Federer getting big support in greatest-ever debate

by Matt Cronin, FOXSports.com

Andy Roddick gave Roger Federer all he could handle in the Wimbledon final. (Anja Niedringhaus / Associated Press) add thisRSSblogemailprint Updated: July 5, 2009, 6:50 PM EDT

The now greatest player ever was bruised, but he wasn't beaten yet. After sustaining a barrage of aces, groundstroke winners and crisp volleys, Roger Federer faced two break points at 8-8 in the fifth set against American Andy Roddick, who was surely playing the Grand Slam match of his life in Sunday's Wimbledon final. But Federer did not want to walk away from the final like he did last year, his face splattered with tears after a wrenching 9-7 loss in the fifth set to Rafael Nadal. So this time, he responded, cracking a wicked service winner, launching another service bullet and then taking Roddick's next return and ripping a swing volley winner. He eventually held to 9-8 and then the clock began to tick loudly on the American's tired legs. He hadn't been broken in the match to that point and, even after blowing the second set tiebreaker, looked like the better and more consistent player on the day. But that was Federer across the net from him, the same man who for good reason owned an 18-2 record against him coming into the match, who had beaten him at seven previous majors, including three times at Wimbledon. The Swiss kept serving the daylight out of London and Roddick, and Roddick sensed that Federer was growing a bit more confident returning too. "He was having trouble picking up my serve today for the first time ever," Roddick said. "He just stayed the course. You didn't even get a sense that he was even really frustrated by it. ... He gets a lot of credit for a lot of things, but not a lot of the time is how many matches he kind of digs deep and toughs out." Roddick later got out of a hole to even the longest men's final (in terms of total games) at 14-14 with two searing service winners. He had held serve from behind facing match games on 10 straight occasions. Even the toughest of men weaken at the thought of it.

FEDERER VS. SAMPRAS

Category Grand Slam titles Grand Slams played Slam finals record Overall Slam record Aussie W-L (titles) French W-L (titles) Wimby W-L (titles) U.S. W-L (titles) Career record Career win pct. Source: ATPWorldTour.com via the Associated Press Federer 15 41 15-5 182-26 47-7 (3) 39-10 (1) 51-5 (6) 45-4 (5) 657-155 .809 Sampras 14 52 14-4 203-38 45-9 (2) 24-13 (0) 63-7 (7) 71-9 (5) 762-222 .774

"You just keep going," Roddick said. "Looking back it seems like a lot, but each time it was just a point, and then another one and then another one. I guess it added up after a while." But then Federer easily held again to 15-14, and with the shadows creeping over the court, the tension became too much for the 2003 U.S. Open champion. Roddick had worked diligently all year at improving his all-around game in order to re-enter the top-five conversation, but the man who was on the verge of cracking Pete Sampras' record of 14 Slam crowns seemed lighter of foot and certainly more sure of his place in history. Roddick finally cracked. He couldn't convert two game points when he committed two backhand errors and at deuce, Federer half-framed a backhand return that Roddick butchered on his forehand side. On the Swiss' first match point, Roddick framed an easy forehand into the sky and way wide. Federer roared in celebration after the 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6,16-14 victory as Sampras who had flown all night from his home in Los Angeles clapped mightily for his friend and all Roddick could do after his heroic effort was return to his chair and reflect with tears in his eyes on what might have been after 4 hours and 16 minutes of brilliant, nail-biting theater. "It's hard," said Federer, who ended the match with 50 aces and 107 winners overall. "Sports or tennis is cruel sometimes. I went through some five setters in Grand Slam finals too and ended up losing. But I think he did great. He's not going to let his head hang down." Had Roddick taken care of set points in the second set tiebreaker, Wimbledon might have had a new champion, but down 6-2, Federer came up with an amazing series of shots, while Roddick gagged on a huge one. After Federer had nailed a backhand half volley winner, an ace and service winner to get to 5-6, Roddick approached the net and looked at an easy high backhand volley, but seized up and hit it well wide. "When he first hit it, I thought I wasn't gonna play it., Roddick recalled. "Last minute, it looked like it started dropping. I couldn't get my racquet around on it." The match might have been decided there, as Federer went on to seize the next two points and the set. Federer later admitted that it would have been extremely difficult to come from two sets down with the way that the American was serving. But Roddick continued to stay the course, battling his way into a third set tiebreaker which Federer won with a forehand crosscourt winner, and grabbing the fourth set when he broke Federer early with a screaming backhand down the line and then held firm.

