Federer frightened by intruder

Roger Federer admitted feeling frightened when confronted by an intruder midway through his French Open final victory.

Federer was preparing to receive a serve when 15-0 down in the fourth game of the second set when a spectator, wearing a top bearing the word 'Switzerland' on its front, entered the court having clambered down from high up in the stand opposite the umpire's chair.

He ran up to Federer and brandished in front of the player's face what appeared to be a flag of Spanish football team Barcelona.

He then attempted to place his cap on the head of Federer, who retreated way behind the service line.

Security were embarrassingly slow to react as the man danced in front of Federer for a few seconds before running around behind the chair of a line judge, charging across the court and vaulting the net.

He was then halted in his tracks as he was tackled to the ground by a security guard.

That was the only thing that threatened to derail Federer's charge to glory but he admitted it was a "touch scary".

"I don't know what happened but all of a sudden I heard the crowd, I looked over and he jumped over the fence. That gave me a fright seeing him so close right away," recalled Federer, who has also been confronted by intruding fans at Wimbledon and in a tournament in Montreal.

"It's a good thing it's happened to me before. But it definitely felt uncomfortable once he came close to me."

Federer, who won in straight sets today, was able thankfully to laugh it off.

"Normally they always look at me and go, 'I'm so sorry I have to do this', because they always have some sort of reason for it!" he added.

"I remember the English guy (at Wimbledon) was actually quite funny.

"This guy here looked at me and I was not sure what he wanted. It seemed like he wanted to give me something. So I was okay, because I saw he wasn't pulling for anything stupid."

Soderling added: "It wasn't great to see. I think the security were as surprised as we were.

"It's very bad that these things can happen. It's a shame."

Neither the International Tennis Federation (ITF) nor the French Tennis Federation (FFT) have made an official comment regarding the incident but an investigation seems sure to be launched.

The incident instantly brought back memories of the on-court attack on Monica Seles by a German spectator at a tournament in Hamburg in 1993.

The American, at that time 19 and the world number one, was stabbed in the back by a deranged Steffi Graf fan while she was sitting at a changeover during a quarter-final match against Magdalena Maleeva.

When contacted by PA Sport, a spokesman at the police headquarters of the 16th arrondissement in Paris refused to reveal the name of the intruder.

According to the website of Swiss newspaper Le Matin, he has been arrested for 'entering the grounds of a sports event'.

The same source said he was a Spaniard who was born in 1975 and hailed from Barcelona.

Federer claims French Open title

Roger Federer completed the career Grand Slam with victory over Robin Soderling at the French Open.

Federer won 6-1 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 to become only the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam tournaments.

He also equals Pete Sampras' all-time record of 14 Grand Slam singles titles and will now be regarded by many as the greatest player of all time.

French Open Men's Final in pictures

Victory over Soderling was rarely in doubt, the Swiss great racing through the first set and then fending off Soderling's attempts at a comeback in competitive second and third sets.

It was a fitting way for Federer achieve the feat - the 27-year-old producing a superb display to which we have become accustomed.

His serve was outstanding - he faced just two break points in the entire match and was never broken - the famous forehand rock solid, while his use of the drop shot - so often the one weakness in his game - baffled his Swedish opponent.

Federer got off to the best possible start, breaking serve in the very first game as he found top gear immediately.

Soderling looked a little nervous but Federer's level was so good he stood little chance in the early stages. He never allowed Soderling to dictate, as he had done so often during his dream run at Roland Garros, one which had seen him beat Federer's nemesis Rafael Nadal, the four-time defending champion.

The opening set was over in just 23 minutes, Soderling losing his serve three times.

The second set was much closer - a rare moment of concern coming when a spectator invaded the court and bizarrely dangled a flag over Federer - and no breaks of serve meant a tie-break was required to separate the players.

Had Soderling taken it, perhaps Federer would have stumbled. As it was, he was never given a hope.

Federer played a near-perfect tie-break, winning it 7-1, serving four aces from his four service points.

When Soderling dropped serve at the start of the third set the game looked up for the 23rd seed and although he forced break points in games four and 10 - as Federer served for the match - the Swiss stood firm.

