and adding six more feathers to his cap :p :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
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and adding six more feathers to his cap :p :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
AF, idhellam enakku nalla sign-a thONala. ivLO record paNNa iyarakaike thAngadhunnu, destiny kaalai vaarida povudhu - konjam adakkiye vaasippom. Indha Tommy Haassan vera sema form-la irukkaan - Federer "Hey! Tom!"-nu last words sollaama irundha sari...
Plum and kb
These were not my words. I just copy pasted from a member's post in orkut and hence the web link there. Yes i also don'tlike to count the chickens before they are hatched and it is indeed a very tough match for federer tomorrow.
Federer's record collection keeps growing
Friday, 3 July 2009
Written by Kate Battersby
Photo Titled Federer strikesFederer strikes
©Getty Images / H. Blair
You have to hope that Roger Federer’s opponents don’t decide that the perfect piece of pre-match preparation is a quick glance at his career statistics. Tommy Haas would have had cause to feel distinctly queasy had he taken a look at them before his semi-final at Wimbledon this afternoon. And chances are he is feeling worse than ever now.
It will be scant consolation to Haas that he will return to the top 20 in the world with his first appearance in the last four at Wimbledon. Today he won the toss, and very little else. Federer triumphed 7-6 (7-3), 7-5, 6-3 and now has the chance on Sunday to regain simultaneously the two professional possessions he holds most dear – his Wimbledon crown and the world number one spot, both surrendered to Rafael Nadal within a six-week period last summer.
How about those statistics then? Future opponents, look away now. This was a record 21st consecutive Grand Slam semi-final for Federer. Think of it this way – that’s more than five years gone by since the last time he failed to make the last four, at Roland Garros in 2004. With victory over Haas, Federer maintained his agreeable habit of never losing a Wimbledon semi-final – and as a result he is not only the first player to reach seven straight finals in SW19 since the Challenge Round was abolished in 1922, but also the first player to make 20 Grand Slam finals.
It also means he has made 16 of the past 17 Slam finals, and on Sunday will bid not only for his sixth Wimbledon crown but for a record 15 Grand Slam titles. Want some more? Today’s victory was his 50th – count ’em – match triumph at Wimbledon. With 18 wins in a row, he is stringing together his longest streak since the summer of 2007. And, remember, all this is at a time when Federer is perceived as professionally vulnerable. All of us should be so vulnerable.
The point should be made that by no means did 31-year-old Haas fold today. But because of his age and the time he had already spent on court throughout the tournament, it was clear from the outset that he needed the first set. In his favour, he had nothing to lose. But although this set was to go all the way to the tiebreak, Federer looked worryingly comfortable from the start.
From the Royal Box such Grand Slam legends as Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg watched under overcast skies, with temperatures a little cooler than recent scorching days. Federer, as ever, looked gracefully fresh, immune to any kind of weather and, as it turned out, immune to any threat posed by his opponent’s game.
But those who were expecting a simple straight sets Federer victory found that Haas was serving well enough to stay with the legend throughout the first set. As ever the German wore his heart on his sleeve, bellowing with frustration when half-chances escaped him, visibly irritated and cursing himself in his native tongue at other times.
Federer finished off the match with a slam-dunk smash reminiscent of Pete Sampras
In the relatives’ box he was well-matched by his fiancée Sarah Foster, who never hesitated to display abject disgust or wild support for her betrothed at any given moment, especially in the first set tiebreak. Not for her the calm of Federer’s pregnant wife Mirka one row in front. Federer himself, of course, betrayed nothing but elegant composure – although when he clinched that opening set with his first set point opportunity, he permitted himself the smallest affirmation of a clenched fist and the imperative of: “Come on.” But it was a gesture made entirely to himself, not an exhibition of outward aggression.
It is seven years since Haas was ranked number two in the world but, nonetheless, thanks to his pre-Wimbledon tournament victory at Halle he came into this encounter on a 10-match winning streak, equalling the longest of his career. But before today he trailed Federer 9-2 in their career jousts, and the German had to look back to the Australian Open of 2002, when he was in his pomp, for the last time he notched up a victory. Two five-setters were the most he had managed against Federer since.
Five sets never looked likely today, although it was late in the second set before Federer got a break point. The bad news for Haas was that it was a set point too. He saved that one, and another, but Federer’s weapons were just too many and too varied for the German to live with. The Swiss produced an acutely angled crosscourt forehand for his third set point, and when Haas put a forehand long he could only smile ironically to himself as he trudged back to his chair.
In fact, it seemed the only misjudgement Federer made throughout the match was on the matter of HawkEye – four times he challenged, and four times he was wrong. But his last service game of the match, like so much of his tennis, was faultless. He finished off the match with a slam-dunk smash reminiscent of Pete Sampras, one of the few players still to hold a record Federer has yet to break. But as that record is seven Wimbledon titles, the best advice is ... give it time.
http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/...624090843.html
congratulations to feddy for breaking Sampras's record :thumbsup: .....
thanks to Nadal for delaying the inevitable by 2-3 yrs........i must say Feddy breaking sampras's record is going to haunt me whenever i see tennis from now......i might as well bid farewell to watching tennis.....
//green park-la room pottu azhanum//
//andy murray in finals would have been interesting.....andy roddick ellam ennaikku jeichhurukkaan.....most fav whip boy of feddy.....//
Wimbledon 2009: Is Roger Federer the greatest ever?
