It’s been more than a day since Roger Federer proved once again that he still has it besting Scot Andy Murray in straight sets to make tennis history becoming the first men’s singles player to win five straight at two different grand slams.

That the remarkable 27 year-old Swiss Maestro was able to reel off five in a row at Wimbledon (2003-07) and here in New York at the U.S. Open (2004-08) is even more unbelievable and speaks to just how special a player he really is. With so many questioning if he could win a slam in what’s been a challenging year by his extremely high standards dropping a semi down under to eventual champ Novak Djokovic and then losing twice to Nadal (routed at French) including the epic five setter at Wimbledon, a determined Federer elevated his level besting the world’s No.3 player in four sets and then turning back the clock to take apart the new No.4 first-time slam finalist Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 becoming the first to win five in a row since Bill Tilden.

This was a great story seeing Roger rise up to claim No.13 of what he promises won’t be his last drawing plenty of cheers and laughter from a very supportive Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd Monday. It puts him only one behind Pete Sampras’ slam record 14. As difficult as the road ahead should prove with archrival Nadal, Djokovic and now Murray adding his name to the list of serious contenders, I believe Federer will win the required two majors passing Sampras who ironically enough he edged in a three set exhibition at Madison Square Garden earlier this year.

Feds is still extremely hungry and has something left. The serve is still there as he demonstrated against Djokovic blasting 20 aces. The forehand is still one of the best in the game and when many including myself questioned why it was misfiring more than usual particularly in that five set fourth round struggle versus a game Igor Andreev, he rediscovered the winning formula fixing his movement taking the right steps and ripping that inside out forehand we’ve grown so accustomed to seeing for many huge winners.

There also was the rebirth of that Sampras-esque backhand which was always the more underappreciated shot of Pistol Pete as well as Roger which sometimes could go off. But there he was cracking it crosscourt and going down the line with verve when he needed it most.

Federer has been able to put together this amazing run over the past five years by playing mostly from the baseline even though he’s more than capable of attacking at the net finishing points there like he did effectively to get past Andreev in a smart tactical adjustment. After that win allowed him to begin to see the finish line where he usually performs so well which might explain the unheard of 18 consecutive slam semi appearances, the Swiss spoke of how his Beijing Olympic doubles experience winning gold alongside countryman Stanislas Wawrinka helped add more confidence at the net. This can only be seen as positive moving forward because in the future, he might need to volley more if he wants to add to his legacy.

Is he the greatest? Tough to say. We never got to see a Sampras in his prime challenge Federer with those images still clear of Roger striking that perfect backhand return winner up the line before dropping to his knees ending Pistol Pete’s dominance on Centre Court at the All England Club. In catching a special on Sampras over at The Tennis Channel, I watched still mesmerized by some of the unreal rallies he was able to win beating the greatest returner in the game fellow American Andre Agassi during their 1995 U.S. Open Final.

People forget how great a ball striker Sampras really was moving just as fluidly as Roger does. But he also had an even better serve able to dominate opponents dialing it up a notch or two for those big aces to climb out of triple break point. Then there was the textbook volleying with that deft touch which was what made him such a special once in a lifetime player. That he was one of our own along with Andre who himself after not putting in the work went on to win eight majors made it that more meaningful. The greatest tennis rivalry featured a couple of Americans who carried every bit of respect that Federer and Nadal have for each other today.

The biggest difference is it was so much easier to promote our stars as Nike portrayed with those classic tennis commercials with Pete and Andre taking to the streets of Manhattan bringing the net with them.

Who didn’t love it? This was as good as it got for tennis fans here. Our sport needs that again. It would help if Andy Roddick could just find that extra gear and beat a Djokovic instead of what he says firing up the Serb in a quarter defeat. It would also be nice if James Blake didn’t always fizzle out though he had an excuse this year worn down from all the travel which included a fourth place finish in Beijing before best friend Mardy Fish dismissed him in Round Three.

So, where’s the next American star? Donald Young showed flashes in a highly entertaining first round night match versus Blake which went the distance. Big server Sam Querrey gave Nadal all he could handle in a fourth round encounter which went four before the new world No.1 prevailed. He certainly shows promise. With a little more seasoning, you have to believe the promising 20 year-old Californian will be on the upswing the next couple of years.

For now, there’s Federer and Nadal with Djokovic and Murray right behind as they’ve separated themselves from the pack. That’s why it should be interesting to see what happens at this year’s Masters Cup and takes home the hardware.

No matter what happens the rest of the way, Federer again proved why he’s arguably one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket. We’ll never really know how he’d have fared against a Rod Laver or Sampras. But what he has accomplished against some pretty stiff competition speaks volumes for how driven he really is.

Nobody can ever question him again.

It comes from the one and only Roger Federer following some more tennis history becoming the first male singles player to win five straight at two different grand slams after defeating Scot Andy Murray in yesterday’s U.S. Open Final 6-2, 7-5, 6-2.

The elegant 27 year-old Swiss Maestro silenced many doubters with a terrific run at the final grand slam event of the season atoning for dropping the last two finals to world No.1 Rafael Nadal including that all-time Wimbledon classic. It resulted in his fifth Open in a row becoming the first man to accomplish this remarkable feat since Bill Tilden back in the 1920’s.

The exciting victory in front of many pro-Federer supporters who adopted the graceful champion even moving him to say he “felt like a New Yorker” was his 13th career grand slam title- moving him within one of Pistol Pete Sampras’ record 14.

A man who just the other day after a well earned four set semifinal triumph over world No.3 Novak Djokovic indicated that he didn’t care who the opponent was between Murray or Nadal and “just wanted the trophy” knew again what to say after making some more tennis history. When asked by CBS veteran broadcaster Dick Enberg about whether No.13 was lucky or unlucky, a grinning Roger pointedly remarked:

“One thing’s for sure. I’m not going to stop at 13. That would be terrible.”

He sure knows how to play to a crowd who saluted him with laughter and thunderous cheers paying tribute to arguably the greatest male tennis player in the history of the sport. Something a classy runner-up Murray alluded to getting lots of applause from the crowd. For the 21 year-old Scot who officially moved up to a career high No.4 in the world making his first slam final, he was the first British man in the U.S. Open Final since Fred Perry won it back in 1936 also winning Wimbledon which marks the last time a man from their country won a major.

Though Andy had a tough call go against him which would’ve given him a break for 3-2 in the second set, he didn’t complain as Federer gave a vintage performance swinging freely from both sides rocketing that inside out forehand wherever he wanted playing the kind of match we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

Congrats to Roger on winning No.13 and proving many including yours truly who picked Djokovic to beat him and Nadal! It was great to see.

We’ll have more later on what was another memorable Open here in NYC including American Serena Williams rising up to a strong challenge from Serb Jelena Jankovic to claim her third Open title in an ultra competitive two sets 6-4, 7-5. She also became No.1 in the world again for the first time in five years.

All in all, a great couple of weeks for tennis fans.

He heard all the talk all tournament long. The gasps from a very supportive New York crowd who have been pulling for him to make some more history.

Roger Federer wasn’t the same player anymore. How could he be when he’d not won a major so far this year even falling on his favorite Centre Court in an epic five setter to chief rival Rafael Nadal?

Before this season, the Swiss Maestro entered ranked as the world’s top player for a fourth consecutive year having won all 12 of his grand slams spanning the past five years (2003-07) taking five straight at the All England Club while reeling off four in a row here in New York along with three more down under. One of the most remarkable runs in the sport of tennis.

Maybe the way he made most of those championships look spoiled us as he inched closer to Pete Sampras’ slam record 14. That’s when discussion began about just how many Federer could win. It wasn’t whether he’d match Sampras and win the three required to become the most successful male singles tennis player of all-time. Just a question of when.

That’s when things got more interesting that first month in Australia when Novak Djokovic got the better of him in straight sets in the semis en route to his first career major over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. It later came out that Roger wasn’t totally right coming back from mono.

He still wasn’t 100 percent losing more than usual before the French Open. Even surprise first-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist Mardy Fish served him off the court in two sets and Andy Roddick finally snapped his losing streak. Federer still ran through his first six opponents in Roland Garros for a third rematch against the king of clay Nadal. The last two times, he took a set off the Spaniard but this time wound up getting smoked in such humiliating fashion like no one had ever seen.

Just like that, murmurs started that Federer was being gained on quickly by Nadal. Up till that point, all their grand slam finals had been very competitive including Roger’s tying fifth straight at Wimbledon matching legend Bjorn Borg in which he dug deep in a fifth set to keep the Spaniard from celebrating a French and Wimbledon in the same year. But this time, most predicted the changing of the guard with the torch being passed. What they got was arguably the greatest tennis match given the circumstances. Though Federer fought valiantly back from two sets down, he still came up just a little short allowing Nadal to finally do the unthinkable conquering him on his favorite court.

Even if he didn’t have the No.1 ranking at that juncture, he’d become the first male player to sweep the French and Wimbledon in the same year since Borg and deserved the top spot. Eventually, Federer’s slump continued losing earlier than expected in hardcourt events while Nadal won one and finished runner-up to Djokovic. Finally, he was No.1 and carried that new pressure into this year’s final slam here in Flushing Meadows.

