How sweet it is! No. 15 for Roger Federer!

I took some time out from my busy packing schedule to watch the 2009 Wimbledon Men’s Final this afternoon between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.

After what felt like forever, and with an increasingly sweaty (and balding) Pete Sampras watching on in a thick suit, Federer finally pulled it out, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 (yes, you read correctly, 16-14!) in one of the best Wimbledon matches I’ve watched from start to finish (I didn’t get all of last year’s epic).  With the stunning victory, Federer at last broke the record of 14 Grand Slams he held with Pete Sampras.  Who would have thought, after seeing Federer break down in tears after losing to Nadal in the Australian Open at the start of the year, that he’d finally win the French, reclaim his Wimbledon title and no. 1 ranking and break the all-time Grand Slam record in the next 2 Grand Slams?

Of course, Rafael Nadal losing in the early rounds at the French and missing Wimbledon due to a nagging knee injury might have had something to do with that, but I don’t think it takes anything away from what Federer has accomplished this year (and in his career).  None of that ‘asterisk next to victory’ crap.  You play who’s available.  One of the most important criteria in assessing the greatest-of-all-time is consistency and longevity (note: Federer has played in 21 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals).  Of course, Nadal (if he can stay healthy) may very well be the greatest ever by the time he is done, but for now, Federer is it.  And strangely, he didn’t cry this time.

I felt so sorry for Andy Roddick, who played as well as I have ever seen him against Federer, or anyone for that matter.  In fact, he won more games overall than Federer (39-38).  He also broke Federer twice and only got broken once, on the final, heartbreaking match point.  And that second set, when Andy was up a set and 6-2 in the tie-break, for him to squander those 4 set points and lose 8-6 must have been demoralising.  But it just shows what a great champion Roger is in winning that set and what a fighter Roddick is for taking it to a fifth.  Hard to believe that this is the third time he has lost to Federer in the Wimbledon Final (the other 2 times being 2004 and 2005) and that he may have 5 Grand Slams (he also lost the 2006 US Open Final to him) instead of his solitary one (2003 US Open) if Roger Federer didn’t exist.

Oh well, as least he can say he has a hotter wife.