Tennis: Federer spikes Roddick's guns for glory

7.35am

LONDON - The mesmeric skills of Roger Federer spiked the world's most potent serve on Sunday as the Swiss champion retained his Wimbledon crown in dramatic fashion.

Federer countered a frenzied Andy Roddick's bone-jarring ferocity with an artistic, balletic display to triumph 4-6 7-5 7-6 6-4 and hold on to the most glittering prize in tennis.

It was an extraordinary match of many parts and one which gave Federer his third grand slam title in as many finals at the age of 22.

Certainly there was a moral in there somewhere, one of which Aesop would have been proud, regarding the Swiss' steady, deliberate progress overcoming Roddick's whizz-bang fireworks and general hullabaloo.

"I was surprised, even though everybody knows about Andy's power," Federer said. "I got lucky today I guess, a set down... I got lucky."

US Open champion Roddick, who has now lost six of the pair's seven matches, was stumped.

"Just too good," the American second seed shrugged. "I was throwing the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got his tub.

"I am going to have to start winning some of these matches if we are going to call it a rivalry."

For a good set-and-a-half, Roddick had looked as though he was going to do just that.

The sheer teeth-rattling power of his tennis rendered Federer's Swiss timing redundant on an overcast Centre Court.

The American's game plan was devilishly simple: power, power and more power.

Trembling with adrenaline from the start, he hopped from foot to foot, unable to stay still for even a split second.

He smashed three aces in his very first service game, finishing with a 145 miles per hour (233.3km/h) screamer which was no more than a blur and a thud into the backdrop.

The owner of the world's fastest serve at 153 miles per hour, Roddick seemed intent on setting one for the hardest return as he welted the ball with shuddering pace, breaking the champion for only the third time in the tournament.

Anything short of a length, the American pelted straight back past Federer. Not even in the days of Sampras, Agassi or Ivanisevic had a ball been struck harder on Centre Court.

Dressed like a skateboarder to Federer's head prefect, Roddick was in defiant mood and desperate to topple the immaculate champion.

A 35-minute rain delay had no effect on him and he clinched the first set in 31 minutes before tripping over himself to get back to his chair, chest out and chin jutting.

For the first time in 22 years the two men seeded to reach the final were meeting there, and they were serving up a match worthy of the occasion.

In the second set, Federer's touch was impeccable, the perfect foil to Roddick's power. He streaked into a 4-0 lead before Roddick got back on track and levelled.

Federer needed something special and got a huge stroke of luck while leading 6-5 when he whipped a groundstroke into the net cord. It skipped up, bobbled on top of the net for a nanosecond before landing on Roddick's side.

Federer whipped a forehand past the American on the next point and the set was his.

Rain returned for 40 minutes midway through the third set allowing Federer to regroup and steal back a break and, as the sun finally broke through the clouds, the Swiss began to shine.

He kept the pressure on Roddick and swept through the tiebreak with some pin-point serving and power play of his own.

Roddick blew six break points on the Federer serve in set four. Federer took his first.

It is on such moments true champions are defined and the Swiss measured up in every department. Having got his break in the seventh game, he leaned over the finishing line to cap a marvellous fortnight.

It was a victory which earned him £ 602,500 ($1.73 million) and underlined his status as the world number one player.

He became only the fourth man since tennis turned professional -- behind Bjorn Borg, Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg -- to win his first three grand slam finals.

"I kind of like it, the 100 per cent record in the finals of grand slams, because these are the ones that really, really count," he said. "To have won my favourite tournament already twice in my career is just incredible."

- REUTERS