Federer edges past impressive Roddick to capture record-breaking 15th slam

So much could be said about today's Wimbledon final, I mean it was sure long enough for me to get you scrolling down and down to finish reading this post, however I will try to keep it concise.

Up until a very short while ago, I had started to believe that for history to be truly made, or for a match to really have a huge impact on me, then Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer must both be on court. Today however, greatness presented itself on Wimbledon Centre Court in a different form, and the fighting spirit and determination, I so much admire, were exuded from a player other than Rafa. This year, Wimbledon was blessed by none other than Andy Roddick.

I realize I am sounding as though Roddick were the one who made history today not Federer. Fear not Fedophiles, I am not taking away from what Federer has managed to accomplish today. But in all fairness, such greatness is always expected from the Swiss, but the way Roddick held his ground today, serving from behind the entire 5th set, and pulling off those massive holds each time, all the way until 15-14 was truly impressive.

If you look at the match stats today, you wouldn't really know which stats belonged to which player, because it was Federer who served more aces and Roddick who converted more break points. Of the 107 winners Federer hit today, 50 of those were aces. I bet Roddick didn't think he would be out-aced today, I know I didn't. Despite those aces, it was Roddick who managed to break twice, once in the first set and once in the 4th, while Federer couldn't convert a single break point until the final game of the 4 hour 16 minute match, in the 77th game to be exact.

But at the end of the day, a very impressive Roddick was left disappointed once again, after suffering a loss at the hands of Federer for the 3rd time in a Wimbledon final.

The American, who remains a one-Slam wonder, showed form this tournament particularly against Andy Murray and Federer, that I didn't really know he had. His volleys have tremendously improved, which together with his serve and baseline power game, have made a very solid player out of him. I really hope he can shake this loss quickly though, because as heartbreaking as it was, Roddick should leave Wimbledon with nothing but confidence in his game and more importantly, Larry Stefanki, who I believe has done wonders with Roddick (but perhaps needs to teach him how to properly play a backhand slice, am I right?).

Okay moving along, now I must start stating the obvious and pay tribute to Federer. This time last year, he was in tears talking to John Mcenroe after losing to Rafa in back-to-back Grand Slam finals, he was on his way to losing his number 1 ranking and some people were doubting whether the Swiss would ever hit top form again. Earlier this year, more tears came when Federer lost to Rafa again in a Grand Slam final, and this time it was in Australia, and the skeptics continued with their skepticism.

After a less-than-Federesque first part of the season, where he lost to Murray in Doha and Indian Wells, Djokovic in Miami and Rome, and Wawrinka in Monte Carlo, Federer switched gears and went cruise control all over everybody else's asses including Nadal's very famous one.

Within a 6-week period, Federer has managed to complete a career slam, regain his number 1 ranking and break Pete Sampras' record of all time Grand Slam titles by making Wimbledon his lucky 15th. The skeptics can rest now.

Congratulations to both Federer and Roddick on a final people will talk about for many years to come. Now I can go back to checking on Rafa, and await his return, as I truly believe he mustn't be written off this season just yet. Watch out for the Spaniard at the US Open this year!!!

GREATNESS!!!

It's hard Andy, we all know. Federer told us after the match how heartbroken he was to go 1 in 5 in Wimbledon finals last year, making us realize how awful it must be for you to go 0 in 3!! Yeah he's a real sensitive guy like that!

The second most disappointing thing today after Andy's loss was Michael Ballack's shirt. The word hideous comes to mind

"Roger's a friend, he's a great player, and he is a good guy. He's got 15 now; he can get 17 or 18 majors. If he just keeps it going and stays healthy, he could go to 18, 19, actually." -- Sampras on Federer

Quotes of the Day - Hewitt and Djokovic discuss their conquerors' chances in the semis

“It's gonna be a tough one for Roddick to win. When I've seen Andy Murray at his best, he matches up extremely well against Roddick."

"A couple years ago I saw them play here because they were in my section, and Murray took care of him convincingly. And Murray's a lot better player now than he was then. Roddick's gonna have to play a hell of a match to beat him.”

