The making of history is not supposed to be easy.But no-one could have imagined the sweat, the energy, the sheer determination Roger Federer had to exude to defeat Andy Roddick 5-7 7-6 7-6 3-6 16-14 to claim his 15th grand slam.What a match! What a fantastic way for Federer to eclipse the record of Pete Sampras, who sat up in Wimbledon's Royal Box in his designer sun shades and smiled his approval.And when Federerand feet bound.Make no mistake, it will haunt Roddick forever. When his tennis career is long gone he will still wake up at night troubled by those three minutes in which he went from 6-2 up, with four set points, to lose the breaker 8-6.Remember, this was the man who, before this match, had won 26 out of 30 tie-breaks this year. He just does not lose shoot-outs from 6-2 up.But he did. Six straight points going to Federer, including a thumping ace but also containing one of the most desperate chokes from Roddick.At 6-5 up the American missed his first serve, threw in the tightest of 99mph second serves and then wafted anxiously at a high backhand volley, only to see it sail in the direction of Southfields tube station.Federer finished off the set and effectively Roddick's Wimbledon title hopes left town there and then.Federer had the opportunity to show Roddick how to handle the pressure of a tie-break in the very next set when the American clawed back a 5-1 Federer lead to 6-5 but saw the Swiss master sweep him away at the vital point.That is what champions do. Play the crucial points with authority. Make the seemingly impossible seem simple. None more so than Federer.But Roddick hung in, mixing drop shots and ripping groundstrokes with Federer until that final set when it came down to reserves of energy, strength of serving arm and sheer will."Sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off," Roddick shouted Read more: http://robingoogles.blogspot.com/#ixzz0Kkhe27Nr&C
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IAMS presents exclusive video tips.
IAMS presents exclusive video tips.