What a way for Roger Federer to make history. Andy Roddick couldn’t have put in a better performance, but at the death, it wasn’t enough, as the world No 2 won 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14.
He said after his final with Federer in 2004 that he threw the kitchen sink.
This was the sink, the bathtub, even the shower… everything. Federer was just that little bit better. This match was about the serve and spirit. How apt that it should all have been borne out in front of Pete Sampras, who used to rule this court with that weapon and ice-cold character, and who saw his record of 14 grand slams surpassed in front of him.
Federer’s pregnant wife Mirka, sitting up in the Player’s Box, is due any day. About the only surprise we didn’t get during this match was her waters breaking. Although in reality it wouldn’t have been a shock: this a spectacle to get the contractions started. You wouldn’t have blamed the kid for coming out early either – this is a match you really didn’t want to miss. As far as title for best finals ever, this pushes last year all the way.
And everyone had thought this would be easy for Federer as he sought a 15th grand slam. Even after Roddick had battled to the bitter end against Lleyton Hewitt in the quarter-finals, and dealt with Andy Murray in the semis, few gave him a hope. But something of Hewitt’s streetfighter nature seems to have rubbed off on Roddick in their five set epic earlier in the week.
When he fell in the fourth set and twisted the ankle which had given in during the semi-finals of Queen’s and forced him to retire from that match. But here he got up, dusted himself down and served out the set, forcing it into a fifth.
Few would have expected it to go the distance. Even after the first set had gone to the American, with just one break of serve, most would have favoured Federer to come through in four and reclaim the No 1 ranking from 2008 champion Rafael Nadal. In truth, Federer should never have lost the first set. He had held four break points, but when Roddick secured a set point he didn’t waste it.
The second set, unsurprisingly, went with serve. But any predictability ended in the tie-break. Roddick served and then some. Up against four break points, Federer somehow held, as Roddick’s nerve broke. Just as Roddick had, Federer converted the one set point he was offered.
The third and fourth sets were a blur. Federer won the tie-break in the third, but it wasn’t easy. He was then broken early in the fourth, when he netted a Roddick passing shot. Then the American fell. But he didn’t blink, and sent it to five.
And what a fifth. Federer faced two break points serving at eight games all. Mirka was breathing deeply: this was torture, not tennis. Federer held. Talk about temperament.
On it went, and as it did the records tumbled by the minute. The most ever games in a men’s singles Wimbledon final, surpassing last year’s epic of 62? Check. The most games in a set of a men’s final ever? Check. It put the drama of a boring old roof closing into perspective.
"Why don’t they just agree to share it?" someone asked. But there has to be a winner. Suddenly Roddick was break point down serving at 14-15. Championship point. Roddick served, then framed the return.
History was made on Centre Court.
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