-- Lleyton Hewitt on Andy Roddick's chances against Andy Murray in the semifinals on Friday.

"Tommy still hasn't lost this year on this surface. He's playing really well and has nothing to lose against Roger, so of course he has a chance."

-- Novak Djokovic on Tommy Haas' chances against Roger Federer in the semifinals on Friday.

There are many things I am liking about Wimbledon this year and that is surprising considering how devastated I was when Rafa withdrew. Besides the fact that am in London and managed to watch a couple of good matches at SW19 (which I realize I haven't blogged about yet, but hopefully I will soon), I am mainly loving the whole Ferrero/Haas/Hewitt rejuvenation stunt, and now that Haas has dispatched Djokovic, I gotta say am impressed with him the most.

Djokovic has pointed out a terrific point which is that Haas has now won 10 straight grass court matches within a 3 week period. If that doesn't give him a good chance against Federer on Friday, I don't know what does. Haas was also 5 points away from eliminating Federer from the French Open before he lost to the Swiss in 5.

The former world number 2 said after his quarterfinal victory that beating Djokovic in Halle last month had given him a confidence boost and helped him beat the Serb again on Wednesday, so given Haas' amazing performance against Federer at the French Open, let's hope he heads into the semis on Friday with the same attitude, because the German is just delightful to watch on grass.

As for the Murray-Roddick match, we're gonna see some supersonic serving from one end, and some top-notch returning from the other, what more could we ask for???! It's gonna be a good one!!

Quotes of the Day - Tsonga and Karlovic

Unlucky today. Can you describe the experience of being aced 46 times in a match? Can you describe what that feels like?

Tsonga: "Nothing. Nothing. What I can say? He served well, and that's it. That's the only thing I can tell."

How about your own level today? Are you happy with the way you played?

Tsonga: "I didn't play, so... I don't have to be happy or not. I don't play, that's it."

"I didn't play. He served well, and that's it."

-- World number 9, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, speaks after losing a tight 4-setter against Ivo Karlovic, who served his way past the Frenchman for a spot in the 4th round.

"If I can win with only one shot, I don't know, I'm a genius."

-- Croatian giant and Wimbledon's 22nd seed, Ivo Karlovic, talks about his lethal and possibly sole weapon, his serve.

All I can say is that my Wimbledon wish list now includes Fernando Verdasco gaining sudden super returning powers so he can hit back those Karlovic cannon balls in their 4th round match on Monday, because that guy is just unbelievable. How long do you think Karlovic can keep up that serving?

Wimbledon First Round Wrap - Murray tested, Del Potro impresses

With the exception of the Taylor Dent - Daniel Gimeno-Traver match that needs to be finished on Wednesday, all first round matches have been completed and second round action will kick off tomorrow.

The Upsets

No. 21 seed, and 2-time Wimbly quarterfinalist, Feliciano Lopez fell to lucky loser, Karol Beck in 5 sets, 10-8 in the fifth

14th seed and last year's semifinalist, Marat Safin, crashed out to Jesse Levine in 4 sets

17th seed and Queen's finalist, James Blake, lost to Andreas Seppi in straights

Last week's Eastbourne champion, and Wimbledon's 25th seed, Dmitry Tursunov retired from the third set (was trailing 2 sets to love) of his match against Mischa Zverev

The Falls

Jeremy Chardy falls to the ground during a rally with Andy Roddick on Tuesday

The impressive Robert Kendrick falls during after a point against Andy Murray on Tuesday

Julien Benneteau suffers an injury after slipping during his match against Novak Djokovic

Is it me or has there been too many slippery falls these past couple of days at Wimbledon?

