Federer Unstoppable in Winning Third Consecutive Wimbledon

World No. 1 Roger Federer won his third consecutive Wimbledon championship Sunday, defeating No. 2 seed Andy
Roddick 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-4 in a repeat of last year's final.

Federer joins Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras as the only players to win three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open Era, and extends his unbeaten record in finals to a record 21. The Swiss is now just five matches from tying Borg's record of 41 consecutive wins on grass.

"Today, it seemed like I was playing flawless. Everything was working," said Federer, who held it all in during the tournament but then burst into tears after match point, realizing his feat. "In a way, I think this one will actually take me longer to realize. I remember during the match and during the rain delay, and then when I came back, I never really felt like I'm actually playing. It's like I'm not living this correctly. So, I don't know, it's a very strange feeling I have. It's probably going to take me days, months, weeks, years, I don't know, to realize this one."

Federer rolled over Roddick in 22 minutes in the first set. Roddick broke early in the second set, but the Swiss as usual was attuned to the American's monster delivery and broke back, winning the second set in a tiebreak and breaking in the third at 3-3.

"It's hard for him because I really played a fantastic match, one of my best in my life," Federer said. "Again, the biggest, most important moment in a Grand Slam final, and I would consider this even bigger than the US Open final I played, so this is my best match maybe I've ever played."

Roddick was often caught forcing his net game, producing pop-up volleys or simply being bested by the Federer backhand opass.

"I feel like I actually played decent and the stats are decent and I got straight-setted," Roddick said. "I did
everything I could. I tried playing different ways. I tried going to his forehand and coming in. He passed me. I tried to go to his backhand and coming in. He passed me. Tried staying back. He figured out a way to pass me, even though I was at the baseline."

Federer defeated three former No. 1s en route to the title in Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lleyton Hewitt and Roddick.

Next up is equaling the record of four-in-a-row by Sampras, and five-in-a-row by Borg at Wimbledon.

"I feel like I put myself into position," Federer said. "This was a very, very big tournament and match for me. Obviously, to get the fifth Grand Slam, but also the third Wimbledon -- I knew the importance of this one, so I was pretty tense going into it."