"We're human. We're not cyborgs," said Roddick, who ended the match with 74 winners and only 33 unforced errors. "You know, at that point there's two options: You lay down or you keep going. The second option sounded better to me." The same option sounded just as good to Federer, who has now rewritten the history books. After his record-setting 15th major, should Federer be called the greatest ever? There are varied opinions on the topic, as it's nearly impossible to compare him with pre-Open Era players, many of whom were forced to miss majors. Moreover, there remains the one black mark against him his 7-13 record against his primary rival Nadal, who was unable to defend his Wimbledon title due to a knee injury. But as Federer says, injuries are part of the game and he himself had to deal with a bout of mononucleosis as well as a back injury. Without question, until Federer turns his rivalry against the younger Spaniard around, some will question whether he deserves the greatest of all time moniker. Federer, though, points out that Nadal's health is not his fault. "Tennis, that's the way it goes," said Federer, who is once again the world's No. 1 player. "Everybody expected (Andy) Murray to be in the finals. He wasn't there. It's not the mistake of the one who wins at the end." Even though Sampras is friendly with Roddick, he more than backed up his buddy Federer's claim to greatness, saying that everyone should now take a bow to the Swiss, who was won majors on all four surfaces. "The critics say (Rod) Laver, and Nadal beat him a few times in majors, but he's won all the majors, he's going to win a few more here, so in my book he is (the greatest)," Sampras said. Former three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker backed Sampras up: "Winning the French Open and in doing so collecting all four Grand Slam trophies, in my opinion, has made him the greatest player in history." The 27-year-old still has a few more things to accomplish on the court attempting to win his sixth straight U.S. Open title, winning Davis Cup for the first time, getting after Nadal again. But on Sunday at the All England Club, he wanted to dispel a myth that's he's too cool and collected and lacks inner fire. When asked what quality was key in his 15 major wins, he brought up one that isn't discussed very much. "Just the fight, because I'm famous for being all casual and relaxed out there, not showing much."

Federer Stands Alone

By Liz Clarke Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, July 6, 2009

WIMBLEDON, England, July 5 -- It was a day for making history. Roger Federer won his sixth Wimbledon title in the last seven years Sunday, turning back a resilient Andy Roddick, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16-14, and setting two records in the process. It was the longest Grand Slam final in history, capped by a fifth set that lasted 95 minutes -- seven minutes longer than Saturday's women's final. And with his idol Pete Sampras looking on, Federer broke his tie with the former great and moved into a class of his own as holder of a record 15 major titles. "I know how much the record means to him, and he knows how much the record means to me," Federer said afterward, thanking the seven-time champion for flying in from California for the occasion. "In a way I still feel like we share it, just because he was such a wonderful champion." Federer hailed a teary-eyed Roddick as "an unbelievable guy" and unbelievable player during his post-match remarks and urged him not to lose faith that he would win Wimbledon one day. "Today, I was on the lucky side," said Federer, who finished with 107 winners and 50 aces. And Roddick bore his disappointment admirably, telling the capacity crowd of 15,000 who honored him with a standing ovation, "I'm one of the lucky few that gets cheered for." Then he turned and apologized to Sampras, half in jest, for not being able to keep the Swiss from overtaking his record. "I tried to hold him off," Roddick said. And he spoke of the honor he felt in playing tennis in front of such great champions as Sampras, Manuel Santana, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, who sat shoulder to shoulder on the front row of the Royal Box. "I hope one day my name will be up there with theirs," Roddick said. Wimbledon opened this year on a down note because of the last-minute, injury-related withdrawal of defending champion Rafael Nadal, who defeated Federer in a five-set final that many hailed as the greatest match in history.

