Wimbledon Magic

For the second year running, the men’s singles final in tennis’s most prestigious tournament produced a match of heart-stopping intensity. But this year the script saw a slightly different ending. Instead of losing out to his opponent in a marathon fifth set, Roger Federer sealed a sixth Wimbledon and more importantly, 15 th grand slam title, breaking Pete Sampras’s record.

It has been a remarkable summer for Federer, who won the French Open for the first time just a month ago. The year didn’t begin quite so well for the Swiss great, with critics still talking about his loss to Rafael Nadal in last year’s Wimbledon and speculating that Federer’s reign at the pinnacle of professional tennis was over. Some killjoys will continue to undermine Federer’s victories at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, since he did not defeat Nadal on court in the former and the Spaniard was not around to defend his title at the latter. But considering that Federer’s 15 titles have come in the short span of six years, it is hard to argue that he isn’t the greatest player of his generation.

Is he the greatest ever? The sport has evolved so much since the days of Arthur Ashe and Rod Laver that comparing players from different eras is irrelevant. Contrary to appearances, tennis is not merely a test of human skills where technology plays no role. Technical advances, changes in rules and unknowables like the quality of opposition these great champions faced in their times renders this exercise meaningless. It is enough to look on with awe at Federer’s beautiful game and the way he never seems to be working too hard on court. He almost floats on the court and plays with effortless finesse and beauty. Not for him the ugly and brutal power rallies that unfortunately dominate the sport today. Still, on Sunday it was his mental fortitude that got him through, not his artistry.

Every great champion needs a worthy opponent, and on Sunday Andy Roddick played the part in Nadal’s absence. Nobody expected him to put up much of a fight against the Swiss, but he played, perhaps, the match of his life and gave Federer a real fright. But the Swiss champion is in a league of his own now. Even if he were to put his racket up right now, he would be assured of his place in the pantheon of sporting, not just tennis, greats.

CROSS OF GREATNESS

If Roger Federer looks back at 2008, he might want to treat himself to a wry smile. Last year, same time same place, he was at his exquisite best, mixing sublime passes with outrageous winners and even more daring crosses; yet he lost.

This year, he was nowhere near his top, often descending even into levels of ordinariness; yet he won the title to become, at least on the Grand Slam scale, the greatest tennis player.

For many, though, he was already the best ever: after all, he moves like a ballerina on the court; he hits the ball with such finesse that it almost feels like he is whispering sweet-nothings into the ear of a lover; he has power too but his angles are the envy of even geometry and trigonometry.

More mundanely, he has won 15 Slam titles, more than any
other player before; he has conquered virtually every surface that the game could think of; plus, he has also been Number One for 237 straight weeks.

The only irritant, however, is 2008. During that heart-breaking year, he lost his way at Roland Garros and, to an extent, his aura at Wimbledon; ironically, the first surface had always mocked while the second one all but worshipped him.

Both times, one man, indeed one machine, stood in his way: Rafael Nadal. The golden retriever humbled him on clay first and then out-nerved him on grass. Federer didn’t see it immediately but he (Nadal) had assumed the proportions of a mental block: he acknowledged it only after passing the French Open test this May.

This year, of course, an injured Nadal lost to Robin Soderling early in Paris, and missed the action in London; Federer promptly looked history in the eye and it blinked. But the mirror will keep asking him the same question every morning: could he have crossed these last two hurdles if Nadal had stood on the other side of the net. Probably not. Federer surely understands this. That is why his job is not yet over; he shall
carry the cross until he tames the tormentor. Yes, he did it recently, in Madrid and on a slow court too, just before the French Open; but the challenge is to follow it up in a Grand Slam.

True, he won’t be under pressure anymore. He has subdued the doubts in his mind, surely with some help from fate; he will play with a free will when they meet next. Hopefully, he would also be at his sublime best as that is the only way he can dismantle Nadal’s assiduously built game.

The signs, though, were ominous on Sunday. Federer didn’t call the shots in the Wimbledon final; in fact, his magic was fleeting and, quite often, his movement was ungainly too. There were glimpses of his genius but that was overshadowed by his anxiety.

But then, when you are on the threshold of greatness and the audience is as exalted as it was around the Centre Court, even the wind might develop cold feet. Yet, Federer held on: he won two tie-breakers but looked sheepish in the other two sets.

