By Bill Scott Jul 5, 2009, 18:32 GMT
London - Flawless Roger Federer wrote a new page in tennis history Sunday, winning an all-time best 15th Grand Slam singles title in front of a lineup of legends as he defeated Andy Roddick for a sixth Wimbledon trophy Sunday.
The five-set marathon ended after four hours, 17 minutes as a tiring Roddick sailed a return well long and gave Federer his sixth Wimbledon title in seven years, 5-7, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 16- 14.
Federer, the only man to appear in seven consecutive finals at the All England club, re-wrote the records in front of tennis royalty - Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras, the seven-time All England club champion with whom he shared 14 Grand Slam honours.
'It feels funny for some reason to have the cup back,' said an understated Federer. 'I didn't have it last year (in a marathon loss to Rafael Nadal) and now if feels great.
'My head is still spinning. It's an unbelievable moment of my career.'
Federer approached the all-time Wimbledon ace record in a match of 51 set by Ivo Karlovic, striking 50, his last coming during the penultimate game as he held for 15-14 in the fifth set.
Roddick looked like running out of puff as he serve a game later, his approach shot long to set up a match point for the Swiss and a return long ending the final which concluded with the longest set ever played in Wimbledon's history dating to 1877.
Roddick has now lost 19 of 21 matches to Federer including previous Wimbledon finals in 2004 and 2005. He was broken only once, but fell short with 74 winners to the impressive 107 of the Swiss champion.
'I tried to throw it all at him,' said the disheartened American. 'Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off,' he joked to Sampras watching from the Royal Box.
'It was a pleasure to play today in front of such great champions. I hope that someday my name will be up there with them as a winner of this event.'
Federer's victory was his 60th career trophy and backed up the inaugural French Open he claimed a month ago to pull level with Sampras. He will now lie low for a month or more as wife Mirka awaits the birth of the couple's first child.
Federer had slow going as he lost the opening set under summer sunshine during one of the driest fortnights in recent memory, but he got right back into the hunt by lifting the next two in tiebreakers.
Roddick, whose long honour at a major was the long-ago 2003 US Open, kept the final set tight as he answered Federer shot for shot before the Swiss was able to convert his half-chance into the victory.
Federer will return to the number one ranking on Monday, seizing it back from the absent Rafael Nadal, who missed the fortnight with knee tendinitis.
'Andy played an unbelievable tournament,' said Federer on court. 'Don't be sad, I went though a rough one last year on this court.
'I may have won five before but it still hurt. You will come back and win it, you played unbelievable. Today I was on the lucky side.'
The Swiss was appearing in his sixth consecutive Grand Slam final dating to Roland Garros last year. The only man to ever beat him at this level was Nadal, three times in Paris and once each at Wimbledon and Melbourne.
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