Roger Federer had to show his famed powers of recovery and stamina to see off a brilliant challenge from underdog Andy Roddick and overtake Pete Sampras by winning his 15th Grand Slam title after a thrilling Centre Court clash.

He won his sixth Wimbledon crown despite nearly losing the first set and going 6-2 down in the second set tiebreak.

The Swiss star might have thought the hard work had been done when he levelled the match at one-set all but the final scoreline of 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 show that this clearly wasn't the case.

When Roddick entered the tournament, he wasn't even regarded as being the best Andy in the men's drawer, but his awesome serve wasn't broken until the final game of the match and some thrilling baseline play showed that he wasn't intimidated by Federer acing him 50 times during a classic encounter.

The match didn't feel like it had properly begun until a sheepish Pete Sampras, arriving late to warm cheers, took his seat in the Royal Box after Roddick had wrapped up a love service game to lead 2-1.

The old champion's razor-sharp tennis mind must have noted that Roddick was enjoying some success with luring Federer to the net.

A string of inch-perfect passing shots suggests it was a deliberate ploy.

Game 11 saw Roddick resourcefully survive the four break points of the match and unexpectedly hold his own during some lengthy rallies.

Then, as is so often the case in tennis, the player who survived a barrage of break points broke back in the next game at the first opportunity.

Coming at 6-5 it was the perfect time to do so. Federer, having used up his last Hawkeye challenge, could only send a forehand long to give Roddick the set.

The breakthrough was deserved; the underdog had out-aced his opponent five to one and landed almost four out of every five first serves in.

A 22-stroke rally saw Federer escape a possible break at 4-5 and there was even more drama after serves were held and the umpire called for the tiebreak.

Roddick forged the mini-break as early as 1-1 when Federer framed a forehand long. Forcing more errors with some aggressive baseline play he then switched to serve and volley to earn four set points at 6-2.

Federer saved one with a wristy backhand half-volley and two more with a service winner and a softly-placed ace. But it was out of his hands when Roddick moved in for a straightforward backhand overhead on the last remaining set point - how relieved he must have been to see the ball land in the doubles lines!

A pass and another forced Roddick error and it was one-set all.

When a sliced backhand from the number six seed landed on the worn brown turf beyond the baseline he had to survive a third set break point down at 2-3.

No more would follow for a while though Roddick had acquired a habit of missing his first serve just as Federer had upped his game.

As another tiebreak began it was Federer's turn to get the first mini-break on the way to establishing a 5-2 lead and, unlike Roddick had, he didn't blow it - bringing his opponent to the net to show him how good his passing shot can be moments before clinching a 7-4 victory.

With his game in full flow he was once again hot favourite to win the match.

Roddick looked like he was on the rack so it was appropriate that it was a full-stretch volley which gave him two unlikely break points. He took the second one by hitting too hard and low for Federer to counter at the net and found himself 3-1 up.

A painful tumble in the eighth game and 30-30 in his final service game spelled danger but Roddick stayed on his feet to serve out for 6-4 and force a deciding set.

Amazingly the American still hadn't been broken in the match, Federer would need to do so to grab glory as Wimbledon fifth sets are tiebreak-free.

His sixth break point of the contest came to nothing as Roddick served for the first time in the decider; both player and suspect ankle enduring an 18-stroke rally in the process.

At 8-8 it looked like Roddick would seize the vital break, hitting a forehand winner into the corner of Federer's court to grab two virtual match points.

But the Swiss star served his way out of trouble, even ignoring a late call of encouragement from an idiotic fan.

He got to within two points of victory by reaching deuce at 13-12 and 30-15 at 14-13.

They were to prove useful dress rehearsals as ace number 50 saw him lead 15-14.

Roddick was by now understandably tiring and misfiring, his trademark flat forehand replaced with an unintentional shanked forehand lob which made an unwelcome appearance three times during the closing games.

One of these appearances came on match point, Federer sinking to his knees in triumph in the shadows that had appeared on one of the baselines.

The cheers which greeted Roddick as he picked up his loser's trophy showed that he deserved his moment in the sun as much as today's victor.

It was an unexpectedly classic encounter, though that will be scant consolation to the defeated man who merits much more than being just a footnote in Roger Federer's amazing career history.
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