It is fitting that Roger Federer can cement his place at Wimbledon as the all-time tennis great with a record 15th grand slam win.
By Kevin Garside
Published: 6:55PM BST 03 Jul 2009
No 1? Will Roger Federer become the first man to win 15 grand slam titles? Photo: REUTERS
An early impression of these championships sees a long-haired Romanian with improbable flair and a refined sense of showmanship flinging himself hither and thither, flicking the ball between his legs and handing his racket to old ladies and ball boys imploring them to have a go. His defeat to the upright, utilitarian Stan Smith in the Wimbledon final 27 years ago was the death of magic in the eyes of one young boy.
The match, Gone With The Wind set out across five epic sets, was regarded as one of, if not the best the Championships had seen; how that accolade moves around. Nastase was irresistible, not least because he didn’t have a moustache and he wasn’t Australian, a nation whose champions dominated at the dawn of the Open era; Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Tony Roche and Ken Rosewall. They spoke our language. They drank our beer. Nastase did none of these things. He brought mystery to the court.
Then in a rush came Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe followed by Boris Becker, Ivan Lendl and Stefan Edberg, followed by Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and Goran Ivanisevic. This is just a personal recollection. Others might volunteer great players from a deeper past; Lew Hoad, Fred Perry, Bill Tilden, Rene Lacoste.
What kind of player might be regarded greater than all the hall-of-famers above? Who is the man to head a roll-call spreading across a game that has been global 100 years? Is it fair to ask it of anyone to prove himself superior in all facets of the game? Yet this is what a player must do if he is to be regarded the best of all time. This is the claim made by many on behalf of the Swiss maestro in Sunday’s final. We are on the point of witnessing a landmark in the sport. None has 15 grand slam titles against his name. Statistically at least Roger Federer fills out the greatest criteria.
Though Federer won the Wimbledon junior championship 11 years ago, few saw in that victory the future that was to come. In the past 30 years only Pat Cash and Edberg have converted junior success into senior glory. Then three years later, while still in his teens, Federer buried the legend of Pete Sampras on Centre Court ending an unbeaten run of 31 matches. It was Federer’s maiden appearance in the house to which he would himself claim squatters rights. He lost to Tim Henman in the next round. It was 2001, the year that Henman ran into 'good’ Goran and bad weather. It was the year that Federer marked our cards.
Twenty-one consecutive grand slam semi-finals and 14 major titles are the numbers that speak for Federer today. But statistics are only part of Federer’s story. The elements that elevate him still further are aesthetic and ethical. He thrills on three fronts by winning, by doing so gracefully and with elegance and style. And the clincher; he has won on all decks.
In this the age of the two-handed backhand, the baseline slog, of biceps, of grunt and sleeveless shirts, Federer says no to all that. He eschews the dark side. He is every mother’s son, head boy in the tennis academy, a stainless charmer, modestly turned out, fair in manner and deed. And when he lets that backhand go we swoon.
His command of the tennis canon, his technical mastery, provides him with the material tools to win. The brain of a surgeon married to a gladiator’s spirit complete the kit. As 'nice’ as he appears, there is no sentiment attached to the kill. The dispatch is often brutally quick.
Afterwards he rarely speaks a bad word where a good one will do. There was little to compliment in the performance of Ivo Karlovic in the quarter-final. The lumbering Croat is serve dependent. Beyond that withering bullet there is little to his game. So Federer heaped praise on the pretty motion that aced him 23 times.
When he loses he does so without exception to the better man. To come second in a Wimbledon final classified as the best of all time, losing a title he had held for five years and his No 1 ranking with it to his greatest rival must have wrung his soul dry. Yet Federer stepped aside without fuss, extending his hand to Nadal while dying inside. Both had given every fibre. Neither deserved to lose.
Nadal took the greatest prize in tennis, but Federer gained in defeat. He showed us that losing, though painful, is not necessarily failure. How can it be if you have given all you have, left nothing in the locker. None can point the finger. Federer had met his match. He could not have done more. In circumstances such as there is, nothing for it but to acknowledge the better man and come back another day. Federer did this, and in doing so he acquired immortality.
On Sunday there is history to write. He has spent the fortnight in the shadow of Andy Murray, a willing warm-up act on Centre Court before the BBC went prime time. Murray is a great British story. Federer’s tale is greater than that. It transcends national interest. He is a global phenomenon the like of which we might never see again in tennis.
Poor Tommy Haas has spent a career with his nose against the window pain of high achievement looking on at the likes of Federer, wondering what he had to do to join him on the other side. This being his 32nd year he had considered leaving the racket at home and trying something else, modelling perhaps, or playing exotic aristos from a distant land in low level American soaps. One more go he said.
In Paris he drew Federer in the year he would break his grand-slam duck at Roland Garros. Despite a two-set lead, Haas’s fate was to become a footnote in Federer’s run to a 14th slam. Here, where Federer has won five times, where all his superhero efforts are trained on setting a unique benchmark in the game, Haas met him again.
Now it is Roddick’s get rid of this line for online turn, poor lad. There is only one who can look Federer in the eye and he is holed up beneath the Majorcan sun nursing a broken family and crumbling knees. The separation of Nadal’s parents coincided with the kind of career-threatening injury Federer has managed to avoid. Who knows when Nadal will return and for how long?