Sunday's final proved its equal, though few suspected Roddick, who had lost to Federer in three previous Grand Slam finals, could mount a worthy fight. Roddick was tested mightily from the opening set, in which he turned back four break points, but used masterful serving to take an early lead. The second set was a mirror of the first, only closer, with each player holding serve to force a tiebreak. Roddick got the early break and a cushion of four set points to take a commanding, two sets-to-none lead. But Federer reeled off the next six points to draw even at one set each and celebrated with a defiant roar. Roddick sloughed off the disappointment and played on with no dip in his play or temperament. "At that point, like everything else, there's two options: You lay down or you keep going," Roddick said later. "The second option sounded better to me." Two hours into the match, it was dead even at one set each and 6-6. Another tiebreak was needed. Roddick was coaxed into the critical error by a short ball from Federer, replying with a one-handed backhand that landed in the net. That put Federer up two sets to one, even though the Swiss hadn't yet broken Roddick's serve. Roddick got an early break in the fourth set and drew even at two sets each, shaking off what looked like a nasty injury when he lunged awkwardly for a ball with his right foot extended. By then, shadows had started their march across the court. And there was no telling how long the match would go, with neither player able to break serve and tiebreaks not allowed at Wimbledon in decisive fifth sets. It was a matter of whose nerves would fray first. The match passed four hours with Federer leading, 13-12. Still, they played on. Federer held serve with relative ease, while Roddick's game started showing patches of vulnerability -- a minor gaffe here, followed by an ace there. "Each time it was just a point, and then another one and then another one," Roddick said when asked how he kept his focus while serving from a deficit so many times. But after clanging one last ball off his frame to end the match, Roddick wasted no time trotting to the net to congratulate his rival.

"He gets a lot of credit for a lot of things, but not a lot of the time is how many matches he kind of digs deep and toughs out," Roddick said of Federer. "He doesn't get a lot of credit for that because it looks so easy. But he definitely stuck in there today."

Wimbledon 2009: Roger Federer's 15 grand slam wins

Roger Federer's defeat of Andy Roddick in the Men's Singles final at Wimbledon gives him a world record 15 grand slams.
By Telegraph staff and agencies Published: 6:59PM BST 05 Jul 2009
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Familiar feeling: Roger Federer laps up the Centre Court applause Photo: PA

1. Wimbledon 2003 - Federer, 21, produces a near-faultless display to beat Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 7-6 (7/3) and claim his first grand-slam title. He had previously failed to get past the quarter-finals at a major. 2. Australian Open 2004 - Federer celebrates becoming world number one by outclassing Marat Safin 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 6-2 in what proves to be a one-sided final. 3. Wimbledon 2004 - For the second year in succession, Federer is brought to tears after winning Wimbledon, digging deep to come from behind and beat Andy Roddick 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 in a stuttering display. 4. US Open 2004 - Federer becomes the first man in history to win his first four grand-slam finals - and the first man in 16 years to claim three Majors in one year - with a 6-0 7-6 (7/3) 6-0 rout of Lleyton Hewitt, his first victory in New York. 5. Wimbledon 2005 - Federer completes a hat-trick of titles at SW19 with a devastating display to defeat Andy Roddick 6-2 7-6 (7/2) 6-4, labelling his performance "flawless" and the best in his life. 6. US Open 2005 - Federer dashes 35-year-old Andre Agassi's hopes of a fairytale victory in New York, defending his title with a 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7/1) 6-1 win.

7. Australian Open 2006 - Federer recovers from a poor start to sink unfancied Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2 for his second title in Melbourne. 8. Wimbledon 2006 - Federer takes his winning streak on grass to 48 matches by beating arch rival Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6 (7/5) 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 for a fourth Wimbledon crown. 9. US Open 2006 - Federer become the first man in the Open era to win three successive titles Wimbledon and New York in the same years by downing Andy Roddick 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1, moving past Agassi and Fred Perry in the list of grand-slam winners. 10. Australian Open 2007 - Federer becomes the first man since 1980 to win a grand slam without dropping a set as he sees off Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 6-4 for a third title in Melbourne. 11. Wimbledon 2007 - Federer emulates Bjorn Borg by winning a fifth straight title here, beating Nadal for the second year in succession in an epic five-setter - 7-6 (9/7) 4-6 7-6 (7/3) 2-6 6-2 that lasted close to four hours. 12. US Open 2007 - Federer was given a tough test by Novak Djokovic but won 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/2) 6-4, despite trailing by a break in each set. It was his fourth consecutive title in New York. 13. US Open 2008 - Federer recovers from his Roland Garros and Wimbledon heartbreak months earlier to win a fifth straight title at Flushing Meadows, beating Britain's Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2 in the final as a second seed. 14. French Open 2009 - Federer grabs the elusive title at Roland Garros by beating surprise finalist Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (7/1) 6-4. The Swiss had lost the three previous finals to Nadal. 15. Wimbledon 2009 - Federer and Roddick were locked in a tense final-set battle as both players held serve comfortably, but the American's resolve was finally broken. Federer served 50 aces in his 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 7-6 (7/5) 3-6 16-14 victory.

