Sports Commentary - Times Online - WBLG

Will Federer make it six out of seven Wimbledon titles?

Frank Praverman

Roger Federer faces Andy Roddick in Sunday's Wimbledon showpiece.

It is the Swiss ace's seventh final, having won five of his previous six.

His cruise through the rounds has been stylish and almost carefree. His opponent, Andy Roddick, has had to fight far harder, with his four-set semi-final against Andy Murray likely to have taken a lot out of him.

Roddick's major weapon, his first serve, is the key: if it continues in the groove, Federer could have problems.

But will the world No 2's all-round game be too good for the 2004 and 2005 finalist? Is it Federer's fate to claim his 15th grand-slam title in the absence of Rafael Nadal, the current title holder?

Who will win the men's Wimbledon title? Let us know below. 

Room 4-4-2: The longest match

So you think you've seen some epic matches at this year's Wimbledon? Andy Murray finishing his five-setter under the roof? Think again.

In 1969, before the advent of the tie-break, Pancho Gonzales (pictured above, taking a rest) and Charlie Pasarell fought out a first-round match that is unlikely to be repeated in any tennis championship.

Gonzales was 41 and a former world No 1 professional before the open era, while Pasarell was 16 years his junior. They battled away in the first set before the younger man triumphed 24-22 and with light rapidly fading Gonzales wanted to get off. The umpire insisted they play on, so a petulant Gonzales appeared to concede the second set 6-1 and was booed by fans as the pair left the court.

The next day a refreshed and inspired Gonzales was unstoppable, winning the final three sets 16-14, 6-3, 11-9, saving seven match points on the way. This amazing match of 112 games had lasted 5hr 12min and deserves its place in our treasure trove of summer sporting memories. It prompted the introduction of tie-breaks shortly after.

What would you put in our Room 4-4-2 summer exhibition? Send your suggestions to room442@thetimes.co.uk

Words by Calvin Shulman

Can Andy Murray end 73 years of hurt?

Carrie Dunn

After he cruised to victory against Viktor Troicki on Saturday, the whispers are louder and the hype is getting stronger. Can Andy Murray become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936?

There's no doubt that he has the talent. With 12 career titles - four of them this year - he is the most naturally gifted tennis player from Britain in several generations. Not only that, this year he has shown the dedication, application and inclination to work at improving his game even further. He now has a tight team assembled around him - including an agent to handle the increasing media interest in his life - and with the championships accruing, he's increasingly adept at dealing with the spotlight placed on the best in the world.

However, he has yet to win a grand-slam tournament. He finished runner-up to Roger Federer in the US Open - the man he is likely to face in the Wimbledon final if all goes to plan - but otherwise the best he can boast is a quarter-final finish at Roland Garros and at SW19. Is he liable to crack under the weight of expectation? He thinks this is his time. The world will be watching in the second week of Wimbledon.

Room 4-4-2: Wooden rackets

There was a time in tennis when touch and finesse were prized above power and grunting. And the weapon of choice was a wooden racket.

After years of experimentation in materials and shape, the wooden model dominated the game for some 100 years before the advent of metal, graphite and titanium.

Manufacturers such as Dunlop, Slazenger, Wilson and Spalding led the way with wood, producing rackets that were generally heavier than today’s, with much smaller sweet spots. The strings were made of natural gut, which proved expensive and inconsistent. However, the rackets had a great deal of flexibility, which allowed for delicate play.

Wilson produced the revolutionary T2000 steel racket in the late 1960s and the days of wood were numbered. Spalding’s aluminium Smasher continued the metal trend and John McEnroe became the last player to win Wimbledon with a wooden racket when he took his first title in 1981, beating Björn Borg 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4. The last time anyone used a wooden racket at the All England Club was in 1987.

What would you like to see in Room 4-4-2’s summer show? Get in touch at room442@thetimes.co.uk

Words by Calvin Shulman

Back of the Net: McEnroe's rant

These days John McEnroe is an Establishment man: polite, thoughtful, scrubbed-up. Why, you could introduce him to your mother. But what everyone remembers him for are the tantrums, the wild hair and the way he wielded a wooden racket. What hypocrites. We criticise Andy Murray for the odd sulk, but we fondly recollect an American telling an umpire he is “the pits of the world”. It was such a piece of sporting history that Big Mac's catchphrase was even used to promote a Harry Potter film: “You cannot be Sirius.”

Is Roger Federer the greatest of all time?

Federer takes his place at game's summit | Simon Barnes: statistics back up artistry | Federer has a hand in women's title as well | Graphic: grand-slam roll of honour | Debate: is Federer really the greatest of all time? | Debate: is Federer really the greatest of all time?

Frank Praverman

Neil Harman says there is no doubt now who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

Simon Barnes says he has the stats to prove it, and the stats don't lie.

Roger Federer's 14th grand-slam title, achieved yesterday at the French Open, equals the record of Pete Sampras. It also completed his own personal slam of winning all four of the major titles - one of only six people to do it.

Now the talk is of how many Federer can win before it becomes a bit blasé. Wimbledon? He is the overwhelming favourite for sure, the more so if Rafael Nadal, the world No 1, does not play. The US Open? He has won the last five in New York. Six? Pah. That would be 16 in total, rendering argument as to his place in history fatuous.

But what about right now? Where does Federer stand in the pantheon of all-time greats? Does he surpass Sampras's boom-and-bang supremacy of the nineties? Or Roy Emerson's all-round superiority which won him 28 grand-slam titles in all, including 12 singles triumphs? What about Bjorn Borg, whose steeliness changed the face of tennis?

Is Federer the greatest of all time? Have your say now.

Rafa Nadal leads the way, but who are the world's most sporting sportsmen?

Times Online

Rafa Nadal has won new friends around the world due to the graciousness with which he accepted his first defeat at the French Open on Sunday.

After four straight victories at Roland Garros, it would have been understandable for the world No 1 to shun the press, hop on a plane and sulk at home in Mallorca.

Far from it. Nadal, speaking exclusively in his Times Online blog, insisted his defeat to Robin Soderling in Paris "was not a tragedy". "It was only a tennis match," he said. "No big drama. It happens, and I knew it would happen one day. I played really bad and on top of that he played well.”

Readers of his blog have been quick to congratulate the Spaniard on his attitude. “The way that you and Roger Federer conduct yourselves, win or lose, is a great credit to you both and your sport. I wish people in other sports could learn from that,” said Chris.

Can Andy Murray win the French Open?

Frank Praverman

Opportunity knocks for the 12 remaining men at Roland Garros, says Neil Harman. Two of that dozen will fancy their chances more than most now that Rafael Nadal, the holder and world No 1, is out.

Roger Federer has been to the past three French Open finals and lost each one to his nemesis. His game is looking more assured as every round passes and there is the added incentive for the Swiss to prove his doubters wrong and claim a victory that would equal Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles.

Yet, given that he is the second highest-ranked player and has beaten the man above him six of the past seven times, why should it not be Andy Murray’s championship?

Murray’s progress to the quarter-finals for the first time was manifestly his best performance in the tournament, defeating Marin Cilic, the No 13 seed from Croatia 7-5, 7-6, 6-1. He barely put a foot wrong.

Fernando González, of Chile, has never played Murray on clay and so their meeting tomorrow is likely to be every bit as frenetic and dramatic as the third-round match in the US Open in 2006, which Murray won in five tough sets.

Buoyed by his world No 3 ranking and seemingly more comfortable on the red top, is it too soon to believe that Murray can go all the way or should we be preparing the bunting and ticker tape now?

Can Murray win the French Open? Have your say below.

Novak Djokovic makes a good impression

Sure, Andy Murray may have overtaken Novak Djokovic in the world rankings but if there is a rain interruption during the French Open, which starts on Monday, then who would be better at keeping the spirits up in the changing room? Murray with his mournful crooning of old Rod Stewart numbers or Djokovic with his eerily accurate impersonations of other players, such as Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick? Have a look at this clip to see Djokovic's party piece in action. If the Serb ever gives up the tennis circuit, a stint at the London Palladium surely beckons.

Is this the year Andy Murray wins a grand-slam event?

Richard Neale

Andy Murray’s rich vein of form continued when the British No1 outclassed Novak Djokovic to win the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, his third Masters event title and third tournament victory of 2009.

Murray added the victory in Florida to those in Doha, where he beat Andy Roddick, and Rotterdam, where he came out on top against Rafael Nadal.

In fact, he has won 26 of 28 singles matches this year, losing only to Nadal, the world No1, in the final at Indian Wells, and, the only real blot on his copy-book, to Fernando Verdasco, the Spaniard, in the last 16 of the Australian Open.