Federer’s run at the top of the game is as much an act of will as physical perseverance. His reliance on timing rather than power puts marginally less stress on his bones, but there is no let up between the ears. It takes a singular soul to dog it out on the circuit year after year, living out of suitcases, hitting balls day after day, hour after hour.
And to pull it off without a hint of controversy, never once missing a bus, or kicking the car door of a teenage girl, or abusing a police officer outside a nightclub in the small hours. Federer’s idea of rebellion is to marry the girl next door and start a family.
It would have been quite a day had Murray made it to the final. Perhaps it is better he didn’t. Let Roddick be grand slam victim No 15. Murray was that man nine months ago in New York. The experience made him a better player, but not yet good enough. For anyone born beyond Britain’s shores, this year’s tournament has always been about Federer, about the first to shoot for 15 grand slam titles, about the best there has been. Sorry Ilie.
Maddy,
Adhula paarunga :lol: :).
Quote:
Originally Posted by MADDY
(gounder actions in mettukudi scene with karthik - pesama kumbudu pottu, asking karthik to stop)Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
Maddy, dont worry. Roddick might aappu vechufy Federer fans today.
And Nadal will be back anyway, and once he comes back, Fed-ku oru vengala kiNnam kooda kedaikkadu :-(
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Well played Roddick! :clap:
World number one ranking after 46(??) weeks from Nadal.
Third man after Borg Nadal to win wimbledon - french double.
:clap:
A great game to watch. Hats off to Roddick for giving a wonderful fight. At the end I think it was a bit of tiredness which made him to lose his concentration a bit. Nice of him to mention the old legends who were sitting and watching the game.
All the best Andy. Go for it the next time :D
Great win for Roger. I wish him to get more Grand slams in his life. A very good human being who dosen´t have this star allures. He showed his class and why he is the best right now as never lost his concntration during this marathon match. Great to see you playing Roger :D
What a day for Tennis! Roger Federer, destiny's child. A balm in the wounds for this Boris Becker fan, who ended up spending the 90's in despair as that evil american automaton, Pete Sampras, demolished one after another of my cherished Tennis idols. Well, only Edberg, Agassi and Becker but you get the idea. Purely from a personal angle, yesterday was the second half of a masala movie of the 80's where the villain who killed the hero's father gets mercilessly pounded by the hero now. Well, Pete Sampras played the reformed villain, a la Biju Menon in Thambi, and basically said that Federer is God, which is what Biju says about Thambivelu in the climax of Thambi. Delayed, but not denied, recognition.
But thats just the personal angle, and the warped working of a rather human mind.
Coming to Tennis itself, isnt it appropriate that it is Federer, who stands atop the mountain, all alone? Sure, there are the Lavers who won two grandslams. Yet, people who snipe at Roger for no worthy opposition fail to recognise that you could say the same of Laver - his most worthy opponents turned pro while he continued to be amateur. Same goes for Emerson.
What about Sampras himself? His opponents were Becker, Ivanisevic, Agassi, Courier, Chang. Sounds impressive, eh? Except that I remember that painful Sunday evening in 1995 when I watched my then idol Boris Becker, he of the athletic volleys circa 1985, stretched his eyes in disbelief as server after serve stretched away from him. Oh yeah, Sampras beat Boris Becker in a Wimbledon final. Except that it was a washed down Boris, who only had memories of being a fine player in England.
Sure, he beat Ivanisevic, the intimidating ace machine. Then, again, was he any better against Pete than Roddick is against Fed?
Sure, there was Agassi but for a significant period of Pete's career, he was AWOL appraising his own abilities as a playboy.
And despite all this, Pete never made a FO final. Now, juxtapose that with 20 finals for Fed, and 21 consecutive Semis appearances. How's that for consistency?
Well, what else do you have against Fed then? That business about a certain gentleman from Madrid(or is it Mallorca) right?
Well, that gentleman could only dominate Fed when Fed had his own illness to cope with - 2008. And he is out now - and he has none else to blame his injury on - his game is designed for that injury. Anyone can shine a brief period if he brings out a lifetime's worth of energy to a few matches spread over a few months. Which is what Nadal did. Fed may or many not beat Nadal again given that his own decline will start now. But fact remains that he has done what he has done effortlessly - and the injury free run for 7 years is proof that his ability and talent are not dependent on pure fitness and energy. He hasnt had to stretch himself. If your argument is that his opponents are weak, then you have to consider that he brings his A-game only when necessary. How many times have you seen him pound 30 aces? He hit 50 yesterday - only because he needed it. If he brings that sort of game to every match, then basically, we might as well stop conducting tournaments and handover all trophies for next 4 years to him. It speaks a lot of him that he hasnt had to bring his A-game for 90% of his careeer, and yet his records are his. And here's the rub - maybe if he had brought his A game and spent effort on ALL his games, he would have been injured like Nadal is now. So, it is not luck that he isnt injured like Nadal - it is his talent that he didnt have to exert like Nadal to win a few championships which allowed him to spread out his genius and talent over years rather than burn it out in short term.
In every respect, only a baby born in the future's going to be able to challenge Federer for all time great status. Even if Nadal wins another 10 Grandslams.
:happydance: Feddy :happydance:
Annar innum pala sathanaigal puriya iraivanai prathikiraen.. :bow:
very nicely put. Plum, neenga oru all-rounder. cinema, cricket, tennis, music'nu ella section'layum pinni pedal edukareenga. :thumbsup:
Nice post Plum.
I never followed much tennis but still had an inexplicable disfasination for Sampras. So it felt nice to have his record beaten by someone.
Thanks S_C!Quote:
Originally Posted by salaam_chennai
A side note: (probably, PR, you can make sense of this)
Psmith Journalist - the chronicle of Psmith's typical bull-in-china-shop efforts at running a children's magazine during his vacation in New York - basically, his side-kick is a typical Texan no-nonsense young man, who thus describes a fellow aspirant for editor's job - he is, as such stereotypes in literature which PGW was going for with gusto, a shoot-it-from-the hips man who struggles to come to terms with the slick city types such as his comptetior:
I dont remember the beautiful text that PGW wrote, but here's how it goes:
This chap goes for an interview(the city slicker whom the sidekick of Psmith and by extension, PGW himself share disdain for), and he is asked what he is good at:
"Invective, sir".
"What type of invective"
"Just general invective, sir".
He is recruited, much to the chagrin of the knowledgeable, more suited, rough talking sidekick of Psmith. Essentially, the ramble is to say thats what I am good at - general invective :lol:
:lol:
Records created by Federer in this Wimbledon
1) Most grand slam titles(15).
2) Most grass court titles(11).
3) Most grand slam finals(20).
4) Most consecutive Wimbledon finals(7).
5) Most years winning multiple GS(5).
6) Holding grand slams on 3 different surfaces simultaneously(USO,FO,Wimbledon) along with Nadal.
Plus, no.1 ranking!!
:clap: :clap: :clap:
http://www.orkut.com/Main#CommMsgs.a...89&na=2&nst=58
Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
It is official. Roger is now the world number one. He has taken the rankings back from Nadal after 46 weeks.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.aspx
:clap: :clap: :clap:
Wimbledon win returns Federer to No. 1
Last Updated: Monday, July 6, 2009 | 9:58 AM ET
CBC Sports
Roger Federer became the first man to win 15 Grand Slam titles with his Wimbledon victory on Sunday. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)Roger Federer regained his status as the men's No. 1 tennis player on the APT rankings on Monday.
Federer supplanted Rafael Nadal after defeating American Andy Roddick in an epic five-set match during the Wimbledon final Sunday.
The match included a 16-14 marathon fifth set — the longest in Grand Slam history.
The Swiss great became the only man to with 15 Grand Slam titles, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Pete Sampras.
"It's fantastic, because definitely, when you lose No. 1, you never know if you're ever going to return to it," Federer said Monday at the All England Club. "I always thought it was easier staying No. 1 than getting there."
Nadal, who falls to No. 2 in the rankings, defeated Federer in another Wimbledon classic last year, and officially overtook him as the No. 1 player in August 2008.
He also snapped Federer's record of 237 consecutive weeks at No. 1, a streak that began with a victory at the Australian Open in 2004.
"Once I was No. 1, everything just clicked, and everything was easy," Federer said. "I beat all the other Top 10 guys, I won every final I played, and so I hope that's going to return again, that I'm able also to dominate my fellow rivals again and go from there. I'm delighted, of course, I'm No. 1 again."
Nadal couldn't defend his Wimbledon crown, pulling out prior to the start of the tournament because of sore knees.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2009/...r-ranking.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009...bledon-ratings
More than 11 million watch Roger Federer win Wimbledon final on BBCClimax of five-set epic is a draw for armchair tennis fans
Roger Federer: won the Wimbledon final after a four-hour marathon against Andy Roddick. Photograph: Hugo Philpott/EPA
Roger Federer's epic Wimbledon men's singles victory attracted a peak audience of just over 11 million viewers to BBC1 at about 6.30pm yesterday, Sunday 5 July.
BBC1's live coverage of Federer's five-set win over Andy Roddick, stretching over almost four and a half hours, attracted an average of 7.5 million viewers and a 50% share between 2pm and 6.30pm.
Viewing peaked in the quarter-hour from 6.15pm as Federer finally sealed victory, with 11.1 million viewers watching then.
The BBC1 Wimbledon audience grew steadily throughout the afternoon, starting at 4.3 million viewers at 2pm and averaging 10.6 million in the hour from 5.45pm for the climax of the match and the presentations that followed on Centre Court.
Overall, the coverage attracted 7.1 million viewers and a 49% share between 1.30pm and 7pm. This was BBC1's best share for a Wimbledon men's singles final since 2001.
BBC1's Wimbledon coverage was due to finish at 5.40pm yesterday and the channel switched its early evening news and Antiques Roadshow to BBC2 to stay with the men's final, in which Federer won his sixth Wimbledon singles title.
Normal programming resumed at 7pm, with Countryfile attracting 5.1 million viewers and a 26% share against ITV1's The Royal, which had 4.3 million and 22%.
BBC2's Top Gear again won the 8pm hour with 5.7 million viewers and a 25% share.
On BBC1, Alex Kingston drama Hope Springs was beaten into third place by ITV1's The Secret Caribbean with Trevor McDonald, which attracted 3.8 million viewers and a 17% share. Hope Springs was left trailing with 3.4 million viewers and a 15% share.
ITV1 also prevailed in the 9pm hour, with Stephen Fry drama Kingdom picking up 4.6 million viewers and a 20% share.
Casualty 1909 on BBC1 had 3.3 million viewers, a 14% share; while the second episode of BBC2's Ben Fogle South Pole expedition series On Thin Ice drew 2.8 million and 12%.
