Five Straight Wimbledons For A Swiss Athlete

When I first heard of Roger Federer, he already had two Grand Slam titles, and I was sort of hoping that with every additional championship he won, he would legally add another "-er" suffix to his last name. At this point in history he would have added 11 consecutive "ers", as he defeated Rafael Nadal this morning in a classic 5-set Wimbledon final.

There's something sweetly satisfying about waking up in the Eastern time zone on a Sunday morning to witness world class competition on TV, especially since it's one of the rare times schmucks like myself pay close attention to tennis. Federer and Nadal — who always seem to find each other in Grand Slam matches, like Dundee and Sue in the heartfelt crowded subway scene in "Crocodile Dundee" — alternated sets, before Federer ultimately triumphed 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 2-6, 6-2. This is Federer's fifth straight Wimbledon title, which means he's approaching a dynasty only rivaled by the San Diego Sockers.

I don't know how Nadal does it, just standing there after the loss with his consolation cheese-and-crackers plate, without going Shooter McGavin on the crowd and trying to escape the court with the championship trophy. Probably because the fire exits aren't lined with clay.

'Lucky' Federer's Bjorn Again [Sporting Life]