At Left: Switzerland's Roger Federer celebrates his win over Andy Roddick of the US in their men's final match at the Wimbledon championships in London on July 3. Federer won 6-2, 7-6, 6-4. At Right: Seventh seed Serena Williams of the US celebrates her win over compatriot and top seed Lindsay Davenport after match point at the Australian Open women's singles final in Melbourne on January 29. Former number one Williams overcame a painful rib injury to win the Open women's singles title 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.
- REUTERS
LONDON (AP):
ROGER FEDERER ruled men's tennis with panache for a historic second straight year in 2005, while a string of old favourites split the major titles on the women's circuit.
After three Grand Slam victories in 2004, Federer became the first man in 67 years to win Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive seasons. His six major titles tied him with Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker for Grand Slam titles among Open era players, and one behind John McEnroe and Mats Wilander.
"I amaze myself that I can back it up one tournament after another, keep on playing well," 24-year-old Federer said at the U.S. Open. "I wonder why I always play so well, especially on the big occasions. It just seems to click for me."
But for losing the final of the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai - ending a record of 24 successive finals victories since July 2003 - Federer would have tied McEnroe (82-3 in 1984) for the most dominating season ever.
As it was, all four of Federer's losses were memorable.
He had a match point on Marat Safin in the Australian Open semi-finals, but the Russian prevailed in 9-7 in the fifth set and beat Lleyton Hewitt in the final for his second major title. However, Safin declined then disappeared because of knee problems.
In April at Monte Carlo, Federer squandered three match points against Richard Gasquet, who would go on to rise from out of the top 100 into the top 20, in which the French player was the only teenager beside Rafael Nadal.
Nadal matched Federer with 11 titles, and broke the season record of nine for a teenager by Mats Wilander in 1983. By April, Nadal and his fashionable pantaloons were in the top 10, and after beating Federer on his 19th birthday in the French Open semis, he became the first man in 23 years to win at Roland Garros on debut.
BUDDING RIVALRY
Many observers hoped Federer's defeat to Nadal marked a budding rivalry. Beside Nadal (2-1), only Nalbandian (6-4) in the top 10 had a winning record against the Swiss.
Nalbandian burnished his credentials when he interrupted a planned fishing holiday, trekked to China from Argentina, and came from two sets down to beat Federer in a thrilling five-set season finale.
The Argentine was also responsible for another stunning victory, when he defeated Hewitt in Sydney to clinch a Davis Cup quarter-final. Croatia won the Davis Cup in the fifth rubber over Slovakia in a first-time final for both.
The Fed Cup went to Russia for a second straight year, but unlike in 2004 when they dominated the Slams, the Russians' spotlight was reclaimed by the Williams sisters and Belgians in a year of comebacks.
Serena Williams, without a major in 18 months, captured her seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, but would reach only one more tournament semi because of left leg problems, and finished out of the top 10 for the first time since 1998.
Venus Williams ended a nearly four-year-old Grand Slam drought when she stared down a match point and overcame Lindsay Davenport to win her third Wimbledon, in the longest and one of the most stirring women's finals.
Kim Clijsters won her first major at the US Open. She'd lost her first four major finals. She rocketed from an injury ranking of 134 to No. 2, and narrowly missed No. 1 which was held for most of the year by Davenport.
RETIREMENT
The American won six titles, and set aside retirement after reaching the finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Davenport joined Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only Open era players to finish the year No. 1 at least four times. She briefly gave it up to Maria Sharapova, who became the first Russian and fifth youngest No. 1 ever.
Sharapova reached the quarter-finals or better at all 15 of her tournaments.
Mary Pierce appeared in her first Grand Slam finals in five years at the French and US Opens, and compatriot Amelie Mauresmo finally broke through in a big final when she beat Pierce in the season-ending WTA Championships. Another serious comeback was on the cards when Martina Hingis planned to end a four-year retirement in January.
Nobody, however, rang the veterans' bell louder than Andre Agassi. A career-threatening back injury undermined his French Open and sidelined him from Wimbledon, and a lingering ankle injury is threatening to lead by one break in the third set, and grasp at an upset. But the Swiss magician rallied and cruised to victory in four sets.
After battles with Pete Sampras, McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and the like, Agassi had the grace to say of Federer: "He's the best I've ever played against."