Channel 4's Big Brother was watched by 1.9 million viewers and attracted an 8% share. A further 200,000 watched an hour later on Channel 4 +1.
Alan Carr: Chatty Man had 1.5 million viewers over 50 minutes from 10pm, also an 8% share. Carr's chatshow drew another 100,000 viewers on Channel 4 +1.
Channel Five's movie repeat The Long Kiss Goodnight attracted 1.6 million viewers and a 9% share between 9pm and 11.20pm.
Federer makes history after winning thriller
July 6, 2009 - 5:48AM
Roger Federer wins the longest final set in Wimbledon history, and a record 15th grand slam title.
In one of the most gripping matches of his storied career, Roger Federer finally created history by surviving the longest fifth set in a Wimbledon final, and an astonishing serving performance by American Andy Roddick, to win a record 15th grand slam title.
Federer's 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 victory in four hours and 18 minutes came 12 months after he had suffered a heartbreaking defeat here in another epic five-set battle with Rafael Nadal.
This time, however, with a collection of the game's all-time greats looking over his shoulder from the royal box anticipating the Swiss would win the unprecedented 15th major title, Federer finally endured, breaking Roddick's serve for the only time in the match on the American's 38th service game to seize victory.
Clearly exhausted by his toil, and perhaps stunned by the opposition he had been forced to endure from an opponent over whom he had held a 18-2 career record, the often emotional Federer was more relieved than elated as he received the Wimbledon trophy for the sixth time.
"It's a crazy match, my head is still spinning," Federer told the crowd.
Pete Sampras, who had flown in for the match at the last minute to see Federer move ahead of him on the all-time grand slam winners list, paid the Swiss the ultimate accolade saying he considered him the greatest player of all time.
"I have to give it to him," said Sampras. "The critics say Laver, and Nadal's beaten him a few times ... in my book he is."
If Federer's victory was not as comprehensive as most had expected, the nature of the struggle made his 15th title one of the most satisfying.
A sixth Wimbledon crown puts Federer behind only Sampras and William Renshaw, who have both won seven, on the All-England Club honours roll. Federer also regained the world No.1 ranking that he had lost to his recent nemesis Rafael Nadal in August last year after 237 consecutive weeks at the top.
"It's staggering that I've been able to play so well for so many years now and stay injury free," said Federer of the 15th title.
"Of course there is a certain routine that's started to happen the last few years since I sort of became No. 1 in the world. I knew what it took to win the big ones. Obviously a lot of experience that comes with it, being there and giving myself chances.
"But, you know, it's crazy that I've been able to win so many in such a short period of time, I think."
While the final was a on a knife-edge throughout, the one hour and 35 minute fifth set was a minor epic in itself with both Federer and Roddick serving relentlessly.
Roddick had a chance to seize the initiative when he held two break points at 8-8, but the Swiss snuffed those out with big serves. It was not until the American served at 14-15 that the breakthrough came, Roddick framing a forehand well over the baseline to give up his serve and the title.
It was a shattering defeat for Roddick who slumped into his chair, head bowed, after the match.
Almost as much as Roddick will regret losing the final game, he will rue missing a golden chance to go up two sets to love when he had four set points at 6-2 in the second set tie-break. After Federer saved the first two with big serves, Roddick had a straightforward backhand volley which he struck well wide.
But, if it seemed likely Roddick would buckle after that disappointintment, his serve remained unrelenting.
"At that point, there are two options," said Roddick. "You lay down or you keep going. The second option seemed better to me."
While a couple of sloppy shots in the third set tie-break proved costly for Roddick, he broke Federer at 1-2 in the fourth set and forced the match into what proved to be a nail-biting conclusion.
Roddick's vast contribution to a gripping match was acknowledged by the crowd who chanted his name as he sat disconsolate in his chair and cheered him even more loudly than the winner at the presentation.
"It showed that they appreciated what we did out there today," said Roddick who said defeat had felt worse than his back-to-back finals losses to Federer in 2004-05. "It was definitely a nice and appreciated gesture by them."
If Federer's sheer brilliance has long been appreciated, as he has faced greater challenges in recent times his durability and ability to dig deep is also being revealed.
Roddick said Federer had, for the first time, been unable to read his serve.
"But you didn't even get a sense that he was even really frustrated by it," said Roddick.
"He kind of stayed the course and just toughed it out. 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. He doesn't get a lot of credit for that because it looks easy to him a lot of the times. But he definitely stuck in there today."
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...05.html?page=2
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/ten...avi&id=4307178
Originally Published: July 5, 2009
Federer-Roddick another instant classic
By Ravi Ubha
Special to ESPN.com
WIMBLEDON, England -- Start buying your tickets for next year's Wimbledon final.
For two years in a row, tennis's most famous tournament produced a final for the ages. Though Roger Federer's win over Andy Roddick on Sunday perhaps fell short of last year's epic between Federer and Rafael Nadal, it was pretty darn close.
Nadal and Federer battled for nearly five hours, braving the conditions and each other, before the Spaniard finally ended the Swiss' reign at the All England Club. John McEnroe, a three-time Wimbledon champ, proclaimed it the best tennis tussle he had ever seen.
