Reporting from Wimbledon, England — As a deathless fifth set bloated to 6-6 and then 10-10 and then an inconceivable 14-14, this latest masterpiece of a Wimbledon final almost seemed as if striving to rival its hallowed predecessor.
Whether it did so could be a matter of discussion, but nobody present at Centre Court today will regret having seen a men's singles final so admirable that in the end the fans chanted the name of the man who did not win.
"Roddick! Roddick! Roddick!" they roared, because Roger Federer's 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 nudge past Andy Roddick in four hours, 18 minutes had become the second straight Wimbledon final in which neither player deserved to lose. It was that rare case of somebody not winning despite holding serve in his first 37 tries.
Roddick sat crestfallen in his chair as the audience chanted the name of the 26-year-old Nebraskan who'd lurked so close to realizing his long-held Wimbledon-title dream. Then he stood, turned around and clapped for an audience that returned the standing ovation.
"Sorry, Pete," Roddick said in his post-match remarks, speaking to Pete Sampras, who watched the match from the Royal Box. "I know I tried to hold him off."
Through 77 games, he tried, but he just could not prevent Federer from winning his sixth Wimbledon title and his 15th Grand Slam title, surpassing Pete Sampras' 14 as the most decorated male player to date.
"I have to give it to him," Sampras said to the BBC moments later, calling Federer "the best in my book."