Upon clinching victory when Soderling found the net, Federer sank to his knees in sheer delight and was soon overcome with emotion.

He got up to receive the trophy from Andre Agassi, the last man to win all four majors, his place in history assured.

Roger Federer Factfile

A look back at newly crowned French Open winner, Roger Federer's career.

1981: Born August 8 in Basle, Switzerland.

1998: Wins junior singles and doubles title at Wimbledon in the year he turns professional.

1999: Wins first ATP Challenger title with victory over Max Mirnyi in Brest.

Youngest player, at 18 years and 14 months, to finish season in top 100.

2000: Loses in last 16 of French Open to Alex Corretja. Loses in first round of Wimbledon to Yevgeny Kafelnikov.

2001: Loses to Corretja again in quarter-final of the French Open at Roland Garros.

Ends champion Pete Sampras' 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon with five-set victory on Centre Court before losing to Britain's Tim Henman in the quarter-finals.

2002: Wins ATP Masters Series title in Hamburg, but loses to Hicham Arazi in the first round at Roland Garros.

June - Seeded number seven at Wimbledon, but beaten by qualifier Mario Ancic in the first round.

2003: Loses in last 16 of the Australian Open to David Nalbandian.

June - Loses in first round of French Open to Luis Horna of Peru.

Wins grasscourt ATP International Series event in Halle, Germany.

Wins Wimbledon singles title, beating Mark Philippoussis in straight sets in the final.

Beaten in fourth round at US Open by David Nalbandian.

Ends season by winning Tennis Masters Cup and is ranked number two in the world.

2004: January - Defeats Marat Safin in the Australian Open final to win his second grand slam.

Takes over as world number one.

June - Beaten by Gustavo Kuerten in the third round of the French Open.

July - Beats Andy Roddick in four sets to retain Wimbledon title.

September - Thrashes Leyton Hewitt 6-0 7-6 (7/3) 6-0 to win first US Open.

2005: January - Loses Australian Open semi-final to Safin after five-set epic.

June - French Open semi-final exit to Rafael Nadal.

July - Beats Roddick in straight sets to retain Wimbledon title.

September - Beats Andre Agassi in four sets to retain US Open crown.

2006: January - Wins second Australian Open title.

June - Loses in French Open final to Nadal.

July - Wins fourth consecutive Wimbledon title with four-set defeat of Nadal.

Extends unbeaten run on grass to a record 49 matches.

September - Wins third straight US Open title with four-set defeat of Roddick.

2007: January 28 - Does not drop a set on the way to winning third Australian Open and 10th grand slam title. Bjorn Borg was the last man to complete such a feat in 1980.

February 26 - Sets new record of 161 consecutive weeks as world number one, beating the 30-year-old mark of Jimmy Connors.

March 12 - Bid to break Guillermo Vilas' ATP Tour record 46 straight victories ends with an injury-hit defeat to Guillermo Canas at the Masters Series event in Indian Wells. Federer had won 41 straight matches to that point.

May 12 - Parts company with coach Tony Roache after his longest tournament drought since becoming world number one.

May 20 - Finally beats Nadal on clay at the sixth attempt to win the Hamburg Masters, ending the Spaniard's record 81-match winning streak on the surface.

June 8 - Reaches French Open final, beating Jack Crawford's 73-year-old record of seven consecutive grand slam finals. He also breaks McEnroe's record of 35 consecutive sets won in grand slam events by winning 36.

June 10 - Loses French Open final to Nadal for second straight year.

July 8 - Beats Nadal in five-set epic to win fifth consecutive Wimbledon title, equalling the record of Borg.

September 10 - Beats Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win fourth successive US Open crown.

2008: January 25 - Loses in straight sets to Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals ending his record streak of grand slam final appearances at 10.

June 8: Thrashed 6-1 6-3 6-0 by Nadal in the French Open final, Federer's heaviest grand slam defeat and the first time he had lost a set 6-0 since 1999.

July 6: Denied a sixth consecutive Wimbledon title by Nadal, who beats him 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5/7) 6-7 (8/10) 9-7 in a Centre Court classic.