Here are the six most memorable Wimbledon finals in the Open era:
1. Rafael Nadal versus Roger Federer, 2008. Nadal wins 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7.
Before we talk about the actual tennis, let's throw some intangibles in there. The match began 20 minutes late because of rain, and two more interruptions ensued -- one arguably helping Federer and the other favoring Nadal. Had they been on court much longer, surely bad light would have sent a third interruption to Monday.
In any case, at four hours, 48 minutes, it turned out to be the longest men's singles final in Wimbledon history.
The two gladiators delivered a combined 149 winners, almost double the unforced error tally, and Federer served huge when he needed to, especially in the third and fourth sets, and early in the fifth.
Nadal, though, proved how tough he is mentally. Blowing two match points in the fourth-set tiebreaker surely would have sent others downhill, but the Spaniard persevered and was impregnable on his own serve in the fifth, facing just one break point.
He held serve from early in the second set onward.
Nadal ended Federer's five-year hold on the trophy and his 65-match winning streak on grass. He probably silenced detractors, too, finally claiming a major on a surface other than clay.
"Probably later on in life, I'll go, 'That was a great match,'" Federer said.
And he would be right.
2. Bjorn Borg versus John McEnroe, 1980. Borg wins 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (16), 8-6.
Getting over two match points is one thing, but recovering to win after squandering five in a tiebreaker -- perhaps the greatest in Wimbledon history -- is quite another.
Bjorn Borg, the stoic and super-fit Swede, achieved the feat in 1980, downing brash upstart John McEnroe. Chasing a fifth consecutive Wimbledon crown, Borg held set points on five separate occasions in the fourth-set breaker before McEnroe converted on his eighth set point to make it 18-16 and send the tussle to a fifth. To make matters worse, Borg had held two match points earlier in the fourth.
The tiebreaker lasted 22 minutes, and Borg would later admit that he thought he had no chance of taking the fifth set.
"I have never been so disappointed on a tennis court as when I lost that fourth set," Borg said afterward. "Seven match points, and I failed to do it. Every time I had another match point, John came up with a great shot."
Borg kept it together in the fifth, dropping only one point in his final six service games. McEnroe gained his revenge by beating Borg in 1981, ending his reign at the All England Club.
3. Roger Federer versus Andy Roddick, 2009. Federer wins 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14.
Roger Federer and Andy Roddick played the longest-ever fifth set in a Grand Slam final.
No one expected this to be tight. Well, at least not the British bookies.
Roddick was a 9-1 underdog in some quarters, a reflection of his 2-18 record, and 0-6 in Grand Slams, against Federer.
But with a refined game thanks to coach Larry Stefanki, Roddick made Federer work hard for his record 15th major. The quick-witted Texan will have nightmares about the second-set tiebreaker. Up 6-2, then 6-5, Roddick fluffed a tough, though makeable, high backhand volley. Had he won the second set, he probably would have won a first Wimbledon title.
Most probably thought the next two sets would go by in a flash. Nope.
Roddick fought back gamely, ripping the backhand like he's never done before and forced the fifth.
Too bad fitness settled matters. Roddick shed 15 pounds in the offseason, though it wasn't enough. He visibly wilted in front of an enthralled Centre Court crowd. When Roddick mishit a forehand on match point, it capped the longest fifth set, in games, in Grand Slam singles final history. Roddick was broken for the only time.
Federer produced an astounding 107 winners in total, coupled with a career-high 50 aces. Roddick wasn't too shabby, either, contributing 74 winners.
Here's what it meant: Federer reclaimed the Wimbledon trophy; got to celebrate in front of Pete Sampras, whose Grand Slam record he surpassed; made it six titles at the All England Club; and reclaimed the No. 1 ranking.
4. Goran Ivanisevic versus Patrick Rafter, 2001. Ivanisevic wins 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7.
Rain wreaked havoc with Wimbledon seven years ago -- should we say, more so than usual? -- and it ultimately led to one of the most memorable occasions in Grand Slam history. The men's final began on a Monday because of the precipitation, the first time that happened at Wimbledon since 1922. As a result, 10,000 tickets went on sale 2 1/2 hours before the match, meaning a younger, more boisterous crowd was in attendance. And who to root for, the popular Ivanisevic, or, uh, the popular Rafter?
Ivanisevic prevailed in what was the longest fifth set of a men's singles final at Wimbledon, in terms of games, at the time. In the process, he became the first men's wild card to capture a major.
Getting there was the fun part.
Ivanisevic, ranked outside the top 100 and a loser in three previous Wimbledon finals, cried, kissed the ball and jolted his left -- and serving -- arm as he tried to serve out the encounter. A service winner finally did the trick, and Ivanisevic could hardly believe his Wimbledon misery was over.
"I think I'm dreaming," Ivanisevic said at the time. "Somebody is going to wake me up and tell me, 'Man, you didn't win.'"
5. Venus Williams versus Lindsay Davenport, 2005. Williams wins 4-6, 7-6 (4), 9-7.
Venus Williams has five Wimbledon trophies, but her marathon final versus Lindsay Davenport will go down as the most memorable.
The elder of the tennis-playing sisters became the first female finalist at Wimbledon to save a match point, then go on to win, since Helen Wills Moody in 1935. Staring at defeat at 4-5, 30-40 in the third set, Venus Williams crunched a backhand that left Lindsay Davenport, who hasn't claimed a major since 2000, with no answer.
Williams had to rally once more in the third, trailing 2-4, and the two-hour, 45-minute thriller was the longest Wimbledon women's final in history.