Those truly tested

Former world number 1, and Wimbledon 13th seed, Ana Ivanovic, scraped through her 1st round match against Lucie Hradecka 5-7, 6-2, 8-6, saving match points along the way

British hope and world number 3, Andy Murray, was pushed to the limits by Robert Kendrick, who took a set off the Scot with his strong serves and incredible volleys. Murray won 7-5, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4

Halle champion, and 24th seed, Tommy Haas, came through in 4 tight sets against Alexander Peya

Super Impressive

5th-seed, Juan Martin Del Potro, seems to be settling well in Rafael Nadal's spot at the top of the draw as the Argentine crushed last year's quarterfinalist, Arnaud Clement, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, in what looked like some vicious form, from where I was at. If JMDP keeps up those ruthless groundstrokes, he will be a major problem for the likes of Roddick, Davydenko and Ferrer, who all lie in the same quarter of the draw as the 20-year-old.

Hot second round matches

Andy Murray [3] vs Ernests Gulbis
Juan Martin Del Potro [5] vs Lleyton Hewitt
Tomas Berdych [20] vs Paul-Henri Mathieu
Marin Cilic [11] vs Sam Querrey
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga [9] vs Simone Bolelli

How many aces do you think Ivo Karlovic can hit in his next match?

Okay I know this is silly, but the giant Croat really blows my mind with his ability to keep knocking down those aces. He hit 55 aces in one match at the French Open a few weeks back and despite losing that match, he remained at the top of the aces leader list until the semis. Karlovic hit 32 aces during his 1st round match at Wimbledon against Lukas Lacko and next faces Steve Darcis. So just for the hell of it, how many aces do you think he can hit in his next match?

Safin leaves Wimbledon a "relieved" and "satisfied" man

Today Marat Safin played his very last match at Wimbledon, as the two-time Grand Slam champion lost his first round match to Jesse Levine 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.

The former world number 1, who reached the semis at SW19 last year for the first time, had announced earlier this year that this season will be his last and he assured everyone after his match on Tuesday, that he is leaving the tournament a very relieved and satisfied man.

"Is this really it, you and Wimbledon?

Safin: Yeah.

How do you feel?

Safin: Relieved. Pretty much relieved (smiling).

Really?

Safin: Yeah."

The temperamental Russian, known for his on-court outbursts and off-court remarks, did not depart the grounds without leaving behind a trademark Safin presser comment:

"Second serve he made an unbelievable pickup volley ‑ unbelievable. So I couldn't expect that coming on a breakpoint in a crucial moment of the match... Because after that the match would go completely the other direction. And also thanks for the guy who made the call. I want to say hello to him. Too bad that he was a little bit too blind today. But anyway, that's tennis. That's tiebreak."

The 29-year-old has had a rollercoaster career where he won the US Open and the Australian Open almost 5 years apart, coping with injuries along the way. Safin however insisted that he has no regrets and has accepted the ups and downs of his tennis career, focusing more on his achievements than his disappointments.

"And be in a semifinal in all four Grand Slams, I think there's not so many of us. Nalbandian, me. I think Hewitt didn't even make it. Roddick. So it makes it special. But thanks to Wimbledon I have this achievement."

"I should probably have won a couple of more, but I'm pretty satisfied with what I did."

Despite Safin's statements during his post-match presser, about how he has no regrets, I can't help but feel some bitterness underneath. Actually that's how he has sounded throughout the season so far. I find his approach towards his very last tennis season very odd. He claims he wants to just have fun, play the events he will miss the most, and with no pressure, yet he has failed to win 2 straight matches since his 3rd round showing at the Australian Open earlier this year. He has let 2 set leads slip away, has lost to opponents he could have easily beaten, and his attitude after his matches always made him look like he doesn't care.

It's true that he is currently at number 24 in the rankings, which is not so bad, but that is only thanks to the 900 points he has from his semifinal showing at Wimbledon last year; points that he will lose after the tournament ends. And the sad part is, Safin did not make use of his ranking which had him seeded in the Grand Slams, and he couldn't make it far in any of his draws, even the ones that seemed fairly reasonable.

His comments during the year about how routine the tennis life is, and how he wanted to retire this year but his career plans have been postponed for 1 more year, are making him sound like he does not value the game, although am sure he does. But it's sad for the fans to see how eager he is to leave this life behind him.