Perhaps this boded well for Federer who still came in as the four-time rating champion because for once, the pressure was off. Sure. Many expected the recently turned 27 year-old to go deep into the tournament. However, even in this space, we took Djokovic to beat him and then defeat Nadal for his second slam of the season.

There was the former top ranked player struggling two rounds earlier to get by feisty Russian baseliner Igor Andreev changing tactics by going to the net to pull out a very hard fought five setter advancing to the quarters versus surprise qualifier Gilles Muller, whose name last rang to prominence in these parts when he upset Andy Roddick in 2005. Even against the rejuvenated lefty from Luxembourg, Federer had to come up with his best to oust him in straights taking two close tiebreakers emerging into the semis where he awaited the Djokovic-Roddick winner.

Djokovic had already been pushed needing a very close four to edge young Croat Marin Cilic and then with conditioning becoming a factor showed resolve besting Tommy Robredo in five to setup his now well documented encounter with Roddick where pre-match banter fired the 21 year-old No.3 ranked Serb up inspiring him to a hard fought four set triumph.

The final rematch was set between the two best hardcourters. With steady rain in Saturday’s forecast due to Tropical Storm Hanna, U.S. Open officials moved the much anticipated first semi to 11 AM at Ashe Stadium. Would that give an edge to someone? It didn’t really matter as both had to prepare for the earlier start unaware if they’d even complete their match while pondering what would happen with the other semi between Nadal and soon to be new No.4 Andy Murray.

Federer is six years older than Djokovic but nobody strikes a bigger ball than the fiery Serbian who ticked off fans with his comments the other night adding fuel to the fire. There’s little doubt that his time is coming which was precisely why I took him to capture his first U.S. Open adding it to the Australian.

That said, there was the champ bringing his ‘A’ game. Especially on his much overlooked serve where he served 20 aces to his opponent’s six with many of them proving large. There also was the trademark footwork along with the great defense shifting to offense playing a very crisply finishing with 51 winners while committing 28 unforced errors. This came against a bigger guy who was crushing the ball as hard as he could trying his best to dictate rallies. Instead, it was Djokovic who had eight less winners (43) while making 19 more errors (47).

At a set apiece late in the third set, Federer wouldn’t allow Djokovic to gain the upperhand. Trailing 4-5, he easily held serve to stay alive putting the pressure squarely back on Novak, who came unraveled at 30-all letting a fan bother him. Though he still got into the point, he missed an easy forehand netting it showing the frustration by motioning with his arms at the crowd as if to say, ‘Thanks a lot.’

When Federer’s at his best, he has that uncanny ability to seize the momentum a la Sampras. With the crowd urging him on, he played an excellent point drawing Djokovic in and then ripping a hard backhand which the Serb couldn’t handle volleying it way out for the key break. He then followed up by easily serving out the third set pulling within one more of a fifth consecutive U.S. Open final.

“I had moments out there where I really felt, ‘This is how I normally play on hard court’—half-volleys, passing shots, good serving, putting the pressure on, playing with the wind, using it to my advantage,” he would later say.

“I definitely had moments during today where I thought, ‘This is how I would like to play every time.’ So it was a very nice feeling, actually, to get that feeling back.”

At that point, a weary Djokovic was almost out of fuel. He stayed on serve the first couple of games but it was just a matter of time before Federer got him. Sensing that his tired opponent was going for broke trying to end rallies quicker, the experienced Swiss champ wisely used his defense to keep points alive and let Djokovic self destruct handing him the fifth game for a 3-2 lead.

After serving out of trouble to consolidate the break, Federer went for the kill grabbing the moment when Djokovic misfired again to get the insurance. With his opponent defeated, Federer served it out at love and left the court with that huge winner’s grin you’ve grown accustomed to seeing.

He had displayed a lot more emotion following his fourth round win over Andreev pumping his fists and screaming, “Yeah” at the top of his lungs. The New York crowd definitely loved seeing that kinda emotion from a classy champion who usually doesn’t let it all out for everyone to see.

“I feel a little bit New Yorker right now,” Federer acknowledged. “I definitely appreciate the efforts from the fans, supporting me and pushing me forward.”

Nobody can ever question his hunger as it’s never wavered despite the disappointments of the last three slams. Now, here he is in a third straight slam final looking for more history trying to match Bill Tilden and win five straight U.S. Open championships.