Adding to the drama, Davenport carried on despite struggling with a back injury that surfaced in the deciding set.
"Every time the chips were down for Venus, she played unbelievably," Davenport said.
6. Steffi Graf versus Gabriela Sabatini, 1991. Graf wins 6-4, 3-6, 8-6.
Graf had something to prove, coming off a humiliating 6-0, 6-2 loss to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the semifinal of the French Open weeks earlier and not having won a Grand Slam since the 1990 Australian Open, an age for her.
The final wasn't pretty -- Graf and fan favorite Sabatini were broken a combined 12 times in the second and third sets. However, there was plenty of drama.
Sabatini, who had claimed her lone Grand Slam title by downing Graf at the U.S. Open 10 months earlier, turned things around by moving forward.
Twice she failed to serve out the encounter deep in the third set: At 6-5, 30-all, Sabatini hit a backhand volley that looked like a winner, but Graf chased it down and sent a winning reply, then broke and didn't lose another game.
It was the third of Graf's seven Wimbledon titles.
Ravi Ubha is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com.
Federer: In a league of his ownJuly 6, 2009 - 4:47PM
Record battle... Andy Roddick and Roger Federer after their epic battle.
.From his front row seat in the Royal Box, Pete Sampras watched as Roger Federer broke his record for most Grand Slam singles titles in men's tennis history.
After Federer overcame Andy Roddick in a marathon, five-set serving duel Sunday for his sixth Wimbledon title and 15th Grand Slam championship, Sampras was left with no doubt about who is the greatest male player of all time.
"I have to give it to him," said Sampras, a seven-time Wimbledon champion who never thought his record of 14 major titles would be surpassed so soon.
"He's won all the majors. He's won 15 now. He's going to win a few more here. So in my book he is (the greatest)."
The issue will always generate debate and argument, especially in trying to compare players of different generations, such as Rod Laver and Bill Tilden.
But there is no denying that Federer has firmly cemented himself as the finest player of the generation and, at age 27, the favorite for other major titles to come.
"It's not really one of those goals you set as a little boy, but, man, it's been quite a career and quite a month," said Federer, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning his first French Open a month ago. "It feels amazing, but this is not why I'm playing tennis to break all sort of different records. But it's definitely one of the greatest ones to have."
It took 4 hour, 16 minutes, five sets and 77 games for Federer to secure the record Sunday in another epic Wimbledon final. Federer served a career-high 50 aces and overcame the resilient Roddick 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 - the longest match and longest fifth set in Grand Slam final history in terms of games.
And all after he saved four set points in the second set tiebreaker, when he was so close to falling two sets behind.
After going 0-6 on break points, Federer finally broke the American in the 30th game of the fifth set - with Roddick shanking a forehand on the first match point.
"It's staggering that I've been able to play so well for so many years now and stay injury-free," said Federer, who won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003.
"I'm happy I broke the record here because this is always the tournament that meant the most to me. It definitely feels like coming full circle, starting it here and ending it here."
Sampras flew in from California on Sunday, making his first appearance at the All England Club since playing this tournament for the last time in 2002.
He arrived in the Royal Box after the third game of the match. Accompanied by his wife, Bridgette Wilson, he sat next to Spanish great Manolo Santana and a few seats from Laver and Bjorn Borg.
When Federer walked from his changeover chair to the service line, he gestured to Sampras in greeting.
"In a way, I still feel like we share (the record) because he was such a wonderful champion," Federer said. "He still has one up against me here at Wimbledon. It's nice that he shows appreciation for what I'm doing."
Federer is the third player to win six Wimbledon championships - Sampras and William Renshaw each won seven.
"He's a stud," Sampras said. "He's only 27. He'll contend here for many years, and the U.S. Open, and all the majors. If he just keeps it going and stays healthy, he could go to 18, 19, potentially. The guy, he's a legend. Now he's an icon."
It's been quite a turnaround for Federer from a year ago, when his run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles was snapped - along with his aura of invincibility - by Spaniard Rafael Nadal in a classic final that ended in near darkness at 9-7 in the fifth set.
With Sunday's triumph, Federer reclaimed the No. 1 ranking he surrendered last August to Nadal, who missed this year's tournament because of knee problems.
"Of course, I would have loved to play him again," Federer said. "You never know how he would have played. He had the injury. I'm happy at least I became No. 1 in the world by winning the tournament, not just by him not playing at all. It's supposed to be that you win big matches, big tournaments. That's how you get back to (No. 1)."
Some people were writing off Federer after he lost to Nadal in the Australian Open final in January and broke down in tears. Federer continued to struggle early in the season before winning the French Open. Now he's the third man in 40 years to win the French and Wimbledon in the same year, joining Borg and Nadal.
"This year is crazy," Federer said. "Things didn't look so good when I lost in the final of the Australian Open, which was still just an unbelievable result. But to come through and battle back and win Paris and now Wimbledon back-to-back, something Bjorn did a couple of times, it's amazing."
Playing in his record 20th Grand Slam final and sixth in a row, Federer beat Roddick for the third time in the Wimbledon championship match, adding to his victories in 2004 and '05. He extended his overall mastery over the American to 19-2, including 8-0 at Grand Slams.
"He's a true champion," said Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open winner. "He deserves everything he gets."
Turning to Sampras, he said, "Sorry, Pete. I tried to hold him off."
