Roger Federer Greatest Grand Slam Winner

4 months ago 05th Jul 20:59

Roger Federer lifted the Wimbledon Title for the sixth time this afternoon to become the greatest player in Grand Slam history, breaking Pete Sampras’ record of fourteen titles, as he collected his fifteenth.

But it was a hard fought affair as American Andy Roddick pushed the Swiss player to a fifth set winning  5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 in a match that lasted over four hours.

Federer’ reign at Sw19 came to end last year after Rafael Nadal got the better of him in a five set thriller; hopes of a rematch were dashed at the beginning of the tournament when Nadal pulled out with a knee injury.

Last year’s win for the Spaniard also saw him topple Federer from the top of the rankings; however Federer will regain that number one spot with this win.

For the entire tournament Federer has look in great shape as he powered past Tommy Haas in the semi final and was the hot favourite at the start of today’s match.

But he was made to battle hard against an inform Roddick but it was Federer who got the first break points of the opening set. But after a couple of big serves from Roddick and some poor challenges by Federer and Roddick had seen off the mini crisis.

But the American had a break point chance in the very next game and with a poor forehand and Roddick took the first set.

The second set brought more of the same as neither player could make a breakthrough on their opponents serve sending the set into t tie break.

And it was Roddick who was bossing the tie break and Federer’s quest to reclaim the Wimbledon title looked in trouble.

Leading 6-2 Roddick had four set points. But Federer stepped it up a gear and it was his backhand that got him out of trouble, and with five points on the trot he earnt a set point on his own.

And it was a set point that he didn’t miss as he forced Roddick to hit a backhand long. It was straight off court at the end of the set for Roddick as he tried to steady his nerves.

The American had no answer for the Federer serve in the third set and once again it was tie break. It was the Swiss player that held his nerve to open up a mini break at 6-5 to wrap up the set and take the lead for the first time in the match.

If anyone thought that a swift finish for the former champion then they were wrong as Roddick came out of the block all guns blazing when he snatched a break point at 2-1 to open up a lead.

Roddick dominated the set, with the backing of the crowd, taking the fourth set 6-3 to send it into a final set shootout.

Into the fifth and as we had become used to there was no break when the pair reached 6-6. But at Wimbledon there is not tie break in the fifth set so they carried on.

And it was Roddick who had the first chance at 8-8 when he had two break points at 15-40 but Federer had all the answers as his serve held to take the lead once again.

With neither player able to make any major threat on the serve at 14-14 it looked like we were in for a long night.

Federer’s serve held to give him a 15-14 lead and Roddick was once again serving to stay in the match. As the American stepped up to the service line he looked tired and the serve began to slow as Federer threatened to break.