With Nadal trailing Murray by two sets 2-6, 6-7 (5), 3-2 with the conclusion later today and the final awaiting tomorrow, he’ll now patiently await the winner looking to capture grand slam No.13 which would be only one behind Sampras.

When asked who he preferred, a man who always seems to know what to say in these moments gave the appropriate answer to loud cheers:

“Who do I prefer?” a smiling Federer said before answering:

“I prefer the trophy. That’s what I prefer.”

What else would you expect?

When his opponent’s final groundstroke hit the net, Andy Roddick let out an enthusiastic, ‘Yeah’ looking over to his box which included eye candy fiance swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker along with “temporary coach” and David Cup captain Patrick McEnroe along with older brother John Roddick before celebrating his more routine third round victory over 31st seeded Italian Andreas Seppi, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (4) Sunday at a packed Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows.

“This is probably the most intimidating court in the world if you’ve never been on it before,” the just turned 26 year-old No.8 seeded American told CBS court reporter Mary Joe Fernandez afterwards to delightful laughter from the New York crowd which enjoyed what they saw.

There stood the former 2003 U.S. Open champion five years removed from his greatest career achievement where he won his only major by grinding from a couple of sets down fighting off match point against David Nalbandian in the semis before using that powerful serve to crush Juan Carlos Ferrero in a lopsided final. It’s the picture which followed after that last ace down the tee where you see a younger Roddick looking like a kid in a candy store with that ear to ear grin as if to say, ‘I really did it.’

That he did and at the time was ranked No.1 in the world and deservedly so. A lot has happened since then for the man who’s still America’s brightest hope when it comes to winning the final tennis grand slam of the year. It wasn’t long ago when he was the biggest threat on grass to Roger Federer pushing him a close fought four sets a few years ago before losing despite one of the best matches of his career. There was also that little run he had with former coach Jimmy Connors a couple of years prior when he went all the way to the final and once again made Federer sweat before falling in four.

Fast forward to the present and now Roddick’s fighting to get back in the top five as the men’s field gets even more competitive. A couple of nights prior, he had to overcome a young up and comer in Latvian Ernests Gulbis who hit the ball even bigger frequently pushing Roddick around for a ridiculous 79 winners- 37 more than the kid from Austin, Texas whose passion always comes out when he plays New York City.

Though the other birthday boy who turned 20 while Andy became 26 had him down a set and 5-3 a couple of points away from deep trouble, Gulbis never could finish off the determined American who used his guile and experience to stay in there. No way could his opponent who entered with a career mark two under .500 keep up this frenetic pace.

Finally, nerves crept in and he began misfiring from the baseline losing concentration while Roddick locked in grabbing the last four games of the set to square the match reeling off seven straight en route to a double break third set turning the tide. He’d pull out a tighter fourth set getting that final break to advance past a tough second round opponent.

“Tonight was probably one of those ones I won on effort,” he would later say Friday night after playing smart efficient tennis committing just 21 unforced errors to his opponent’s 60.

“He was definitely outplaying me for the first two sets. I felt like a little kid out here playing against him,” Roddick quipped before adding:

“And then the clock struck 12, and I started playing, well, as a 26-year-old.”

Laughter ensued from the remainder of a supportive crowd which stayed until 1:30 in the morning showing him the kind of love we’ve seen with our favorite New York sports stars with frequent chants of, “Let’s Go An—dy” and “An—dy Ro—dd—ick.”

Roddick’s always worn his emotion on his sleeves. When things don’t go well as they weren’t for nearly two sets, he’ll do something like smash his racket into smithereens before regaining his composure urged on by legions of supporters who he properly credited for keeping him focused.

“You guys kept me in there when I was losing my head,” a heartfelt Roddick told them to loud cheers. When asked by USA’s Michael Barkan if he had what it took to go all the way, he indicated:

“If this crowd comes with me the whole way, who knows?”

No question Roddick is fully aware how much the overwhelming support of the New York crowd can help him in his quest to win a second U.S. Open. It’s certainly been a challenging year which has seen him ousted in the third round down under, pulling out of the French due to a shoulder injury before a disappointing second round exit at another big slam he was once considered a large threat in Wimbledon.

Unlike many, he opted to skip the Beijing Summer Olympics and play a couple of tuneups which didn’t produce any titles falling to rising Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro in an LA final while losing in the quarters to 93rd ranked Serb Viktor Troicki at the nation’s capital a couple of weeks ago.

Perhaps the extra week off allowed him to enter the Open fresher than he’s been. Now 26, health is a concern for Roddick who still is one of the hardest hitters on the ATP Tour. For that reason alone, you can’t discount the Omaha, Nebraska native. Especially on the hard courts at Ashe.