In the final set, typically, he dug into the last reserves in his soul. He clung on to his serve and waited for Roddick to falter; but the American, with a Yankee-style cap on his head, kept pace. After one hour and 35 minutes, and 30 games, Roddick capitulated.

Federer, the quiet stalker, roared like a lion. He had allowed himself the minor transgression twice earlier during the match: once in the second set, when he came back from 2-6 down to win the tie-breaker; again, just a few games earlier, when he was serving 15-40 and Roddick had a whiff of the Trophy.

He could afford to cry one more time, like he had done after losing the Australian Open in an epic final and also after winning the French Open rather easily. But he didn’t: he was in the mood to smile. After all, he had just become Number One again, if not the best tennis player ever.


FEDERER THE GREATEST, CONCEDES SAMPRAS

Pete Sampras hailed Roger Federer as the greatest player of all time on Sunday after the Swiss superstar surpassed his Grand Slam record with a sixth Wimbledon title.

“In my book, he’s the greatest of all time. He has his critics and people point to Rafael Nadal beating him, but for me he’s the greatest. He is a legend and an icon,” said Sampras.
“He is a great champion and a good guy. He’s very humble, which I like.” Sampras predicted that Federer, who is still only 27, can go on and set more Grand Slam records. “He can win 17, 18 majors at least. He’s only 27 and he can do it if he stays healthy.”

The American, who played his last Wimbledon in 2002, flew in overnight to see Federer launch an assault on his record of 14. “He is effortless when he plays. He serves big, has a great forehand and his backhand. I’m a fan of how he plays, what he’s about... he’s a class guy on and off the court. He’s fun to watch.”

HAIL KING FEDERER

The guy’s a legend and now he’s an Icon. His 15 majors, that’s a lot of majors, that’s a lot of work. He’s a credit to the game. The critics say (Rod) Laver, and (Rafael) Nadal beat him a few times in majors, but he’s won all the majors, he’s going to win a few more here, so in my book he is (the greatest).
Pete Sampras, 14 time Grand Slam champion

Winning the French Open in May, and in doing so collecting all four Grand Slam trophies, in my opinion, has made him the greatest player in history.
Boris Becker, three-time Wimbledon champion

It’s amazing what sort of shots he can come up with from impossible positions... It’s an unbelievable effort to have 15 Grand Slam titles.

Rod Laver.

For me Roger is the greatest player ever who played the tennis game. We are going to see so much more of Federer in the future, he is going to win more grand slam tournaments.
Bjorn Borg, 11-time Grand Slam winner

It’s a combination of how many Grand Slams have you won, how many tournaments have you won, how many years you were number one and he’s got all those combinations.
Martina Navratilova, nine-time Wimbledon champion

The guy is one of the greatest male athletes of all time.
Serena Williams, 11 time Grand Slam champion

The consistency in the big tournaments is ridiculous. No one will ever match that.
Andy Murray

Final Day

Roger Federer was playing for history. Andy Roddick was playing the match of his life.

On and on they dueled, Federer trying for a record-breaking 15th major championship, Roddick striving for his second, in a Wimbledon final that required more games than any Grand Slam title match in the considerable annals of a sport dating to the 1800s.

“Ten games all, final set,” intoned the chair umpire. Then, “Twelve games all, final set.” And, still later, “Fourteen games all, final set.”

They were each other’s equal for four full sets and nearly the entire 30-game fifth set. Until Federer, far more experienced in such matters, finally edged ahead, breaking Roddick’s serve for the only time in the 77th and last game to close out a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 victory Sunday.



The epic match—the fifth set alone lasted more than 1 1/2 hours—gave Federer his sixth Wimbledon title. Add that to five from the U.S. Open, three from the Australian Open and one from the French Open, and Federer’s Grand Slam total rises to 15, one more than Pete Sampras, who flew in from California on Sunday morning to be on hand.

“He’s a legend,” Sampras said. “Now he’s an icon.”

Indeed, Sampras already was among those labeling Federer the greatest tennis player ever, and there’s no doubt the 27-year-old from Switzerland keeps bolstering his case.



“It’s not really one of those goals you set as a little boy,” Federer told the Centre Court crowd during the trophy ceremony, “but, man, it’s been quite a career. And quite a month.”

