Federer edges Roddick 16-14 in 5th for 15th major

Serena Williams kept telling herself she was facing just another foe in the Wimbledon final Saturday, just another woman who hits the ball quite hard, just another player trying to deny her a Grand Slam title.

Her 19th consecutive victory at the All England Club already wrapped up, Venus Williams grabbed a seat and watched younger sister Serena win easily to reach the semifinals, too.

WIMBLEDON, England — Rhythmic clapping rang out on Centre Court, accompanied by not-so-staid chants of “Roof! Roof! Roof!”

It seemed fitting, somehow, that two-time major champion Marat Safin’s always-turbulent relationship with Wimbledon would end this way.

Rafael Nadal’s unbeaten run at the French Open is over.

MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams always selects a special outfit to bring to Australia for a victory celebration. Every second year, she gets to wear it.

NEW YORK — No matter what anyone else said or thought, Roger Federer knew he was still capable of elite tennis.
Knew he was still capable of winning Grand Slam titles.

NEW YORK— Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the United States beat Lisa Raymond of the U.S. and Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-3, 7-6 (6) Sunday to win their first U.S. Open women’s doubles championship.

NEW YORK — Roger Federer stayed perfect at this U.S. Open, beating Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 Sunday and breezing into the round of 16.

NEW YORK — Jelena Jankovic’s leg cramped so badly, she couldn’t take another step.

SOUTHPORT, England
Even greatness comes with an expiration date. A man can’t play golf at 53 the way he did at 23. Or even 43.

WIMBLEDON, England — Rafael Nadal, grass stains on his white shirt and a Spanish flag tucked under his arm, scampered through the Centre Court stands to celebrate his first Wimbledon title with hugs and handshakes.
Roger Federer sat in his changeover chair, protected from the night’s chill by his custom-made cream cardigan with the gold “RF” on the chest. Alone with his thoughts, alone with the knowledge that he had come so close to becoming the first man since the 1880s to win a sixth consecutive championship at the All England Club.

WIMBLEDON, England — Thrilled as she was to win her fifth Wimbledon singles championship, Venus Williams dialed down her celebration.

WIMBLEDON, England — Lest anyone forget that Roger Federer has, indeed, lost at Wimbledon, the BBC filled time during a rain delay Wednesday by rolling tape of his 2002 first-round exit against Mario Ancic.
That, of course, was the last time Federer stepped on a court at the All England Club — or anywhere on grass, for that matter — and walked away without winning.

WIMBLEDON, England — One prematch glance Tuesday at the data displayed on those fancy, new digital scoreboards at staid, old Wimbledon provided a pretty persuasive case for why Venus Williams might be considered the woman to beat.
The entry under career record at the grass-court Grand Slam: “55-7.” The listing of her best result: “WINNER 2007, 2005, 2001, 2000.”

While Roger Federer glided to another victory on Centre Court, and Rafael Nadal won despite a scary stumble on Court 1, the Williams sisters found themselves playing back to back Monday on cozy, clattery Court 2, known as the “Graveyard of Champions.”

PARIS — Early in the second set of the French Open final, not quite halfway into what would wind up as Roger Federer’s worst loss in 173 career Grand Slam matches, he watched intently as Rafael Nadal pushed a forehand wide to end a lengthy exchange.
Federer saw the ball land out, punched the air and yelled. Neither the exact words — English? French? Swiss German? — nor the precise sentiment — delight? relief? — could be discerned. That he would be so moved was noteworthy in itself.