Roger Federer has been crowned Wimbledon champion for the sixth time after an epic victory over Andy Roddick on Sunday. The day when Andy Roddick’s serve was broken just the once, in the 77th game of a 77-game Wimbledon men’s final. That one break of Roddick’s was all that Roger Federer needed to take the fifth set 16-14, to become the first man to win 15 grand slams, and to regain the world No 1 ranking.
Federer’s 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 victory meant that, the greatest number of games ever played in a men's final. After his victory in a five-set battle that lasted four hours and 16 minutes, the debate was reignited over whether the 27-year old is now beyond doubt the best tennis player of all time.
The All England Club will lament having witnessed a men's singles final so commendable that the fans wound up chanting the name of the man who did not win: "Roddick! Roddick! Roddick!" they roared.
When Roddick came out to serve at 14-15, it was the 11th time that he had got up off his chair to serve to stay in the match. Roddick had won his previous 37 service games. A forehand error from Roddick’s racket brought up match point for Federer. Another forehand mistake from Roddick, and the match was over.
Federer’s reaction to victory was to leap into the air. Roddick’s reaction, after an embrace with Federer at the net, was to fling his racket on to the grass, and to then sit down on his changeover chair, and to put his head in his hands as he waited for the prize-giving ceremony.
"Roddick, I think, is going to be so difficult to beat again," Federer said, proving he's outrageously talented and occasionally prescient.
"Sorry, Pete," Roddick would say moments later toward Pete Sampras in the front row of the Royal Box. "I tried to hold him off.". "I lost," Roddick summarized inaccurately.The first question to a brooding Roddick went: "Did you just lose to the world's greatest tennis player ever?" Roddick, in a word: "Yes."
"You know, he was having trouble picking up my serve today for the first time ever," Roddick said. "He just stayed the course. You know, you didn't even get a sense that he was even really frustrated by it.
Longest game
Set14-16 Roger Federer v Andy Roddick, 2009
13-11 Jaroslav Drobny v Ken Rosewall, 1954; Ashley Cooper v Neale Fraser, 1958
Most games
77 Roger Federer v Andy Roddick, 2009
62 Rafael Nadal v Roger Federer, 2008
Time
4hrs 48mins Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal 2008
4hrs 16mins Roger Federer v Andy Roddick, 2009; Jimmy Connors v John McEnroe 1982
The longest ever Wimbledon match...
Pancho Gonzales’s first-round encounter with Charlie Pasarell in 1969 was so long it prompted the introduction of the tie-break. After 5hrs 12mins and 112 games, Gonzales won 22-24, 1-6, 16-14, 6-3, 11-9.
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