Federer won the French Open four Sundays earlier to complete a career Grand Slam and tie Sampras with 14 major titles (Margaret Smith Court owns the women’s record of 24).

“Sorry, Pete,” Roddick said. “I tried to hold him off.”

He weathered Federer’s career-high 50 aces and his 107 total winners in the longest match and longest fifth set in major final history, topping marks set in 1927.

The tennis gods—as well as Sampras, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, all in front-row seats—must have enjoyed every moment of the 4-hour, 16-minute tussle. Federer, who can make it all look so easy, was forced to work darned hard to eclipse Sampras’ mark, and Roddick was left heartbreakingly close to finally winning Wimbledon.



Roddick dropped to 0-3 in finals at the All England Club, also beaten by Federer in 2004 and 2005. After the match ended on a shanked forehand by the sixth-seeded American, the two men hugged at the net. A mere handshake wouldn’t do.

The winner donned a specially tailored white jacket with a gold “15” stitched on the back, while the loser—a word that hardly seems fair in this case—slumped in his chair, head bowed, until rising to acknowledge the spectators’ chorus of “Rodd-ick! Rodd-ick!”

“Sports, or tennis, is cruel sometimes. We know it,” Federer said. “I went through some five-setters in Grand Slam finals, too, and ended up losing. It’s hard.”

A year ago, on the same lawn, Federer’s five-year reign as Wimbledon champion ended in a 9-7 fifth set defeat against his nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Six weeks later, Federer relinquished to Nadal the No. 1 ranking after a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top.

But Nadal did not defend his Wimbledon title, citing sore knees, and Federer not only regained his championship at the All England Club—the Grand Slam he says means the most to him—but returns to No. 1 Monday.

“It’s staggering that I’ve been able to play so well for so many years now and stay injury-free,” Federer said. “I knew what it took to win the big ones. … It’s crazy that I’ve been able to win so many in such a short period of time.”



Sampras—whose 14th major title came in his last match, at age 31, at the 2002 U.S. Open—and his wife appeared in the Royal Box during the changeover after Sunday’s third game. Walking to the baseline directly below, Federer acknowledged Sampras with a nod of the head and a little wave.

“I thought, ‘I don’t want to be rude,’ you know?” Federer said.

He wept with joy after his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. And he bawled in the locker room after his 40-match winning streak here ended against Nadal in 2008. This time, Federer kept it together, perhaps because he was too exhausted after a match chock-full of contradictions:

— Federer’s ace count was one shy of the Wimbledon record and, most remarkably, 23 more than Roddick, who is better-known for his knee-buckling serves.

— Roddick broke serve twice in the first four sets; Federer, considered a superior returner, couldn’t come through until the match’s concluding game.

— Federer won both tiebreakers; Roddick is the one who began the day 26-4 in those set-capping races to seven points.

Then there was the most counterintuitive piece of all: that Roddick would even stay close, much less be on the verge of victory, given that he came in 2-18 against Federer, including 0-7 at major tournaments.




Roddick made quite clear, quite quickly, that he is a new-and-improved version, delivering four passing winners by the time the match was 13 minutes old—three with his backhand, long his weaker side.

And he broke Federer to close the first set. It happened suddenly: Federer won 21 of the first 24 points on his serve, but Roddick took three out of four in a blink, earning the last point of that set with a backhand down the line that drew a wide forehand from Federer.

The crowd roared, sensing an upset. There were more rumblings when Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, went up 6-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. Here, then, were four chances to take a 2-0 lead in sets.

Roddick might have been forgiven for thinking, “Wow, I’m one point away from leading Roger Federer two sets to none in the Wimbledon final.” He certainly played as though burdened by looking ahead, letting all four set points slip from his grasp. Most discouraging was the last, when he wildly misplayed a backhand volley. It was part of a six-point, set-ending run for Federer.

How does someone recover from that? Somehow, Roddick did.

“At that point, like everything else, there’s two options: You lay down or you keep going,” he said. “The second option sounded better to me.”

Roddick lost the third set, too, but rallied to take the fourth, and then came the fifth. Wimbledon doesn’t use tiebreakers in fifth sets, and there were times it seemed Federer and Roddick would play into the night.

Federer faced a serious test at 8-8, though, when Roddick earned two break points with a backhand winner down the line. Federer saved the first with a 118 mph service winner, and the second with a volley winner. There was not another break point for either man until Roddick served while trailing 15-14.