The statistics were astounding: Federer's 50 aces were one short of the Wimbledon match record held by Ivo Karlovic. Federer had a total of 107 winners, compared with 38 unforced errors. Roddick had 27 aces, 74 winners and 33 unforced mistakes.
The match started to turn Federer's way when he saved four break points in the second-set tiebreaker. Down 2-6, he ran off six straight points to level the match. Roddick missed a relatively easy high backhand volley on the fourth break point. But even after dropping the third set, Roddick didn't let up. He broke once in the fourth set to even the match.
The fifth set went back-and-forth with the players slugging huge serves at each other, offering few chances to break. Finally, serving in the 30th game with Federer ahead 15-14, Roddick blinked. He misplayed a forehand to set up match point. After a contest featuring so many brilliant shots, Roddick missed badly on another forehand to end it.
"This match was different from last year's final with Nadal," Federer said. "I just said to myself, 'I'm exactly where I want to be at 13-13 in the fifth set. You're a few minutes from winning.' I saw it in a positive way. I believed right to the end."
AP
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/fede...9.html?page=-1
Left this post alone a couple of weeks only to answer it now.
With Federer claiming the World number one title back he has still another uphill task of beating Sampras record of 286 weeks as number one of which Federer is short by 50 weeks, i.e ALMOST a year.
Roger is scheduled to play atleast 4 Master's 1000 and 2 Master's 500 and WTF at London this year. Thanks to his poor form in these events last year Federer has only very less points to defend and more to amass this year, Federer can gain as many as he can before this year ends. For starters refer this link here for the amount of points to be defended. It is only as less as 410 to be defended against 3000 to be amassed. Mind you Shangai is a new master's 1000 event and it is only gain for Roger, or for that matter to any player.
Go roger :smokesmirk:
Quote:
Originally Posted by m_23_bayarea
And yes i left out US Open because no matter what he has to win it again to have a solid grip in his ranking.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X3Fcs2gAaUY/Sl...c_b_martin.jpg
PR, can you post this image here, yes right in this page and post here.
Disagree with the argument on Nadal.
Fed-nadal rivalry was 8-6 in favor of Nadal before 2008. For all his tennis brilliance Roger has/had a certain weakness(Don't know what it is or how to say it may be a mental weakness). The fact that Nadal was able to stop Federer for 4 consecutive FO Finals is itself a testimony to Nadal's never say die attitude of winning matches. Nadal won 4 matches in 2008 and one in 2009(AO final) which again was sheer brilliance from Nadal. So that makes the rivalry to 13-7 in favor of Nadal again.
And vastly Roger was never been a big server before again I am disagreeing with you that he bought that facet of his play only when needed which is again not true because he was never able to do that in the past and he has developed that only in the present just before the clay court season start this year as far as my diagnosis of his play is right. He can use this segment of play against Nadal in big matches from now on.
Saying all that rivalry will be kickstarted again with a pressure free Federer taking on a wounded spain singam from this Fall. He has won botH FO and broke sampras record so he has nothing more to prove from now on. I wish that there are more Nadal-Fed matches from now on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Plum
Roger kku injury nnu solrardhellam ok dhaan but he was medically cleared to play last year. If you are injured don't play thats it. If you are not fit to compete at the maximum level edhukku vilayadanaum.??. edhukku thokkanum and then say it is due to injury? :huh:
And I don't buy the argument that Nadal's best years are over as well. Nadal is a force to reckon with in tennis. He will certainly be back for sure.
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Thanks PR :)
Borg, Sampras, Fed and Laver and there are 22 wimbledon's all-together.
Singam and Federer, sila pala similarities irukku - Positives irukkave irukku of course but more importantly, negatives, definitely...
Federer's 50 aces has been talked about much, but it only shows how weak a returner Roddick is. Infact that was the only difference between him & Roger yesterday. Had it been Murray/Nadal on the other end, I am sure the aces count would be around 30 or so. Federer definitely has worked on his serve but it is not such an improvement. Moreover, he didn't play his best tennis in the final. He rarely attacked the net (compared to what he did against Haas in SF) & there were no drop shots played.
I pitty Rod that inspite of winning more games than Fed he ended up losing. The other numbers are so close too (I don't agree counting aces in the winners column at all).
Well said omega.
:exactly:
Quote:
Originally Posted by omega
Exactly! And enakku therinju at least two attempted drop shots (which worked like magic in the semi) didn't clear the netQuote:
Originally Posted by omega
I would be happy if I am proved wrong.Quote:
Originally Posted by ajithfederer
I am one of those who strongly believe Nadal's best is behind him now. Sure he will win few more GS in future, but may not be able to win like he did starting same time last year till his knees quit a month ago. His game style is very demanding to each & every portion of his body (starting from wrist to ankle). Sure he is very young & can fight everything now. Unless he changes his game style (which I doubt very much) he would find it difficult to keep the intensity. I won't be surprised, if he even avoids hard courts in future. Eager to see how he defends in Rogers cup.
Amazing to see how this guy can keep winning inspite of playing mediocre (by his own standards offcourse) tennis. He is getting better & better in playing those long 5 setters effortlessly. I think he will upto the task next time he faces Nadal.Quote:
Originally Posted by crajkumar_be
After playing for 4hours & 20 minutes this guy (for that matter even Roddick was looking fresh) looked as fresh as he could be.