FIRST SERVE

Somehow, in a way that neither he nor Roger Federer nor millions of tennis fans can fully understand, Andy Roddick ended up on the losing end of Wimbledon's men's final on Sunday.

Deep into a London evening that produced a similarly epic but intrinsically different final to last year's classic, Roddick produced one of the matches of his life as he sought the second Grand Slam title that has eluded him for so long.

Roddick could not have done more. Thirty-eight times he stepped up for a service game on Centre Court. Thirty-seven times he succeeded.

The one time he didn't, the greatest player in history stepped in to break the American's heart and leave his career in an agonizing limbo.

Such is the life of Andy Roddick. His is an existence where being good, and sometimes great, is just not enough.

It could once be argued that an over-reliance on his serve, his declining fitness and tactical naivety were the primary reasons why the only major he had won was the 2003 U.S. Open.

Yet the 26-year-old rectified those issues. Since working with Larry Stefanki, his physical condition has graduated to among the best on tour. He plays smarter, picking his spots to attack much better, and there is much more to his game than just those service bombs.

Combine that with playing to his maximum potential, on his best surface, in the most important contest of his life. And it still wasn't enough.

Roddick has eliminated all the variables apart from the one he can never do anything about. That is his birth date, and the fact that his time collided with the prime years of Federer's career.

There aren't often reasons to have sympathy for Roddick. After all, this is a man who is married to a swimsuit model and has millions in the bank.

But it was impossible not to feel for Roddick on Sunday. There was an innocence and purity about the effort he put in that had nothing to do with money or fame, but instead just wanting to get over the line and have a chance to savor the best day of his sporting life.

It wasn't to be, and instead you fear that what lies in wait for him is nothing more than painful reflection on what might have been. Reflection on a 6-2 lead in the second-set tiebreaker that would have put him well on top of Federer.

Reflection on two break points in the fifth that were effectively match points. Reflection on a match that didn't deserve to have a loser but did - and that the loser was him.

Roddick knocked on the door so hard his knuckles must be stripped to the bone. Every time, though, Federer answered the call, chasing down his own perfect destiny by moving past Pete Sampras to a record-breaking haul of 15 Slam titles.

How many more efforts like this can Roddick possibly have left? How can he possibly believe that another Slam is within him after being denied despite this monumental effort?

Having played in one of history's greatest matches and winning a new army of fans will be no solace.

What should have been Roddick's finest hour was instead Roger Federer's time - again. What could have been a Slam-laden career for Roddick will go down as the Federer era.

DROP SHOT

It was the Wimbledon that would never end, nor did we want it to. A timeless final stretched out for a bit longer, a tournament that produced knife-edge drama and exceptional quality.

The women's event was rather tame, but even without Rafael Nadal, the men's singles was a wonderful showcase for the sport.

And to think there have been those who have questioned whether there is still a place for grass-court tennis on the international calendar. . . .

CLEAN WINNER

No, you didn't imagine it: That disconsolate figure who slumped away from Wimbledon looking like a broken man 12 months ago really was the same Roger Federer who lifted the trophy on Sunday night.

Whereas it looked as if defeat to Rafael Nadal in 2008 could be the beginning of the end of Federer, it merely seems to have steeled his resolve.

Three Slam titles have followed since, including a completion of his career Slam and a surge past Pete Sampras.

With his confidence at an all-time high, it is hard to see how Federer can be stopped from adding No. 16 at the U.S. Open and then continuing his dominance next year.

How far can he go? Consider that the top five all-time Slam singles winners are all women, ranging from Margaret Court with 24 to Chris Evert with 18.

Court's mark looks impossible just now, but it might seem a heck of a lot closer in a year's time.