At deuce, Roddick sailed a forehand long, giving Federer his seventh break point of the match. Until then, he was 0 for 6. But this was also a championship point, and Federer converted.

“Frustrating, at times, because I couldn’t break Andy ‘til the very, very end,” Federer said. “So satisfaction is maybe bigger this time around to come through, because I couldn’t control the match at all.”

As he enjoyed the first post-victory moments in the locker room—a more muted celebration than usual, owing to Roddick’s presence—members of the grounds crew entered and presented him with the Centre Court net. Another keepsake for Federer’s ever-more-crowded trophy room.

Weather: Sunny, high of 68 degrees.
Attendance: 30,867, an increase of 2,268 from the final Sunday in 2008. The total for the tournament was a record 511,043, an increase of 35,231 from last year, the previous high.



Below pic shows the tennis players with the most men's majors titles.

FEDERER’S FIFTEEN TITLES

2003 Wimbledon:

bt Mark Philippoussis (Aus) 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3); Federer, 21, wins first Grand Slam title to turn potential into silverware. His victory, five years after winning the junior title, also ended all doubts about his nerve on the big stage.

2004 Australian Open:

bt Marat Safin (Rus) 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2; Federer, who had replaced Juan Carlos Ferrero as the new world number one by reaching the final, celebrated in style by beating Safin, who had been in fine form in Melbourne seeing off Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick.

2004 Wimbledon:

bt Andy Roddick (USA) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4; Less than a month after a disappointing third round exit at the French Open, Federer bounces back. Roddick had been a set and a break ahead, but a rain delay helps the Swiss recover his composure.

2004 US Open:

bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-0, 7-6 (3), 6-0; Hewitt, the 2001 champion, came into the final on a 16-match winning streak but Federer was unstoppable, becoming the first man in history to win his first four Grand Slam finals, and the first since Mats Wilander in 1988 to win three majors in a year.

2005 Wimbledon:

bt Andy Roddick (USA) 6-2, 7-6 (2), 6-4; Federer joins Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg as the only players to win three Wimbledon titles in a row in the Open era. Roddick joked: "Maybe next time I'll just punch him or something."

2005 US Open:

bt Andre Agassi (USA) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1; Federer wins sixth Grand Slam title and shatters 35-year-old Agassi's dreams of becoming the oldest winner of the title. Ken Rosewall, at 39, had been the previous oldest finalist against Jimmy Connors in 1974.

2006 Australian Open:

bt Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) 5-7, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2; Unseeded Baghdatis, 20, the world number 54 gives Federer a scare when he wins first set and goes a break up in the second. But Federer imposes his authority as a tiring Baghdatis needs treatment on his calf.

2006 Wimbledon:

bt Rafael Nadal (Esp) 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (2), 6-3; Just a month after losing to his new rival at the French Open, Federer puts an end to a fivematch losing streak against the Spaniard.He also becomes only the third man in the Open era after Bjorn Borg and Sampras to win four Wimbledons in a row.

2006 US Open:

bt Andy Roddick (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Federer wins third successive title in New York and becomes first man in the Open era to win three successive Wimbledon and US Open titles in the same years.

2007 Australian Open:

bt Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4; Federer wins 10th Grand Slam title and extends his winning run to 36 matches.Also first man to win a Grand Slam title without dropping a set since Borg at the 1980 French Open.

2007 Wimbledon:

bt Rafael Nadal (Esp) 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2; Federer emulates Borg by winning five straight Wimbledon titles but he was given a huge scare by Nadal in a classic final and a taste of what was to come 12 months later when the Spaniard takes his crown.

2007 US Open:

bt Novak Djokovic (Srb) 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4; Federer wins fourth consecutive US Open despite trailing by a break in each. He becomes the first man to win Wimbledon and the US Open for four years in a row, and the first to win four straight US titles since Bill Tilden in 1923.

2008 US Open:

bt Andy Murray (GBr) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; The Swiss wins 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title. He moves one Grand Slam title ahead of Roy Emerson and one behind the record 14 won by Pete Sampras. "I'm not going to stop at 13," says Federer.

2009 French Open:

bt Robin Soderling (Swe) 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4; Federer finally wins the French Open after losing the previous three finals and equals the record 14 Grand Slam wins of Sampras. Not even an intruder who confronted him in the second set and steady rain could derail his charge past Soderling into the history books.

2009 Wimbledon:

bt Andy Roddick 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 for a historic victory.

Williams secure doubles




Serena Williams won a pair of Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, just like her sister Venus did last year. Serena added the women’s doubles title to her take at this year’s tournament, teaming with big sister Venus to beat Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (4), 6-4 on Saturday.

It’s their fourth Wimbledon title together, part of their haul of nine Grand Slam women’s doubles championships. “There’s nothing like winning a title with your sister,” said Serena, who has won 11 major singles titles. “It’s really a good feeling.”

A year ago, Venus beat Serena in the championship match to win her fifth Wimbledon singles title, and the pair then teamed up to win the doubles. “One out of two’s not bad,” Venus said. “I really wanted to win the singles, but they’re two separate events. If I won the singles and not the doubles, it’s still not the same.”

Against the Australians, the Williams sisters traded breaks in the first set, with Stosur and Stubbs taking a 2-1 lead off Serena’s opening service game. But the Americans eventually broke back to 4-4 when Stosur put a backhand volley into the net. In the tiebreaker, Venus put the sisters up a mini-break on the second point with a return of serve that Stubbs couldn’t get back over.

“The ball clipped the tape, and therefore it went a little bit higher than it should have and it hit my frame and didn’t quite get off the string,” Stubbs said. “It was really unlucky.”

ENTERTAINING POINT

The most entertaining point of the match came with Stubbs serving at 1-1 in the second set. Serena returned the serve, and Stubbs swung her racket behind her and hit the ball through her legs to get it back over.

“I do that because sometimes you have to do that,” said Stubbs, who added that she makes that kind of shot all the time. “That’s just experience and being an idiot on the court half the time.”

As the point continued, Stosur stood at the net and battered back volley after volley as both Venus and Serena grunted and groaned while sending groundstrokes back over the net. Stosur eventually won the point with a drop shot neither sister could get near, and the Australian took that game.

But the sisters broke Stubbs to go up 4-3 in that set and kept control. “I’m really excited to have doubles titles,” Serena said. “I rack ‘em up.”

Day 11

WHAT A SERENADE!

Serena Williams clinched her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam crown with a 7-6 (7), 6-2 victory over sister Venus, the defending champion, here on Saturday. The victory added to her 2002 and 2003 wins at the All England Club and shattered Venus’s hopes of a hat-trick of titles and sixth overall which would have taken her level with Billie Jean King.

Saturday’s final was the fourth all-Williams title match-up at Wimbledon and eighth in all Grand Slams with the win giving Serena the edge in head-tohead meetings at 11-10. Serve dominated the first set with 27-year-old Serena fighting off the only two break points in the eighth game and it was the younger of the two sisters who seized control of the tiebreak. Serena went to three set points by forcing Venus to scramble from side to side before putting away a powerful crosscourt forehand.

Venus saved the first set point but was powerless when a pinpoint lob from her sister left her stranded at the net. It was the first set Venus had dropped at Wimbledon since the third round in 2007, a run of 34 consecutive winning sets. Serena, who had saved match point in her marathon semifinal win over Elena Dementieva, carved out her first set point when Venus double-faulted to hand her a 4-2 lead and revenge for last year’s final defeat to her sister looked likely. Second seed Serena held to love, backedup by her 12th ace of the match, to lead 5-2. She then wasted three match points in the eighth game but clinched the title when Venus netted with a forehand.


EYEING HISTORY

Roger Federer will attempt to write a new chapter in tennis history on Sunday when he targets a record 15th Grand Slam title by beating Wimbledon comeback kid Andy Roddick. Five-time champion Federer is playing in a seventh straight Wimbledon final, and a record 20th Grand Slam title match, where victory will take him past Pete Sampras’ mark of 14 majors he equalled with his French Open win in June.

Roddick, desperate for a second major to add to his 2003 US Open title, has been here before, losing the 2004 and 2005 All-England Club finals to Federer. “I’m very proud of all the records I’ve achieved, because I never thought I would be that successful as a kid,” said Federer, who lost his five-year grip on the title to Rafael Nadal here last year.