Even if all the focus is on new No.1 Rafael Nadal, slumping four-time rating champ Roger Federer and even rising No.3 Serb Novak Djokovic, Roddick still has a puncher’s chance and might just get to go through two of the three with a potential quarter showdown against Djokovic and Federer as a projected semifinalist.

For now, Roddick awaits the winner between No.11 seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and lefty Finn Jarkko Nieminen. If he continues to play steady and hit the ball firm as he indicated earlier today, he’s better than either and should setup that intriguing quarterfinal match against Djokovic provided he gets past dangerous 19 year-old Croat Marin Cilic tonight.

Despite winning in straight sets to make the Round of 16, Roddick is fully aware that he must step it up even more if he’s to make that serious push for a second grand slam under the bright lights.

This is his season. It’s the biggest reason he pushes on.

-Rafael Nadal took another step closer to the No.1 ranking by defeating veteran German Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 6-2 to capture the Rogers Cup in Toronto yesterday for his ATP Tour leading seventh title of the year. It also marked his fifth consecutive tournament win and extended his match win streak to 29 straight. The 22 year-old No.2 ranked Spaniard also captured a fourth straight French Open and first ever Wimbledon becoming the first male tennis player to win both since Bjorn Borg in 1980. He defeated Scot Andy Murray in straight sets to reach the final after Murray had upset No.3 ranked Serb Novak Djokovic in the quarters of an upset marred tournament which saw top ranked Roger Federer, No.4 Russian Nikolay Davydenko, No.5 Spaniard David Ferrer and No.6 American Andy Roddick all bounced in the third round.

Nadal was able to avoid the upset bug to capture his first hard court tournament of the season. Though Kiefer raised his level early in the second set getting a few break points in the fifth game, the resilient Nadal fought them off and held serve before breaking the German’s spirit with two breaks to take the last four games for the championship.

If he continues to get solid results on the hard courts, then Nadal has to be considered a serious U.S. Open contender. He now believes he can win on any surface:

“I win on every surface, no? I win on grass, on hard, on indoor, and on clay, too. So if I am playing my best tennis I can win on every surface, no?”

In his career, Nadal’s now won 30 titles, making him the third youngest player to win that many behind Borg and Jimmy Connors.

He now trails Federer by just 300 points in the rankings boasting an impressive 61-7 record in 2008. So, can he finally overtake the 12-time slam winner who’s held the top spot a record 234 weeks in a row?

“Every player wants to be No. 1, no? I would love to be No. 1, but I am No. 2 right now. I’m very happy for be No. 2. Because with my titles, with my points, in a normal situation I, well, would have been No. 1 before. So I think I have to be happy, very happy anyway if I am No. 1 or No. 2. Because if I am No. 2 it’s because in front of me there is amazing player like Roger (Federer).”

-The Mets are now in first place in the NL East after scoring two runs in the home eighth to beat the Phillies 3-1 at Shea on Kids Day. Carlos Delgado continued his resurgence by knocking in the two go-ahead runs delivering a clutch two out two-run double down the left field line plating both Robinson Cancel and David Wright, who was intentionally passed over to get to the first base slugger. Though Delgado was only 2 for his previous 17 against Phils’ lefty reliever J.C. Romero, that really couldn’t be factored into pitching to the Mets’ hottest hitter in such a crucial situation. Honestly, I think I would’ve walked him also and gone after switch hitting center fielder Carlos Beltran, who doesn’t have the best reputation deliver in big spots and frequently keeps the bat on his shoulder. Not surprisingly, the numbers bare it out:

Beltran 2008 Situational Splits

Particularly with men on base and two outs, the $16 million man is not doing much. Not only would it have been a more calculated move but Beltran hardly has any power from the right side with only two of his 15 home runs and 17 of 70 runs knocked in coming from that side. Sure. He doesn’t face as many lefties but who would you rather have beat you? A sizzling Delgado or a fragile Beltran, who seems to always fail in these situations? It’s a no-brainer.

-The Amazin’s had to also be extremely pleased with Oliver Perez, who has continued to dominate lately. This time, he went seven and two thirds permitting just Jayson Werth’s seventh inning tying dinger on six hits, intentionally walking one and fanning a season best 12 with half that impressive output coming against Chase Utley and Ryan Howard (three apiece). Perez did a good job pitching out of a couple of jams getting Howard swinging to end one threat. He also got some help from winner Aaron Heilman, who came in and got Werth to fly out harmlessly to Beltran leaving the bases loaded in the top half of the eighth.