On the Way to a Marathon, Federer Keeps His Footing

WIMBLEDON, England

I think the public should just watch his feet, just watch Roger and not the ball, and youd see how great a player he is to pull off some of the shots, Rod Laver said of Federer.

The fifth set will always be remembered as an all-time marathon and an exclamation point to the most cherished record in tennis. But the second set was when Roger Federer, on the brink of falling into a two-set hole to Andy Roddick, reminded Pete Sampras that he hadnt come all the way from Los Angeles to congratulate the first American Wimbledon winner since Sampras won here in 2000. Yes, you could argue it was Roddicks own failure to close the deal after holding quadruple set point in the tie breaker. Serving at 6-5, you could accuse him of bad judgment and worse execution on a high backhand volley, on a running Federer forehand that might actually have been on its way out. You could dwell on that potentially shattering sequence for the man whose serve was unbreakable until the bitter end, but that would be missing the point. That would be dwelling on Roddicks moments of frailty Sunday while neglecting the essence of Federers tennis immortality. Long before Roddick mis-hit a forehand, finally surrendered, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 36, 16-14, to Federers quest for a 15th Grand Slam singles victory after 4 hours 18 minutes, Roddick hit a blistering forehand on the first of those four set points in the second-set tie breaker.

The ball landed deep in the court, at Federers feet, on his backhand side. On pure instinct, he flicked at it with his wand of a racket, angled it just enough to direct the ball cross-court, over the net, into open space. Come on, Federer shouted, convincing nobody except himself there was still a way out of the trap. He believed because he is Federer. Five points later, it was one-all in sets. The match of Federers record-setting dreams and some would say Roddicks life was on. I thought the second set was obviously key to what came after, Federer said. Maybe being down two sets to love, the way Andy was serving, would have always been a difficult situation to be in, you know. It was more than the way Roddick was serving; it was how he was holding his own with Federer when the ball was in play. Lighter on his feet after shedding 15 pounds, hitting through the backhand as we have seldom seen him, attacking the net and dropping deft volleys to the other side. Once upon a time, Roddick was supposed to be for Federer what Rafael Nadal became, nemesis and measuring stick. No one has played more matches on tour against Federer than Roddick. The record is now 19 wins for Federer, 2 for Roddick. But in their fourth Grand Slam final, third at Wimbledon, Roddick finally attached himself to Federer as an opponent to remember, on a day when legends of the sport Sampras, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Manuel Santana were in the royal box. I feel badly for Andy, this was his chance, Sampras said after the match on the BBC and before meeting Federer, along with Laver and Borg. But Rogers a legend, an icon. Best player ever? I have to give it to him, Sampras said.