“I would have been happy winning a couple tournaments and maybe collecting Wimbledon, achieving the dream scenario.” “It’s quite staggering. Having so many things going for me now again, it’s fantastic.”

The form book favours Federer, who has won a staggering 18 of his 20 match-ups with Roddick.

But having seen off Tommy Haas in straight sets to reach the final, Federer is aware of the danger posed by a rejuvenated Roddick, who ended Andy Murray’s bid to become Britain’s first men’s Wimbledon champion in 73 years.

The 26-year-old American’s four-set, semifinal win put him into a first Grand Slam final in three years and it was achieved with a clever mix of trademark big serves, fierce groundstrokes and a composed performance at the net. Federer is aware of Roddick’s gifts. “I’ve played him 20 times, so I’ve had plenty of time to study his game, to understand his game,” he said.

“He’s always played me also quite differently every single time I’ve played him. In the beginning of his career, I remember back in 2003, he was sometimes standing way back on the return.” “But then I played him one year and he chipped and charged a lot, and came to the net a lot. I’ve also played him when he’s serve and volleyed first and second serve almost.”

“I’ve had many different looks against Roddick. I enjoy how he leaves everything out on the court. I can only marvel at how incredible his serve is. I like playing against him, not only just because of the record.” Roddick believes his decision to hire veteran coach Larry Stefanki has paid dividends. “He’s certainly is well-studied. He kind of picks the right times to discuss stuff. It doesn’t feel monotonous. It’s not always the same time that he picks and chooses to talk about an upcoming match,” said the American.

Day 10

FED IN FINAL

Roger Federer reached a record 20th Grand Slam final and a seventh straight Wimbledon title match with a 7-6 (3), 7-5, 6-3 win over German veteran Tommy Haas in the semi-finals on Friday.

F i v e - time Wimb l e d o n champion Federer, who is chasing a record 15th Grand Slam crown, watched by Grand Slam greats Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver, comfortably installed in the Royal Box, put on a magnificent show of serving against the German 31-year-old, not giving up a single break point.

"Tommy played great so I knew that there was a danger. I'm happy with my performance and it's unbelievable to be in another final," said Federer.

"I have had a lot of pressure over the years but I am looking forward to another great match and a chance to get into the history books."

Federer said he was looking ahead to the challenge of the final. "I have had great matches with Roddick. You can never underestimate him with that serve," he said. "Murray's at home. My record against him is not that good. He's shown over the last 18 months that he can be a Grand Slam contender." The opening set on Friday was dominated by serve, but the Swiss second seed was the strongest in the tiebreak.

He went to three set points when Haas unleashed a loose forehand with the world number two wrapping up the set when the German, stranded behind the baseline, pushed a backhand into the net. It was the dream start for the five-time champion after the nightmare beginning he suffered against the same opponent at the French Open last month when he had to recover from losing the first two sets in the fourth round.

Former world number two Haas, playing in his first Wimbledon semifinal, had to save a set point, which was also the first break point of the match, at 4-5 in the second set.

But the Swiss broke through in the 12th game for a two-sets lead when another Haas forehand went long.

Haas cracked for the last time in the eighth game of the third set when he netted an easy approach having saved four break points.

Federer then wrapped up the semi-final in just over two hours on his first match point with a spectacular, athletic smash.

SISTER ACT: PART IV

Serena and Venus will meet for the fourth time at the Wimbledon final, a day that also coincides with the United States' Independence Day.

For the eighth time in 10 years, the Wimbledon women's trophy will be lifted by a Williams. The Williams sisters are back in the final again-- Venus for the eighth time and Serena for the fifth. And it's the fourth Williams vs Williams final at the All England Club and eighth in a Grand Slam title match.

Fittingly, the show will take place on the July 4, Independence Day in the United States. "The more we play, the better it gets," Serena said. "When we play our match on Saturday, it's for everything. This is what we dreamed of when we were growing up in Compton (California) 20-something years ago. This is what we worked for, and this is what we want."

If the semifinals are anything to go by, five-time winner and two-time defending champion Venus is clearly the one to beat. Two-time champion Serena had to save a match point and use all her fighting skills to overcome Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 in a tense match on Thursday that lasted two hours, 49 minutes-- longer than any Wimbledon women's semifinal in at least 40 years.