-The Phils did a poor job with runners on base stranding double the amount the Mets had: Phi-12, NYM-6. Early in the contest, Utley and Howard failed to get a runner in from third both whiffing. Left field slugger Pat Burrell also didn’t get the job done in another frame popping out to shallow left with one out. It’s no wonder manager Charlie Manuel wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance as they have now dropped all four series to the Queens club posting a 4-9 record with a couple of series left:

“Something’s not in tune. We have to pick it up. I don’t know if it’s hungry enough. I haven’t put my finger on it, but we have to get after it more. We don’t now have that extra kick, the kick we used to have.”

-By contrast, Jerry Manuel gave high praise to his resilient club who not only battled back from a seven and a half game deficit but bounced back in a big way taking the next two games responding to Monday’s debacle:

“I’m very proud of the way this team bounced back after that game the other night. We’ve been resilient for a long period of time.”

Under the new skipper, the Mets boast a 21-12 record and have won 13 of 16 to lead the Phillies by a game and the Marlins by two after Florida fell to the Cubs 6-3 at Wrigley.

-One other disturbing note from the Phils was that Jimmy Rollins was scratched by Manuel due to arriving late at the ballpark for the early 12:10 start. That’s inexcusable and not the first time the 2007 NL MVP has been sat down. Replacement Eric Bruntlett had a solid game finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles off Perez. It’s hard to comprehend why J-Roll would be late for such an important game. Perhaps Manuel’s onto something in his assessment about his team not having that extra edge as they did last year.

-Also lost in the defeat for Philadelphia was an outstanding performance from veteran southpaw Jamie Moyer, who allowed just a run on two hits while walking three and striking out six in seven innings of work on 91 pitches. What more could they have asked for from the crafty 45 year-old out of Pennsylvania who continues to defy logic? I realize he’s pretty old but don’t you think the decision to have Romero start the eighth was a mistake? Moyer had baffled the Mets all day. You’re telling me he couldn’t get a couple of more batters? Sure. Romero’s been a reliable late game reliever for Manuel. Just maybe Moyer should have remained in this one time. Always easy to second guess here.

-Condolences go out to Mets’ starter Pedro Martinez, who lost his Dad Pablo Jamie to brain cancer at the age of 79. The three-time Cy Young winner arrived back home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic yesterday to pay respect to his old man, who he said was “a great support to me from the beginning of my career.”

Martinez was tonight’s scheduled starter versus the Cards but obviously won’t return to the mound for the first time since July 12 with instead Mike Pelfrey going on regular rest.

-The Warriors signed guard Monta Ellis to a six-year $66 million deal. No shock here as the 22 year-old former 2005 second round steal is finally ready to assume a leadership role with Baron Davis gone to the Clippers. After improving leaps and bounds in his second season, Ellis continued his emergence averaging a career high 20.2 PPG along with five boards, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals. He also shot a very efficient 53.1 percent from the field.

-How is signing former Florida Gator long range bomber Anthony Roberson going to make the Knicks any better?!?!?!?!?!

-Now that he’s lost early in Toronto in three sets to Gilles Simon, should Roger Federer be concerned about his top ranking? If Rafael Nadal figures out the hard courts, look out.

-Last night, the Clippers acquired center Marcus Camby from the Nuggets for a 2010 second round pick. Apparently, Denver decided to go in a different direction dealing away the 34 year-old shot blocking big man who led the NBA with 3.61 blocks-per-game last season. The former UMass star played six seasons with the Nuggets after coming over from the Knicks as part of the Antonio McDyess debacle. He also averaged 9.1 PPG and 13.1 boards logging a career high 34.9 minutes.

For the Clippers who lost their best player Elton Brand to the 76ers, it’s understandable why they made the move as it allows them to get a solid replacement and team the defensive oriented Camby with Chris Kaman and new point guard Baron Davis. They’re coming off a dismal 23-59 season- the worst in eight years. So, it was a no-brainer to upgrade the roster in hopes of doubling their win total and possibly making the playoffs in a very crowded West. Still, you wonder if a team with Davis, Camby and Kaman can seriously compete in the Spring.

Did they just do this as a quick fix or because they actually believe they can go far? I believe it’s choice A. Let’s face it. The Clippers have never been about winning. They’re always going to play second fiddle to the Lakers playing in the same area and arena. So, just being able to compete is good enough. If I were a Clips fan, I don’t think I’d be too excited. Sure. They improved. But how much? Perhaps they win a round. They’re not better than the Lakers, Spurs, Jazz or Hornets. And figure the Blazers to be much improved if Greg Oden comes back healthy. It will still be an uphill climb just to make the postseason.

As for the Nuggets, they get the option to swap second round picks in 2010 just so they can get a $10 million trade exception. Funny but didn’t the Knicks turn down a similar deal from the same team for waste of cap space Zach Randolph? So much for the problems at Team Dumb and Dumber Clown Mgt 101 going away with Lord Isiah out of the picture.

At the moment, the Nuggets still have electrifying scoring duo Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. The question is is Rex Chapman looking to rip apart the team and start over? If so, then expect more moves to follow for a team that’s done nothing but disappoint in the first round. At least they’re admitting it’s not good enough. The Clippers apparently are satisfied if they reach that point. It could always be worse. They could be the Knicks.

-Nice pickup by the Hornets inking sharp shooter James Posey to a $25 million, four-year deal. He was an excellent role player off the championship Celtics and should fit in nicely giving Chris Paul another perimeter option. Something which was badly needed. The 31 year-old veteran forward has necessary championship experience winning two rings with Miami (2005-06) and of course Boston (2007-08). This is a smart move.

-If Hideki Matsui does need surgery on his knee, then the Yanks should be expected to step up their search for a slugging outfielder. Would they be interested in Matt Holliday or will the cost be too steep? Seattle’s Raul Ibanez has always been an overlooked player who wouldn’t cost as much. Another possible option which would be an upgrade for first and utility is Cleveland veteran Casey Blake. Blake can play first, third and outfield and is a decent bat. Let’s see how smart Brian Cashman is.

-With Moises Alou’s season pretty much done, figure the Mets also to be in the market for a slugging outfielder. Though it’s hard to justify doing much right now given how well they’re playing. Still, ex-Met Xavier Nady should be on their radar as will Ibanez and Holliday.

-Watching Dan Uggla try to field at second base was like watching a beginner. Heck. Little leaguers could’ve made those plays.

-Perhaps I’m a minority here but does anyone still care about Roger Clemens?

-Just once I’d like to see Alex Rodriguez (seen here) look like he’s enjoying himself. Have you ever seen a more uncomfortable superstar in any sport? It wouldn’t hurt to loosen up instead of looking a certain way as if everything he does has to be choreographed.

-Did anyone really buy that Brett Favre would call it quits after such a good season last year? The 38 year-old Mr. Packer goofed when he announced his retirement. Imagine a competitor like Favre saying goodbye after leading his team to a 13 wins and the NFC Title Game. And given how they lost with him tossing a costly Int which setup the Jay Feely’s winning kick at Lambeau, you had to figure he’d want another crack at it. Favre has no one to blame but himself.

-Could the NFL (No Fun League) make up their minds already about Ahmad Bradshaw?!?!?!?!?!

-A couple of weeks later and it finally set in just how special that Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer was. That will be hard to top for a very long time even if they do meet in other slams.

-Not many care here but international soccer star Ronaldhino transferring from Barcelona to AC Milan is a pretty huge deal in Europe. The 28 year-old Brazilian scoring forward went for 21 million euros or the equivalent of $33.5 million. Can you imagine a star athlete being sold for that much here? Only one comes to mind and that was The Babe from Boston to the Yankees and we all know how that went. Just tells you how different the world of soccer is. If you think there’s pressure on players and coaches here, try following the game of soccer where so much is riding on almost every game with intense media scrutiny. It really does dwarf anything which comes under a microscope here including the A-Rod day-to-day saga.

-Speaking of which, does any other Yankee fan feel like they’ll never win championship No.27 as long as No.13 wears Pinstripes? He’s too much of a distraction. They would’ve been better off letting him walk.

-Red Wings-Blackhawks from Wrigley in the next Winter Classic on New Year’s Day 2009 will be one you won’t want to miss. Especially if it’s anything like the first one between the Pens and Sabres. This is one of the best ideas the NHL has ever had and should continue becoming a tradition which is exactly what the league could use.

-It’s July 16 and Wilson Betemit of a .268 OBP still holds a major league roster spot on the Yankees.

It’s been a while since I actually put what’s floating around my brain out there. Well, the long wait is finally over! Let’s see:

1.The Mets have turned their season around since taking the last three from the Phillies running the table for a 6-0 homestand against NL West bottom feeders San Francisco and Colorado. While it might be true that the competition wasn’t all that great, it’s still pretty impressive how much Jerry Manuel’s suddenly resurgent ballclub dominated outscoring the two teams by a ridiculous 31-4 margin including four shutouts. Even with Pedro Martinez only going four before leaving with stiffness the other night, they still one-hit the Rockies. Then quickly improving second-year pitcher Mike Pelfrey tossed eight more shutout innings last night en route to his eighth win lowering his ERA to 3.64. He hasn’t allowed a run in 16 straight and has transformed into the team’s second best starter behind only ace Johan Santana. Amazing turnaround for the former 2005 first rounder out of Wichita State who looked lost early on with wildness.

