It's the second set tie-break. Andy Roddick is up 5-1 and looks fantastic. He's already won the first set 5-7. Roger Federer has just lost a challenge on a Roddick serve he thought was out, the big-serving American is looking like he's at top speed. Then quickly it's 6-2 to Roddick and he has four set points.
Federer with a deft backhand it's 6-3. Then with two great serves it's 6-4 and then 6-5. Roddick serves and with, what should be a sitter, he hits it out and suddenly it's 6-6.
Roddick prepares to serve, as he bounces the ball it gets away from him and he has to scramble after it on the court. The commentary box can't believe it: "Oh, my God". And perhaps they saw something because Roddick makes another error and it's 6-7 to Federer, and he has the serve.
Before the ball hits the ground you can hear Federer bellow. He wins the second set and stays alive. In the crowd, Pete Sampras grins and wipes the sweat from his brow.
In the match Federer will serve 50 aces. There will be 77 games and five sets in 95 minutes. But if you're going to win the most grand slams ever you want to do it in a grand fashion.
There can be no doubting, no consideration. If you are asked "who is the greatest tennis player of all time?" you have to say, Roger Federer.
Oh sure the Chipmunk in a Singlet is injured, but that's all part of being the greatest. You don't get there by getting hurt. And you definitely don't get there by never recovering from a slump. How long ago was it that Federer's reign was declared as done and dusted, while everyone ran to crown Nadal?
Now the talk will be about Federer going for a "calendar slam" but let's ignore all of that and instead focus on the fact that the man is just really, goddamn, classy.
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Sunday morning I read that one of my favourite football players, Steve McNair, had died. Ever since Michael Jackson died we've had a number of celebrities whose deaths have been greatly exaggerated, so I thought I pop over to nfl.com and just check. This time the rumours were right.
At that time nobody knew anything about the case and so, as you can imagine, everybody "knew" everything. A former NFL quarterback known for being the toughest guy on the field and the nicest guy off it, found shot to death with (then) an unidentified woman, also dead by gunshot, that was not his wife. (It has since been revealed that the woman was McNair's girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi).
The story has gone from murder/suicide (he did it) to murder (her ex did it) to murder/suicide (she did it) and I imagine it will keep evolving. Meanwhile TMZ has pictures of McNair and Kazemi parasailing.