"It's definitely one of my more dramatic victories for sure," said Serena, who hit a backhand volley winner off the netcord to erase match point in the 10th game of the final set.

The Centre Court spectators barely had time to pop out for a refreshment and settle back into their seats by the time Venus completed a 6-1, 6-0 demolition of Dinara Safina in 51 minutes-- the most lopsided women's semifinal since 1969. "The hardest part is next to come-- to play Serena Williams," Venus said.

Venus won Wimbledon in 2000 and '01 before Serena beat her older sister in the 2002 and '03 finals. Venus won again in 2005 and 2007 and beat Serena in last year's final. Serena holds a 5-2 lead in all-Williams championship matches at Grand Slams. Overall, the sisters are 10-10. "That's intense, huh?" Venus said. "I guess this will be a tipping point match. My hope is that there will be many more to come."

Venus is bidding to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1991-93 to win Wimbledon three years in a row. Venus was cheering for Serena to win on Thursday, but will now do all she can to stop her sister and win her eighth major title.

BIG SISTER

"I'm happy for her to be in the final, but I have to face her and defeat her," Venus said. "I don't necessarily want her to lose, but for sure I want me to win. I don't want to see myself disappointed. I need to get my titles, too. I'm still the big sister, but I'm still going to play great tennis." Serena considers herself the underdog. "I feel like going into this final I have nothing to lose," she said. "I feel she's playing the best tennis at the tournament."

The sisters' mother, Oracene Price, said anything could happen. "Serena hates to lose," she said. "And Serena played so raggedy today that she might be on her game on Saturday. It's just whoever's mind is better on the day." Father Richard Williams said: "All I know is a Williams is going to win."

First, the sisters will set aside their rivalry to team up Friday in the women's doubles semifinals. They have already won three Wimbledon's doubles titles and are the defending champions. "I'll be telling her tomorrow, You can do it. You're the best. Your serve, let's hold," Serena said.

Day 9

Super Federer dismantled Ivo Karlovic; German Haas Ousts Djokovic In Quarterfinals; Crowd Favourite Murray Strolls Past Ferrero; Roddick outlasts Hewitt in five sets.

Semi final show down:

Roger Federer Vs Tommy Haas
Andy Murray Vs Andy Roddick


Five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer reached his 21st consecutive Grand Slam semifinal on Wednesday with a majestic 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) dismantling of giant Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

Federer, bidding for a sixth All England Club title and a record 15th major, will now tackle German veteran Tommy Haas, who stunned Serbian fourth seed Novak Djokovic 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 4-6, 6-3, for a place in Sunday’s final.

British third seed Andy Murray, meanwhile, saw off Spain’s former French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his first Wimbledon semifinal. The 22-year-old, bidding to become Britain’s first home men’s champion since Fred Perry in 1936, faces two-time runner-up Andy Roddick for a place in the final.

“It’s difficult against Karlovic because there aren’t many baseline rallies on his serve or mine,” said Federer after his 1hr 42min Centre Court win. “To be in my 21st consecutive major semifinal shows how consistent I have been and injury free. I’m playing well at the moment but there are some big matches to come.”

Going into Wednesday’s clash, Karlovic hadn’t dropped serve in the tournament, had won 79 service games in four rounds and faced just four break points. But second seed Federer ended that streak in the fourth game when a sumptuous backhand return followed by a sublime forehand pass gave him the first break against the 6ft 10in (2.08m) Croatian to lead 3-1.

That quickly became 4-1 against a player he had already defeated eight times in nine matches. Federer wrapped up the opener after 23 minutes having conceded just three points in four service games.

By comparison, 30-year-old Karlovic, the 22nd seed, suffered a dramatic powercut. Having fired a huge 137 aces to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, he managed just three in the first set and won just 14 points on the Federer serve in the entire tie. Federer broke again for a crucial 6-5 lead in the second set before racing through the third set tie-break to claim his place in a seventh successive semifinal.

Murray became only the third British man to reach the Wimbledon semifinals in the Open era after racing past wildcard Ferrero in an hour and 41 minutes. “There were quite a lot of errors from both of us at the start,” said Murray who sent down 18 aces. “Once I had got that first set I started to settle down and I returned great in the end.”

