 notes for the privilege of being on Centre Court the day that Tommy Haas played Andy Roddick.
Perhaps Roddick is going to win the second major of his career, six years after his first at the 2003 US Open, to show that he isn't a one-slam wonder. But it is likely that Federer will beat Roddick.
If that happens, Federer would move above Sampras on the slam leader board, he would have a sixth Wimbledon trophy, he would be back as the world No 1, ahead of Nadal, and the Swiss's bottom lip would probably start wobbling.
That Federer's wife, Mirka, is expected to give birth to their first child sometime soon could make today even more emotional for the 27 year-old. A Wimbledon title and then a baby boy or girl wouldn't be a bad way to spend July. "I'm excited about becoming a parent for the first time, and I'm playing wonderful tennis, so everything is great," said Federer, who will be appearing in a seventh successive Wimbledon final.
The Swiss was the champion for five summers in a row, from 2003 to 2007, and he would be going for a seventh title on Sunday if it hadn't been for the quality of Nadal's tennis last season. If Federer wins, that would put him just one short of Sampras' record seven Wimbledon titles.
"I'm not worried about my motivation if I get to 15 slams, and after becoming a parent. Mirka's dream is that our child watches me play, so I suppose I will have to stick around for a while longer."
All Federer has to do on Sunday is defeat Roddick, an opponent he has beaten 18 times from their previous 20 career meetings, a record of dominance that also included a couple of victories in Wimbledon finals, in the summers of 2004 and 2005.
If Federer beats Roddick, for the third time in a Wimbledon final, half of his six trophies would have come by beating the Nebraskan. You can imagine that Federer wasn't too upset that the man to come through the top half of the draw, and into the final, was Roddick.
If Roddick performs as well as he did against Murray on Friday, he will give himself a chance. Yet Federer has shown in the past that he can deal with the speed of Roddick's serve.
When Roddick won his first slam title on the cement of New York City, it was supposed that he would go on to win more majors. That hasn't happened for a variety of reasons, but the main reason is Federer's brilliance.
In the final of the 2003 US Open, Roddick beat Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero. Every time, since then, he has reached a slam final, he has looked over the net at Federer.
Roddick led Federer by a set and a break in the 2004 Wimbledon final, before the match was interrupted by rain. When the final restarted, it was a very different Federer on the grass. He won the match in four sets. Federer beat Roddick in straight sets in the 2005 Wimbledon final, and in four sets in the 2006 US Open final. On Sunday it will be Roddick's first slam final since that one in New York.
It can sometimes feel as though Federer should be travelling the world with a personal statistician in his entourage. "I'm very proud of all the records I've achieved. When I was a kid I never thought I would be so successful," Federer said.
"All these records are quite staggering." Roger Federer, a man who is amazed by his own brilliance.
Memo for the City bankers who have paid thousands of pounds to be here for today's final: those tickets are worth using.
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