Federer kept his crown in a rollercoaster encounter.

Switzerland's Roger Federer retained his Wimbledon title after a hard-fought victory over Andy Roddick on Centre Court.

Federer recovered from losing the first set to record a 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 triumph in two hours and 30 minutes to claim a second Grand Slam title of the year.

The 22-year-old world number one was far from his imperious best in a final marred by two rain interruptions, but rallied superbly after the second delay when he hit back from 4-2 down in the third set.

Roddick had been hoping to celebrate American Independence Day with a first Wimbledon title but was left to rue the numerous chances he had to power away from the top seed.

Both players relinquished their serve time and again over the course of the match - Federer the first to be broken in just the third game.

A rain delay could not help him undo the damage, and Roddick retained the ascendancy to take the first set 6-4.

Roddick - the big-hitter who trades on an all-but-unreturnable serve - was then twice broken in the second set to go 4-0 down with Federer seemingly in control.

Amazingly, the champion did not close it out from there and Roddick broke back to go level at 4-4 before eventually losing the set 7-5.

Federer seemed unable to get into his stride though, and when Roddick broke him again in the third set he did not look likely to come back. Luck was on the number one seed's side however, when a shower passed overhead and the covers came on.

Half an hour later Federer resumed a different player, breaking back to force a third-set tiebreak.

Roddick's firepower was suddenly not sufficient to cow the Swiss, and he succumbed 7-3.

Federer was now in control for the first time in the match, and looked far more assured when a set to the good.

Roddick could count himself somewhat unfortunate to be trailing, though, and his sense of injustice was heightened in a fascinating fourth set.

The American forced four break points in the fourth game and two more in the sixth but was unable to take any of them, shaking the net in sheer frustration after a net cord had come to Federer's aid.

He could only have himself to blame however for losing his concentration and his serve in the next game, two errant forehands gifting Federer the vital break and a 4-3 lead.

Given the pattern of the match it was no foregone conclusion that Federer could hold his nerve to close out the match, but he did so in style with a 12th ace to clinch victory, sinking to his knees at the moment of triumph.

Australian Woodbridge, the most successful doubles player in history, and Swede Bjorkman triumphed 6-1 6-4 4-6 6-4 over the 16th seeds on court one.

It was 33-year-old Woodbridge's ninth men's doubles title at Wimbledon, breaking the 100-year-old record of the Doherty brothers, Laurie and Reggie.

Woodbridge, who won his first six titles at Wimbledon with fellow Aussie Mark Woodforde in 1993 and the last two with Bjorkman, has no intention of hanging up his racket just yet.

"Right now, my game is good enough to keep playing," he said. "You are a long time retired. I'm certainly not retiring today.

Huber and Sugiyama, who had ended Martina Navratilova's title dreams in the semi-final, were broken in the third game, before succumbing to the Australian's power to concede the set on Sugiyama's service.

Black had the chance to serve for the match in the following set, but tension got the better of her and it took a tie-break to seal the win - Black smashing it home on the pairing's third match point.

Woodbridge was denied double doubles delight as he and fellow Australian Alicia Molik lost the final of the mixed event.

The duo won the first set but were undone by Zimbabwean siblings Wayne and Cara Black, who won 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

Instead the double honour went to Miss Black, who won her second trophy of the day.

An appreciative crowd stayed on Centre Court to drain the last dregs of Wimbledon 2004 and cheer the Blacks' victory.

Miles Kasiri lifted some of the gloom hanging over British tennis since Tim Henman's departure with his appearance in the boys' singles final.

The 18-year-old from Margate, who was a year ahead of new women's champion Maria Sharapova at the famous Nick Bollettieri tennis academy in Florida, became the first Briton to reach final of the boy's singles at the All England Club for 32 years.

However, despite pushing number one seed Gael Monfils close in both sets, he went down 7-5 7-6 (8/6) to the 6ft 3ins French teenager, who remains on course for a clean sweep of this year's junior Grand Slams.

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