Roger Federer, who once beat Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, has no illusions about catching him. Sampras was 21 when he won the first of his seven Wimbledon men’s titles, a modern record. Federer, 21, won his first Grand Slam championship Sunday at the All England Club.
”This is one to his seven,” said Federer, whose elegant game has drawn comparisons to Sampras. ”I’m so far away, you know. I’m just happy to be on the board.”
Long touted as a future Grand Slam champ, Federer fulfilled expectations by beating Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Now he’s being heralded by John McEnroe and others as the game’s best player.
”I think he may win many more Wimbledons, or even US Opens or other Grand Slams,” three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker said.
”The future has come.”
Seven men have won the past seven major titles, reflecting the tour’s balance. That contrasts with the domination of the women’s tour by Serena Williams, who beat sister Venus in Saturday’s final and has won five of the past six major events.
With Sampras in semiretirement and Andre Agassi 33 years old, the men are in the market for a new star. Federer could be the guy.
Since ending Sampras’ 31-match Wimbledon winning streak in 2001, the native of Basel, Switzerland has been praised for his big serve and all-court game. He has a tour-high five tournament titles this year, with wins on clay, hardcourt and grass — a reflection of his versatility. And now he’s a Grand Slam champion.
”You wonder how come he hasn’t won before,” said Martina Navratilova, who earned a record-tying 20th Wimbledon title by winning the mixed doubles on Sunday. ”Now he can relax about it. The stuff he played the last two matches was just phenomenal.
”When you win here, you think you can win anywhere. And he’s got the game for all surfaces.”
The likable Federer’s reaction to winning Wimbledon tugged at the heartstrings. He sobbed in his courtside chair, then wept again while holding the trophy, overwhelmed by his achievement.
”I’ve cried a few times on big occasions,” he said later. ”To lift that trophy up is something you don’t expect, you know. When it happens, for me, it’s very tough with the emotions.”
Philippoussis possesses the power to blow opponents off the court, but it was Federer who dominated with his serve. They reached deuce on Federer’s serve only once, and Philippoussis never had a break point.
Federer was the better pressure player, too. He closed out a 15-shot rally — longest of the match — with a forehand winner for a 3-2 lead in the first tiebreaker. Philippoussis double faulted to fall behind 6-4, and clubbed a wild return two points later to lose the set.
Philippoussis then lost his serve twice in a row — the only breaks in the match.
”That first set was big,” he said. ”It definitely gets the momentum going, and that’s what happened.”
Despite the defeat, Philippoussis was encouraged by his progress in a comeback from knee problems that nearly ended his career. He drew consolation from the career of another big server with a polysyllabic surname and knack for coming close: Goran Ivanisevic.
”Goran was in the final three times before he won it,” Philippoussis said. ”I’m definitely going to hold that trophy up before I retire. That’s for sure.”
Ivanisevic won his only Grand Slam title in 2001 at Wimbledon. It was his 48th major event, the most for a first-time men’s champion in the Open era.
Philippoussis (26) has played 28 Grand Slam tournaments and finished second twice. He was also the runner-up at the US Open in 1998, losing to Australian compatriot Pat Rafter.
”It’s not easy sitting back and looking at your opponent holding up the cup and the trophy,” Philippoussis said. ”It has definitely made me more determined.”
Philippoussis socked serves at up to 222 kph against Federer but totaled just 14 aces — compared with an average of 27 in his six other matches.
A lot of that was due to Federer, who may rival Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt as the game’s best returner. Young slugger Andy Roddick had only four aces against Federer in the semifinals.
Even Federer was impressed by his triumphant fortnight.
”I enjoy my game, watching myself, because it’s so different,” Federer said during the trophy ceremony, drawing laughter from the crowd. ”I hope you guys also enjoyed it, because I enjoyed the two weeks.”
In the ATP Tour rankings, Federer climbs to a career-high third this week behind Hewitt and French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. Half an hour after Federer won Wimbledon, London oddsmakers made him a 5-2 favorite for the 2004 title. – Sapa-AP