August 18 - Knocked off world number one spot by Nadal, ending his 237-week reign at the top.

September 8 - Beats Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2 in the US Open final to claim his 13th grand slam title.

2009: February 1 - Nadal beats Federer 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7/3) 3-6 6-2 in Australian Open final.

February 17 - Pulls out of ATP event in Dubai and Switzerland's upcoming Davis Cup tie against USA with back injury.

April 16 - Suffers first career defeat to countryman Stanislas Wawrinka in third round of Monte Carlo Masters - an event in which he has lost in final to Nadal in each of last three years.

June 7 - Moves level with Sampras' record of 14 majors and becomes only sixth man to complete career Grand Slam by beating Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 in French Open final.

Comment: You deserve it Roger!

Roger Federer becoems only the sixth man in history to achieve the career Grand Slam. A true champion?

Roger Federer was a broken man four months ago after losing an epic Australian Open final to Rafael Nadal, but any tears today would have been of unconfined joy after he cemented his place in tennis history.

The 27-year-old beat Swedish surprise package Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 6-4 in the French Open final to move level on 14 major victories with Pete Sampras and become only the sixth man to achieve the career Grand Slam.

"It's up to the fans to judge whether it was the best ever," says the modest and unassuming Federer, who married childhood sweetheart Mirka in April and will become a father for the first time later this year.

He was hailed by Andre Agassi as "the best I've ever played against" after he beat the American in his last professional match in the 2005 US Open final.

He today joined the elite group of Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Agassi as the only men to clinch all four major titles.

Agassi, the only other man to achieve the feat in the Open era, believes today's triumph confirms Federer's status.

"It ends the discussion of where he fits in the history of the game," said the 1999 Roland Garros champion.

"It's not so much a question of Pete. If it wasn't for Nadal, he probably would have won a handful of these things, so nobody would underestimate where he deserves to fit in this game.

"This is going to mean so much to him, to have that hole filled. I think it will change his life."

Having lost the three previous finals at Roland Garros to Nadal, Federer must have wondered whether his time would ever come on the Paris clay.

But he has time and again proved himself to be a formidable figure in the face of adversity.

Federer in 2007 equalled Bjorn Borg's record of five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles, defeating Nadal in five sets to also draw level with Borg and Laver on 11 grand slams.

His run of five successive Wimbledon titles came was ended last July by Nadal, who compounded the Swiss' misery by relieving him of the world number one spot the following month.

"It was a fair battle, which was tough with the rain delays," the Basle-born player said after Nadal's 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory at SW19.

"There were some great points and I think we both stayed tough until the very end.

"In tennis unfortunately there have to be winners and losers, there are no draws. But it was probably my hardest loss by far. It doesn't get much harder than this."

Demoted to second in the ATP rankings after an amazing 237 weeks at the top, Federer responded to his summer disappointments by beating Great Britain's Andy Murray in September's US Open final to move within one grand slam triumph of equalling Sampras' mark.

That quest was cruelly thwarted by Nadal on February 1, however, as the powerful Mallorcan battled out a thrilling 7-5 3-6 7-6 3-6 6-2 win to become Australian Open champion.

Federer was reduced to tears by his Melbourne Park heartache, saying during an emotional post-match speech: "God, this is killing me."

He went on to pay tribute to his rival, who stepped up to the podium to console the beaten finalist in a show of great sportsmanship between the two best players on the planet.

Federer got through the presentation ceremony, but must have been left to ponder whether he had witnessed the changing of the guard with Nadal - five years his junior - now holding three of the four slams.

But he added a steely determination to his grace and elegance on the court to counter that fear and get himself back on the grand-slam trail.

Without an obvious flaw to his game, Federer's greatest strength is perhaps his composure in the face of immense pressure.

It is difficult to imagine a more complete player - or a more worthy addition to the esteemed group of career grand-slammers.

Federer's major titles

Roger Federer joined Pete Sampras on a record 14 grand-slam titles with his French Open victory.

Here, PA Sport looks at the Swiss star's journey to greatness, from winning his first Wimbledon crown to securing that elusive Roland Garros title:

1. Wimbledon 2003 - Federer, 21, produces a near-faultless display to beat Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (7/5) 6-2 7-6 (7/3) and claim his first grand-slam title. He had previously failed to get past the quarter-finals at a major.