As a true Safin fan, I am urging myself to accept the fact that he is willing to move on and that does not mean he has no love for the game. He just no longer has the passion to win, nor the motivation to help him endure the routine, the practice and all the hard work required from any tennis professional. What we love most about Marat is how unique he is, and despite the inconsistency and the disappointments, we also appreciate how unpredictable he can be.

I think I will choose to ignore this Safin farewell season, and just remember everything incredible he has brought to the game, from his 2000 US Open victory over Pete Sampras, to his epic 2005 Australia Open, where he knocked out Federer and Hewitt to win the title, and finally his surprise run to the 2008 Wimbledon semis, where he toppled Djokovic along the way. Unless something drastic changes for the rest of this season on the Safin front, I shall choose to forget this season ever happened in Marat's career. If he is bidding the circuit goodbye a relieved and satisfied man, then I shall follow the same approach to his retirement. It's just healthier that way, don't you think?!

Quote of the Day - Roger Federer after winning his opening match at Wimbledon

I don't care how many times he won this event, how many Slams he has collected, how many weeks he stayed at #1...etc... Nothing excuses this outfit!

"It's funny, I actually didn't even think about it I didn't have a grass court match yet this year. It's something I completely forgot about. I just felt good in practice the last few days.

I had some good practice matches, you know, with Safin and Youzhny and Wawrinka. Some good quality players. I felt like I was, you know, in good shape for my first round. That's what I remembered, not if I did play a tournament or not before.

But actually I'm very happy with my first round. I thought it was a very solid performance, because that's what it took today against Lu."

-- World number 2, Roger Federer, on how he felt during his first round match, despite not playing any matches on grass prior to Wimbledon.

Well apparently if you've won the tournament 5 times, and reached the final once, you don't really need to stress over getting match play before Wimbledon. The Swiss opened his campaign at the All England Club and his quest for the number 1 ranking, with a solid straight sets win over Yen-Hsun Lu.

Federer, who committed only 10 unforced errors throughout the match, beat the Chinese from Taipei 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, in his first match on grass this season.

Next up for Federer is Eastbourne's semifinalist, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Trying to cope with a Rafa-less Wimbledon...

Photo credit: Reuters

Am not sure what sucks more, the fact that I’ll be in London watching a Wimbledon sans Rafa, or the fact that I am hearing constant crap from people - who barely know anything about tennis – about how this is officially the downfall of Rafa and that his best years are definitely behind him.

Okay am sure being in Wimbledon for the first time and not being able to watch Rafa defend his title sucks the most, I could barely find anything that actually sucks more, but still… it’s been barely 2 days since Rafa announced his withdrawal and am already sick of the snarky comments.

Call me deluded, optimistic or whatever floats your boat, but I think that even if Rafa loses the number 1 spot to Roger Federer by the end of Wimbledon (which let’s face it is highly likely since Federer is possibly the strongest contender for the title), and even though he said he doesn’t know when he’ll be back, something tells me he will come back stronger than ever and could compete for the US Open title. Who knows, maybe this is the year Rafa fails to defend Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but captures the 2 remaining Slams to complete a career Slam.

The thing is, this isn’t the first time Rafa has had to miss a Slam cuz of his knees. It’s true that when he missed the Australian Open in 2006 he wasn’t the defending champion and the circumstances were different, but the injury then, seemed way more serious than it is this time. In 2006, he stormed back and beat Federer in Dubai, before he had a perfect clay sweep winning Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros. Nadal has proven that he is capable of bouncing back and missing Wimbledon is disappointing yet not the end of the world. With a good recovery plan and enough time to rest, the Spaniard can be up and running by Montreal or Cincy.

Angel Ruiz Cotorro, one of Rafa’s doctors, told Marca radio on Saturday that Rafa can be back at 100% within 3 to 4 weeks. The Rogers Cup starts August 8th, which means there’s plenty of time to recover.

Here's a video from Nadal's press conference announcing his withdrawal: