ROGER FEDERER defied Andy Roddick's heroics to claim the most dramatic of his six Wimbledon crowns and a record 15th Grand Slam title.
The No2 in the world rankings became the No1 in the tennis books after breaking Roddick' serve for the first time in the very last game to clinch an amazing fifth set 16-14.
Federer's 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 16-14 triumph on Centre Court was Roddick's third defeat in a Wimbo final.
But no match will ever be tighter or more absorbing.
Federer admitted: "It was a crazy match. My head is still spinning. It's difficult to take in."
Pete Sampras was at the All England for the first time since 2002 to see Federer pass his haul of 14 Slams - though more through willpower than his usual verve.
And seven-times Wimbledon champ Sampras looked as exhausted as the two players as the crowd shared the tension of the players.
A first set of untroubled serving - each man delivering two aces in their opening service game - erupted into life at 5-5.
Roddick survived the set's first four break points - three times Federer challenging unsuccessfully when his drives were called too long.
Then, at 6-5 up, the American needed just one break point to snatch the set when Federer speared a forehand under pressure wide.
Roddick, if anything, seemed to have an even greater edge in the second set - yet suffered one of the worst ever tie-break collapses.
Federer's tentative play left him 6-2 down but he reeled off six straight points to win the tie-break 8-6 - helped above all by Roddick missing a simple overhead volley at 6-5.
That changed the mood of the contest.
And Roddick went off for a "comfort break" - perhaps to compose himself from the shock of throwing away what seemed a certain two-set lead.
Federer's form went up a notch in the third set, still below his best but enough to sail through his own service games and earn a fleeting break-point at 3-2 up.
But Roddick's aggression earned him a break that took him 3-1 up in the fourth set.
And, serving at 5-3, he recovered from love-30 to level the match at two sets each when Federer dashed in to net a forehand.
Both players somehow kept their nerve in the fifth set.
And the first glimmer of a break came at 8-8 when Roddick's superb backhand down the line took him to 15-40.
Roddick missed a return off the first break-point, then saw Federer save the second with a calm drive-volley.
It was Federer who looked the fitter and perhaps the hungrier.
And Roddick's wild forehand beyond the baseline, at 14-15 down, left the Yank at love-30.
Three more firecracker serves briefly took him out of trouble.
But more signs of wobbles emerged and another woeful forehand gave Federer match point.
Roddick promptly ballooned another forehand out for the most agonising defeat of his career.
Wimbo legend Sampras said: "For me Roger is the greatest. If he stays fit he can go on to 17 or 18 Slams."
He always gives his best.