2. Australian Open 2004 - Federer celebrates becoming world number one by outclassing Marat Safin 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 6-2 in what proves to be a one-sided final.

3. Wimbledon 2004 - For the second year in succession, Federer is brought to tears after winning Wimbledon, digging deep to come from behind and beat Andy Roddick 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7/3) 6-4 in a stuttering display.

4. US Open 2004 - Federer becomes the first man in history to win his first four grand-slam finals - and the first man in 16 years to claim three Majors in one year - with a 6-0 7-6 (7/3) 6-0 rout of Lleyton Hewitt, his first victory in New York.

5. Wimbledon 2005 - Federer completes a hat-trick of titles at SW19 with a devastating display to defeat Andy Roddick 6-2 7-6 (7/2) 6-4, labelling his performance "flawless" and the best in his life.

6. US Open 2005 - Federer dashes 35-year-old Andre Agassi's hopes of a fairytale victory in New York, defending his title with a 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7/1) 6-1 win.

7. Australian Open 2006 - Federer recovers from a poor start to sink unfancied Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 5-7 7-5 6-0 6-2 for his second title in Melbourne.

8. Wimbledon 2006 - Federer takes his winning streak on grass to 48 matches by beating arch rival Rafael Nadal 6-0 7-6 (7/5) 6-7 (2/7) 6-3 for a fourth Wimbledon crown.

9. US Open 2006 - Federer become the first man in the Open era to win three successive titles Wimbledon and New York in the same years by downing Andy Roddick 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1, moving past Agassi and Fred Perry in the list of grand-slam winners.

10. Australian Open 2007 - Federer becomes the first man since 1980 to win a grand slam without dropping a set as he sees off Fernando Gonzalez 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 6-4 for a third title in Melbourne.

11. Wimbledon 2007 - Federer emulates Bjorn Borg by winning a fifth straight title here, beating Nadal for the second year in succession in an epic five-setter - 7-6 (9/7) 4-6 7-6 (7/3) 2-6 6-2 - that lasted close to four hours.

12. US Open 2007 - Federer was given a tough test by Novak Djokovic but won 7-6 (7/4) 7-6 (7/2) 6-4, despite trailing by a break in each set. It was his fourth consecutive title in New York.

13. US Open 2008 - Federer recovers from his Roland Garros and Wimbledon heartbreak months earlier to win a fifth straight title at Flushing Meadows, beating Britain's Andy Murray 6-2 7-5 6-2 in the final as a second seed.

14. French Open 2009 - Federer grabs the elusive title at Roland Garros by beating surprise finalist Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6 (7/1) 6-4. The Swiss had lost the three previous finals to Nadal.

Soderling: Roger was too good

Robin Soderling hailed Roger Federer as the greatest player of all time after losing to him at Roland Garros.

Federer romped to a 6-1 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 triumph over Soderling to clinch the only major which had eluded him in a glittering career.

The Swede, who beat Rafael Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko en route to the final, said: "I had the two best weeks of my career. Roger is a really worthy winner. To me he is the best player in history so he really deserves to win here at the French as well."

When asked whether the second-set tie-break had been the turning point, he replied: "It's tough to say but he played better than me today.

"I had a few chances but he came up with some extremely good shots at important moments.

"I'm still happy. I had a great tournament. Roger was too good for me today."

Addressing Federer at the presentation ceremony, Soderling added: "You really gave me a lesson on how to play tennis today.

"For me you're the greatest player in history so you really deserved to win this title."

Federer said on BBC1 moments after his win: "The victory was a huge pressure for me today.

"It's one of the best days of my life. Tennis is just my life."

Marat key to Safina downfall

Dinara Safina must be ruing the day her brother talked fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova out of quitting tennis.

Kuznetsova was at such a low ebb during the spring of last year that she contemplated retirement, at the age of 22.

Marat Safin, a leading player on the men's circuit, talked her around and just over a year on, she is the new French Open champion having beaten Safina - Marat's younger sister - with surprising ease yesterday in straight sets.

Kuznetsova is rejuvenated and ready to launch a new bid to become world number one for the first time. But it could all have been so different had she not decided to move training bases from Barcelona to Moscow.

"It's been a tough time for me," she said.

"I lost in Rome (in May last year) and I left for Moscow. I was saying I don't want to train, I don't want to think about it (tennis), I don't want to go back to Spain.

"I said a few times I want to quit tennis. I said it, but I never felt it.

"I said it to Marat a few times. I said, 'Marat, I don't know, maybe I should not play'. He said, 'Are you crazy or what? You have unbelievable opportunities, you just have to play'."

She ended up leaving Spain, after further advice from Roger Federer, at the end of last season and the decision has paid dividends.

Her strong clay-court campaign in 2009 ended with yesterday's win over top seed Safina.

Kuznetsova was the outsider coming into the match but after the first few games in cold, slow conditions on Philippe Chatrier court it became clear it was again not going to be big-hitting Safina's day.

Safina has now lost all three of her grand slam finals and her propensity to clam up on the big occasion is starting to become a serious issue.

She has lost two straight French Open finals as well as the Australian Open final earlier this year, all without winning a single set.

"Tomorrow is another day; I'll be fine," insisted Safina after her 6-4 6-2 defeat.

But deep down she will be furious at having passed up a great chance to authenticate her position as the world number one.

Kuznetsova, the US Open champion in 2004, has never been at the top of the rankings, but still has two grand slam titles in her collection.

Playing without fear and simply for enjoyment is bringing the best out of the 23-year-old, who admitted she can retire a happy woman having won her favourite two Majors.

"Everything's great. I'm just doing the thing I love - it's my passion and it's my job, this is it," she said.

"I cannot wish for more. I'm just looking forward to new battles."

Kuznetsova will climb from seventh to fifth when the new rankings come out, and can now head to Wimbledon with renewed hope of a first success at SW19.

Flawless Federer storms to historic first French crown

The tennis gods brewed up a storm around Roland Garros on Sunday afternoon as they prepared to welcome a new member into their midst. Roger Federer repelled the rain, thunder, and a certain Robin Soderling to take his rightful place among the immortals of the game. The Swiss produced a near-flawless display, delighting his fans with the full range of shots that have made him arguably the greatest player of his era, to sweep aside Robin Soderling 6-1 7-6(1) 6-4 and seal his first-ever French Open title. The triumph enabled Federer to become only the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam tournaments, and also saw him equal Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors. The enormity of his achievement was evident on match point when Federer fell to the red earth of Roland Garros weeping tears of joy. Minutes later, Andre Agassi was on hand to present the Coupe des Mousquetaires and share in the Swiss legend’s delight as he held the trophy to the air, 10 years after the American had sealed his own career Slam with a far more hard-fought win here over Andrei Medvedev. Early stranglehold Federer owed his victory to a brilliant performance, by far his best of the tournament, in which he took a stranglehold on the match from the outset and clinically dissected his opponent’s game. Seemingly overwhelmed by the event, Soderling was unrecognizable in the first set from the man who had swept all before him – including four-time champion Rafael Nadal – in his run to the final. The giant Swede was simply unable to find any rhythm or indeed any semblance of the form he had shown throughout the tournament, not that Federer gave him the slightest chance to settle. The Swiss is a past master at winning Grand Slam finals and his experience was made to tell as he immediately got into his groove. His first serve was strong (firing down 16 aces throughout the match), his shot selection astute and return of serve simply breathtaking. The Swede’s wayward hitting early on made it easy for him, but Federer needed no second invitation to rack up the games and put some daylight between himself and his opponent. Federer mixed up his shots brilliantly, slicing on the backhand side before accelerating his forehand follow-up to knock his opponent off guard. While Soderling’s earlier adversaries, including Nadal, had to a certain extent played into his hands by trying to outhit the Swede in hard-hitting baseline exchanges. Roger was not about to fall into the same trap. Making full use of his superb drop shot, tricky slice and mid-court angles, he moved the Swede forward and back almost at will. Stormy weather The first set was over in the blink of an eye, 6-1, wrapped up in just 23 minutes. The only thing that could knock the world No2 off his stride was the on-court intruder who briefly unsettled his concentration at 2-1 in the second set. Federer lost that game, and with storm clouds beginning to hover over Philippe Chatrier court, the momentum gradually began to shift. Little by little, Soderling righted his ship, steadying his serve and finally hitting the booming forehands that had proved so devastating earlier over the previous fortnight. The rain gained in intensity through the middle games of the second set, and with a delay looking more of a possibility, both players looked for the break that would give them a huge psychological advantage to take into the locker room. The drizzle eased off however, and Federer’s serve kept him out of trouble heading into the match-shaping tie-break. Brilliant tie-break The No2 seed then seized the moment to demonstrate why he is, for so many, the greatest player of all time. He banged down four aces no less, a forehand winner and a magnificent drop shot en route to a 7-1 success that earned him a two-set lead and definitively turned the match in his favour. In a hangover from the tie-break, Soderling immediately dropped his serve in the next game – a crucial moment as the No23 seed actually looked the more dangerous player as the third set wore on. On the few occasions that he drew Federer into a long rally, Soderling would invariably pull out a winner, but the Swiss refused to be distracted from his game plan, throwing Soderling off his rhythm with kicking second serves when his first service began to falter and sending passing shots down the line whenever the Swede came to the net. The Swede earned his first break point of the match at 1-3 and then again had a chance to break back at 4-5, 30-40 when Federer was serving for the match. Had he taken either of those two points, the outcome of the match may have been very different. Fitting denouement As it was, the end was what most neutrals had been hoping for, and suitably moving. Soderling mishit on break point, Federer coolly dispatched a volley to take himself to championship point, and then a big serve proved to be enough as Soderling netted the return. Federer fell to his knees, the crowd rose to their feet and the thunder rumbled overhead…

Federer displays greatness in winning first Roland Garros

This time, Rafael Nadal was not lying in wait in the final, but Roger Federer perhaps faced down a more formidable opponent – history. In a remarkable performance given the weight of the occasion, Roger Federer won his record-tying 14th Grand Slam title 6-1 7-6 (1) 6-4 win over No23 seed Robin Soderling of Sweden. In winning his first Roland Garros title, Federer achieved the one goal that had eluded him, taking the world’s most important clay court title with a sterling performance. He served as well as he ever has on red brick, nailing 16 aces including four in the critical second set tiebreak. He dominated with his forehand, moved fluidly, knifed his backhand and kept the Swede guessing all day long. While Soderling came out of the tunnel extremely nervous, he fought hard in the last two sets but could never impose his quick-fisted style. “Every time I played Roger, after the match I always said ‘I played so bad today’. Now I learned that it's not that I played bad, he makes me play bad. So that's what's so difficult playing against him,” said Soderling, who fell to 0-10 against Federer. The Swiss world No2 was shaking with nerves in trying to close the match out as he knew that while the champion’s cup was within his grasp, it could also be snatched from him. He stood up to be counted however, serving well enough and keeping his ground strokes true, and as he usually has throughout his storied career, he answered the call. While Federer’s three main rivals – four-time champion Rafael Nadal, No3 Andy Murray and No4 Novak Djokovic – fell before they had a chance to tango with the great Swiss, Federer still put down strong challenges by Jose Acasuso (four sets), Tommy Haas (five sets), local favourites Paul-Henri Mathieu (four sets) and Gael Monfils (three sets), No5 Juan Martin Del Potro (five sets) and finally Soderling, who had eliminated Nadal. The Swiss managed to clear the final hurdle even though he knew that had he failed to win the title, he would have been criticized for not taking care of business when the other elite players had been vanquished. Playing with that kind of pressure match in, match out is perhaps the hardest challenge, and Federer met it head on, using his wealth of experience and a tremendous amount of guts and variety to win the title. “He’s never shown us with pressure that he won’t step up,” said 1999 Roland Garros champion Andre Agassi who presented Federer with the winner’s trophy. “He had to deal with this one guy named Nadal who has been his Achilles heel, but every time it was thought he would not step to the plate again or that the achievements and the records would get the better of him, he’s always risen to the occasion.” Federer had been seriously tested this year, losing a heartbreaking final to Nadal at the Australian Open, suffering a back injury and taking losses to Murray at Doha and at Indian Wells, to Stanislas Wawrinka in Monte Carlo and to Djokovic and Miami and Rome. He returned to form in Madrid, scoring his first win over Nadal in five matches and when he arrived in Paris, he felt that he could negotiate the rough waters. He may have been roughed up along the way, but his spirit was not broken. “That's the true test of a champion and it's so fitting that he won here,” Agassi said. “He deserved it, earned it, he's come across in a generation where he was the second greatest clay courter for five years and dominating everyone except one guy. You can call it unlucky or say he stepped up to the plate and he dealt with his challenges and achieved it.” There were those who thought that Federer did not have a Roland Garros title in him, especially after Nadal crushed him 6-1 6-3 6-0 in last year’s final. But Federer himself never lost the faith and earlier this year took six weeks off to focus on his fitness and also put in hundreds of practice hours on clay courts. He has improved on the surface, adding a nifty drop shot that earned him dozens of points during the tournament, and seems more confident sliding into his ground strokes. The world No2 became only the sixth man to win all Grand Slam titles and just the second, after Agassi, to win majors on all four surfaces (both Agassi and Federer won Australian Opens on Rebound Ace before the tournament switched to a more traditional hard court two years ago). Whether he is the greatest player ever will be debated well into the next decade, but he is certainly a major part of the conversation now and at the age of 27, might well have a few more majors left in him. After all, Sampras won his 14th crown when he was 31. Perhaps the last word should be left to Federer’s opponent on Sunday. “I’ve never played anyone playing that fast,” said Soderling. “He's a great player. He doesn't have any weaknesses at all. He really deserves to be called the best player of all time.”

2009 French Open men's singles final in figures

1 Roger Federer won his very first Roland Garros title at the age of 27. 2 Roger Federer had never before won a Grand Slam after twice being taken to five sets. In this year’s French Open, the Swiss beat Tommy Haas 6-7 5-7 6-4 6-0 6-2 in the fourth round and Juan Martin Del Potro 3-6 7-6 2-6 6-1 6-4 in the semi-final. 6 Roger Federer became only the sixth man in history to win all four Grand Slam tournaments after Fred Perry (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 3 Wimbledons, 3 US Opens between 1933 and 1936), Donald Budge (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between1937 and 1938), Rod Laver (3 Australian Opens, 4 French Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between 1960 and 1969), Roy Emerson (6 Australian Opens, 2 French Opens, 2 Wimbledons, 2 US Opens between 1961 and 1967) and Andre Agassi (4 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 1 Wimbledon, 2 US Opens between 1992 and 2003). Like Agassi, Federer won on four different surfaces. 8 Roger Federer is one of eight players to have reached at least four Roland Garros finals. Like all his predecessors, he has now won the title. 10 Roger Federer has now won all ten matches he has played against Robin Soderling. 11 Roger Federer won the French Open on his eleventh appearance here. Just like Andre Agassi in 1999. 12 Robin Soderling will move into 12th position in the world rankings on Monday. Wins over David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Gonzalez will take him into his highest placing ever. Roger Federer stays at number 2 in the rankings. 14 Roger Federer equalled Pete Sampras’ record number of Grand Slam triumphs Sampras won 2 Australian Opens, 7 Wimbledons and 5 US Opens between1990 and 2002. Federer has won 3 Australian Opens, 1 French Open, 5 Wimbledons and 5 US Opens between 2003 and 2009. 25 Roger Federer is the 25th different winner of Roland Garros since the start of the Open era in 1968. 41 Roger Federer hit 41 winners (including 16 aces) in the final, and 24 unforced errors. Robin Soderling hit 24 winners and 24 unforced errors. 59 Roger Federer won his 59th career title today. He is eighth in the Open era list behind Andre Agassi with 60 titles. 1 060 000 Roger Federer pocketed the tidy sum of €1,060,000 and 2000 ATP points, while Robin Soderling earned €530,000 and 1200 ATP points.