Peerless Federer stands alone

By Pritha Sarkar

LONDON (Reuters) - In the end Andy Roddick, like the rest of Wimbledon, had no choice but to embrace the greatness of Roger Federer.

In one of the most heart-stopping and unforgettable finals seen in a grand slam arena, Federer held his nerve for four hours and 16 astonishing minutes before finally subduing Roddick 5-7 7-6 7-6 3-6 16-14 to claim the trophy he cherishes above all for the sixth time.

As a Roddick miss-hit forehand sailed long, Center Court exploded into a roar of deafening cheers and a jubilant Federer leapt high in the air knowing that he was now the proud owner of a record 15th grand slam title.

Among the 15,000 souls lucky enough to witness the momentous occasion was a beaming Pete Sampras, whose milestone of 14 majors Federer eclipsed on Sunday, in the front row of the Royal Box.

"It's not really one of those goals you set as a little boy but, man, it's been quite a career," Federer, who has enjoyed a remarkable month having won the French Open title for the first time just four Sundays ago, told the enthralled crowd.

"It feels amazing but this is not why I am playing tennis, to break all these records but it is definitely one of the greatest ones to have."

A jetlagged Sampras, making a surprise first appearance at the club since 2002, said Federer had settled the perennial debate over who was the game's greatest player.

"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."

Few imagined that Federer's seventh consecutive Wimbledon final would come anywhere close to emulating last year's five-set thriller when he lost his crown to Nadal in a match that ended in near darkness.

But if Federer could have dreamed up a scenario when he became the most successful racket swinger of all time, he could not have scripted it any better and his thoughts quickly turned to the vanquished man who had helped to make it such an extraordinary day.

'CRAZY MATCH'

"Andy played an unbelievable tournament and don't be too sad, I went through some rough ones as well, one on this court last year and I came back and won," father-to-be Federer, who had slipped on a gold-trimmed jacket with the number 15 emblazoned on the back, said as he cradled the trophy like a new-born baby.

"You're an unbelievable guy and you played unbelievable today. Unfortunately there has to be a winner and today I was on the lucky side.

"It was a crazy match and it was an unbelievable end. My heads still spinning, it's an unbelievable moment in my career."

So relentless has been Federer's reworking of the tennis record books that he might as well travel with a personal statistician. He won his 15th major just six years after winning his first -- on the same Center Court stage.