Roger Federer: By the numbers

I think Roger Federer is the most amazing tennis player in the history of the sport and I am a huge fan. In fact, the only time I remember rooting against him was in the 2005 US Open final when he faced a 35-year-old Andre Agassi. I so wanted Andre to have that one last Open.

So it was an odd feeling Sunday morning when I woke up at my dad’s house in Huntington Beach to watch the 6 a.m. men’s final at Wimbledon. I had not thought about how I’d feel and who I would be rooting for in this Federer vs. Andy Roddick final. But once the match was a few games in, I found myself shifting toward Andy who was playing the best I’d ever seen him play.

In the marathon fifth set, I was so impressed by both players that I was able to relax and just feel like whoever prevailed, it would be a satisfying result. This is in contrast to my usual yelling at the television and sometimes pacing during crucial moments of grand slam finals – especially when they involve Federer.

But when Roger finally won, 16-14 in the fifth, my thoughts were more with Roddick who had come so close to having the greatest triumph of his career.

I hope he wins next year.

So, Federer continues to make history. Below, the numbers tell the story and show that, without a doubt, he is the best there ever was: