In many ways Wimbledon 2009 was unusual, from the fantastic hot and dry weather to the use of the roof, to Britain being represented in the tournament’s semi-final stage. However, the final result was yet another Wimbledon title for Roger Federer as he fended off a valiant challenge from Andy Roddick in a titanic five-set struggle.
Williams Sisters Dominate Women's Event
Serena Williams and Venus Williams once again demonstrated that they can dominate the women’s game when they are motivated and especially on grass. Neither sister was particularly troubled en route to the final, as they seemed to simply have too much power for their rivals. The final was not a disappointment as they slugged it out in an intense high-powered contest before Serena claimed a slightly surprising victory over her much-fancied sister Venus.
Federer Regains Title, Breaks Grand Slam Record
With Rafa Nadal kept out of the tournament through injury, much of the focus was on the possibility of a Federer-Murray final with many hoping that the Brit could take his opportunity to win a first Grand Slam. In spite of being a two-time finalist and still very much a strong grass court player Roddick was able to slip under the radar and actually went into his semi-final against Murray as the heavy under-dog. However, superior serving and thoughtful tactics saw the American advance to face the same opponent he failed against in his previous two finals.
Unfortunately, Roddick was not able to spring an upset as he lost in five sets and Federer won his fifteenth Grand Slam to break Pete Sampras’ record. Federer required all of his experience and talent to win two tie breaks before a dramatic final set, where Roddick’s serve was broken for the first time in the 30th game of the final set losing it 16-14. A likeable character, Roddick may have missed his best chance of winning Wimbledon; he has simply had the mis-fortune of playing in the era of one of the game’s all-time greats.
Is Federer The Greatest?
After winning the French Open for the first time and now breaking Sampras’ record for Grand Slam victories, the question of whether Roger Federer is the greatest or not has been ultimately raised. It is almost impossible to compare players across eras with Rod Laver in particular being mentioned as a possible competitor for that title. However, Federer is just 27, it is still very possible that he could dispel any doubt on the matter.