Haas will be playing his first Wimbledon semifinal at the 11th attempt thanks to his win over Djokovic who he also defeated in the Halle grasscourt final. The German, a former world No. 2 who has been plagued by injuries, dug deep to save three set points in the second set tie-break and despite a third set recovery by the Serbian, Haas stayed on course to become the oldest champion since Arthur Ashe in 1975.

“I have no words to explain this,” said Haas who was two sets ahead against Federer in the French Open fourth round last month before the Swiss hit back.


America vs Russia

Wimbledon could be headed for another all-Williams final. Then again, it could be an all-Russian affair. The Williams sisters are one round away from another Grand Slam championship showdown, but they will first have to get past Russian opponents to set up their eighth meeting in a major final and fourth in the Wimbledon title match.

“I would love it to be a Williams final, and so would she,” five-time champion Venus said, referring to younger sister and two-time winner Serena. “That would be great.”

Third-seeded Venus, going for her third straight Wimbledon championship, will be up against No. 1 Dinara Safina in Thursday’s semifinals. Serena, seeded No. 2, will face No. 4 Elena Dementieva.

The Williams siblings go in as solid favourites. They have put on a clinic of power tennis so far, showing why they have been the dominant force at the All England Club for most of the decade.

“Do I feel invincible?” Venus said after blasting Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. “I’d like to say yes, but I really do work at it.” Only once in the past nine years has there been a Wimbledon women’s final that didn’t feature at least one of the Williams sisters. That was 2006 when Serena was absent injured.

They have faced each other in three Wimbledon finals, including last year. Serena won the first two, in 2002 and ‘03. They are 10-10 in career meetings and have played in seven Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning five.

The Williams sisters have sailed through the draw so far without dropping a set. Venus has lost only 20 games in five matches, Serena 25. “We have a great game,” Serena said after beating Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3 on Tuesday.

“We have strong serves. We have pretty good returns. Just solid all-around court players. We both move pretty well. That’s a pretty solid game.”

Venus said the sisters thrive at Wimbledon not only because of their attacking, punishing styles. “I do have strategy,” she said. “Maybe it doesn’t look like it but I do. That’s my secret weapon, that it doesn’t look like I’m thinking, but I am.”

Venus has shown no let-up in her aggressive style despite wearing a bandage on her left leg. She has been reluctant to discuss whether she has a knee problem. “I’m doing well, thank you,” she said after Tuesday’s match.

One person who is convinced the sisters will meet for the title on Saturday is their father, Richard. “They are both playing super well,” he said. “They’re playing ‘The Williams Way.’ And when you’re playing ‘The Williams Way,’ it’s very difficult for anyone to touch you.”

Venus has a 2-1 career edge over Safina, though the Russian won their most recent meeting in three sets on clay at the Italian Open in May. “I know what she’s doing,” Safina said. “I know her weapons. I have my weapons. If I play my best, and she plays the best, it’s 50-50 who’s going to win the match.”

Safina, who has lost in three Grand Slam finals and never won a major, will have to keep her serve in the court if she has any chance of beating Venus. Safina served 15 double-faults — including three in a row in one game — before finishing off Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-1 in the quarters.

“Sometimes even I don’t know what I’m doing with my serve,” Safina said.

Serena is 5-3 against Dementieva. They met at Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2002, with Serena winning 6-2, 6-2.

Dementieva lost to Venus in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals. Now playing in her 43rd Grand Slam tournament, the 27-yearold Russian hasn’t dropped a set so far. “This time I’m going to play a different player and it’s going to be all new,” Dementieva said. “I just want to see how tough I can be out there against her, just looking for some good fight.”

Roddick edges Hewitt to return to Wimbledon semis

Because of the stakes: a return to Wimbledon’s semifinals. Because of the opponent: 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt. And because of the circumstances: a five-set grind that began under a bright sun and concluded in shadows, 3 hours, 50 minutes later.

When it was over, having finally figured out a way to get past Hewitt 6-3, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-4, Roddick let out a sigh and raised a fist, then threw his racket down, sat in his changeover chair and covered his face with his hands.




Wimbledon 2009 Men's Quarterfinals

Roger Federer (2) def. Ivo Karlovic (22) 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)
Andy Murray (3) def. Juan Carlos Ferrero 7-5, 6-3, 6-2
Novak Djokovic (4) vs. Tommy Haas (24) 5-7, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 3-6
Andy Roddick (6) def. Lleyton Hewitt 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4