By Andy Schooler

Roger Federer started as the 1/7 favourite to complete a hat-trick of Wimbledon titles against Andy Roddick on Centre Court.

The 23-year-old Swiss was bidding to become only the third player in the Open era - Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg being the others - to win the event three years in succession.

He also held a 8-1 winning record against his big-serving opponent coming into the match, which was a repeat of last year's final.

Federer started with a hold to love, a feat duly repeated by Roddick.

The American finally took a point against the serve in game three, but Federer, showing some great reactions at the net, held to 15 to lead 2-1.

Roddick crashed down the first ace in the next game. He clearly knew he had to attack and the second seed was coming to the net more often than usual in the early stages.

Serve was dominating and when Federer held to lead to love to lead 3-2, still only one point had been won by the receiver.

That changed in the sixth game as Federer made a move and produced the first break points.

Roddick saved one with a serve-volley play on second serve, but then a poor overhead followed by a shot beyond the baseline saw the world number one move ahead 4-2.

Another error from Roddick in his next service game - a wide forehand - brought up set point and Federer took it, albeit with a mishit backhand which landed on the line.

It had been a near-perfect set from the top seed - he had dropped one point on his serve, hit one unforced error and cracked 15 winners.

The pattern continued as the second set began with the champion holding to love.

Thankfully for him, Roddick stopped a run of five straight games against him with a hold to 30 in game two.

Federer's first sloppy game followed and gave Roddick his opportunity to get himself back in the match.

The American moved to 15-40 and although Federer saved one break point with an ace, a forehand volley into the net put Roddick 2-1 ahead with a precious break of serve.

Usually one break would be good enough for a man with a serve like Roddick's, but against Federer nothing is certain.

Indeed, the Swiss had a break-back chance in the very next game, only for Roddick to steel himself and move 3-1 up.

Roddick's serve was coming under threat regularly now and some superb play from Federer saw him break back in the sixth game to leave the American shaking his head in disbelief.

The 2003 US Open champion was sent sprawling to the turf in the next game as he tried in vain to reach another Federer winner.

The score progressed to 5-4 at which point Roddick stepped up to serve to stay in the set.

He almost cracked as Federer turned up the heat again, but twice on set point he produced unreturnable serves to stay alive.

An easy hold from Federer, which included a sensational forehand crosscourt, put the pressure immediately back on his opponent at 6-5.

He forced the tie-break but it was to have a predictable outcome, even though the way it unfolded was something of a surprise.

Roddick recovered two mini-breaks to get to 2-3, but from there Federer took control again, winning the next four points to open up a two-set lead.

Rain had begun to fall during the breaker and when it finished umpire Wayne McEwen suspended play and the covers came on.

Perhaps that was good news for Roddick who was being thoroughly outplayed.

The rain had come to Federer's rescue in last year's final - would it work in reverse this time?

Roddick certainly hoped so, but he also knew he now faced a five-setter if he was to lift the trophy and that was a big ask given he had played more than three sets on Saturday when Federer had been resting up.

Play resumed after a 25-minute break.

Upon the resumption, Roddick served the first double fault of the match, but managed to hold to 30.

Roddick took Federer to deuce in the next game, some kind of feat, but serve continued to hold sway to 3-3.

Then the shot of the match - a forehand winner on the run down the line off a low ball - provided Federer with the platform to break.

And break he did, moving into a 4-3 lead with another superb winner, a top-spin crosscourt backhand which left the American in deep, deep trouble.

At 3-5, Roddick served to stay in the match and held to 15.

However, Federer was left serving for the title.

And he had no problems, completing victory with an unreturnable serve which wrapped up an utterly convincingly 6-2 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win.