He had graciously made the long trip with his wife, Bridgette Wilson, but it was Laver who earlier in the day had advised us not to dwell too much on the greatestever debate. Let vastly different eras be singularly defined, he said. Live in the here, in the now. I think the public should just watch his feet, just watch Roger and not the ball, and youd see how great a player he is to pull off some of the shots, Laver said. If we must compare Federer to anyone, let it be his contemporary legend with the familiar corporate backing. He and Tiger Woods are good friends, fighting to see who can have the best number in golf and tennis, Laver said, his point being that tenniss Tiger takes a back seat to no one. Federers 15th major one more than Tiger as well as Sampras was his third straight five-set Wimbledon final. Forget about the greatest player argument; we probably cant even reach a consensus on which was the better match: last years five-set victory by Nadal, 9-7 in the fifth, or Sundays epic that featured a record 77 games for a Grand Slam final and the 95-minute fifth set that left Roddick disconsolate, unwilling to congratulate himself for not shattering sooner. You know, at that point, like everything else, theres two options, he said of the tiebreaker meltdown. You lay down or keep going. The second option sounded better to me. He lost a third-set tie breaker but broke Federer to win the fourth set, matched him service hold for hold in the fifth. Still, in the final analysis, there was no getting away from quadruple set point, from the what-ifs. The wind had been gusting, Roddick said, when he hit the high backhand volley. He was going to let the ball drop, changed his mind, couldnt get his racket around on it. He will remember that shot for the rest of his life. Federer? Probably more the backhand he took off his toes three points earlier, a stroke of pure tennis genius.

For those of us who had taken Lavers advice, focused on the feet, that shot was a symbol of the greatness in the man, if not a signal of what was to come.

Does Federer have the perfect game?

Roger Federer created history at Wimbledon by winning his 15th grand slam title. The Swiss's epic win over American Andy Roddick moved him clear of Pete Sampras's record and he was again hailed by former players and his current peers as the greatest player to have ever played the game. But what is the secret of his success? BBC Sport caught up with three-time Wimbledon winner, Boris Becker, to analyse what makes him the best. SERVE "You wouldn't immediately think of Federer's serve being one of his biggest weapons, but he gets such a large percentage of his first serves in that it is so difficult to face. His placement of where he puts the serve is second to none and it's so challenging for any opponent. He's also not afraid to go for his second serve and really mix it up." FOREHAND "This is the most powerful shot in his arsenal. He goes through the ball with his wrist so much and accelerates so quickly that he gets so much top spin. The key to all of his strokes is his movement and on his forehand he can get around and get to most balls. It is quite unique really, he has a pretty old fashioned Western grip which needs a lot of wrist work to get the top spin over, but he has got enough strength in his arm to do it." BACKHAND "I wouldn't really call his backhand a weakness, it is arguably his less powerful shot, but nevertheless it is very difficult to play against. He is able to mix up the top spin with the backhand block return and therefore his constantly changing shot selection makes it difficult for his opponent to feel comfortable out there." VOLLEYING "His volleying is peerless. I don't see a player in today's game who gets anywhere near the sort of volleys he is able to play. He is able to play low volleys, difficult volleys, drop shots off volleys. This is all possible for him because of his court coverage as he can come to the net quicker than most players. He is the best of today's players but it is very difficult to compare him to John McEnroe, Rod Laver or Stefan Edberg as volleying was more common in their eras." DEFENCE AND SPEED

"His defence all starts with his footwork. He is so fast that out of a bad position he can make a good play and that's what I would call his biggest weapon. His speed and footwork means he almost comes across the court like a perfectly timed ballet dancer." MENTAL STRENGTH "The 2009 Wimbledon final was the perfect illustration of how mentally strong Roger Federer is. You can't come through situations like that match with Andy Roddick (Federer won the final set 16-14) unless you are really tough. He will always find a way to win. Even on his not so good days his will to win and his determination not to give up until the match is finished makes him so tough to play. I was worried, and I think everyone was worried, after his defeat to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open in January (Federer lost the final set 6-2), but he is over that." HOW IMPORTANT IS HIS PREPARATION AND SUPPORT TEAM? "He keeps his off court preparation very quiet. He is very professional and doesn't need to talk about it and he really wants to keep it like that. Officially he doesn't have a coach, but the Swiss Davis Cup coach Severin Luthi travels around with him a lot. His wife Mirka used to be a tennis player herself so she knows a thing or two about the sport and is with him at all times." THE FUTURE "The big question is, what is his motivation now broken the record of grand slam wins? He wants to defend his US Open title, but he really has to sit down this summer and think about the next big target he wants to go for. Men's tennis is in the best shape it has been in for a long time, with Federer and Nadal going head to head and Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic right behind them, it's a fascinating time." Boris Becker was talking to BBC Sport's Paul Birch