2.The Amazin’s have gotten plenty of contributions from unsung heroes Damion Easley and Fernando Tatis but wouldn’t be a season best seven over .500 (51-44) half a game out of first if not for the turnaround of veteran first base slugger Carlos Delgado and spark plug Jose Reyes. Both have been swinging much better bats during the club’s nine-game win streak with Delgado crushing balls deep and Reyes getting base every game, stealing bases, scoring runs and driving in runs including his 10th homer off the scoreboard the other day. He’s back to wreaking havoc and might even make a run at MVP.

3.Yesterday, the Yankees were completely shutdown by A.J. Burnett until Jason Giambi took him deep for No.19 with one out in the ninth breaking the shutout. Burnett fanned eight and lowered his ERA under 5.00 which means he was having a pretty disappointing year. Though you’d never know it by the way the Yanks swing against him. They rarely ever do anything against the former Marlin. It really makes you wonder what it’s going to take for this lineup to wake up. Here they are six behind Boston and five and a half in back of the suddenly reeling Rays (swept by hapless Cleveland for seventh straight defeat). If the bats woke up, you have to figure they’d make a run. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that without leadoff man Johnny Damon and DH Hideki Matsui, this lineup isn’t that good. The only consistent run producers are Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Giambi. Derek Jeter has been hot and cold while Jorge Posada is starting to slow down. Robinson Cano has been a colossal disappointment and Melky Cabrera has regressed. They might have something with the speedy Brett Gardner if he figures out how to reach base consistently.

4.Tell me how Joe Girardi installs Wilson Betemit into the lineup twice against one of the better pitching teams when all he ever does is strikeout? His OBP entering last night was a paltry .275. Before he got to the Yanks, he could draw walks. Now, he’s a K machine who never does. In his two years with the Pinstripes, Betemit has walked a grand total of nine times while fanning 66 times. How does he still have a job?

5.If you haven’t seen A’s pitching prospect Henry Rodriguez throw three straight heaters at 100 MPH, here’s your chance to check it out courtesy of my good Brooklyn buddy Patrick Hickey of dembrooklynbums.com.

6.So Brett Favre has changed his mind once again and wants to comeback which kind of reminds you of John Kerry. Favre is a an all-time great but he’s under contract with the Packers and shouldn’t be released. The team wants to move in another direction with Aaron Rodgers even if Packer fans want to side with No.4 in this debate. They should trade him and get what they can which is only right.

7.Does anyone really care about what silly names Brangelina gave their twins?

8.Speaking of which, the Alex Rodriguez-Cynthia Rodriguez split is getting way too much press. Sadly, that’s what this country has become obsessed with such as silly sites such as TMZ.com. Don’t they got better things to cover than a baseball star’s marriage breakup?

9.The honeymoon on Long Island for Ted Nolan sure lasted long.

10.If Larry Brooks was Ranger GM, he would immediately get rid of half the roster and somehow still find something wrong with it to complain about.

11.I still like the Home Run Derby even though A-Rod, Big Papi and Ryan Howard don’t want to participate because they might waste their arms. Pampered much?!?!?!?!?!

12.If the Knicks don’t get rid of Zach Randolph, they’re even dumber than first thought.

13.Mike Lupica said David Wright, who replaced Alfonso Soriano should’ve got in on the first ballot but is he really having a better year than Chipper Jones? Speaking of Mr. Lupica, his piece on that classic Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer Wimbledon final is a must read. Only question I have is why if he spent the first week there did he not stay for such a potential historic match?

14.Speaking of good writeups from a writer we don’t always agree with, Lupica also had a solid column on the greatness of Yankee closer Mariano Rivera who will be where he belongs on the grandest stage at the old Stadium tomorrow night for the All-Star Game. The man is amazing.

15.Is there a less deserving All-Star than Jason Varitek? I like him too but come on already. Is that really the best they can do?

16.If he played on a better team, the season Grady Sizemore (23 HR, 22 SB) is having might get a lot more attention. How did the Indians go from 3-1 up on Boston last October to falling apart and now into one of baseball’s biggest disappointments selling off C.C. Sabathia for hot shot prospect Matt Laporta? Amazing how quick it can change. Just ask the Rockies as they’ll probably be doing the same with Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins.

17.Name the player:

Player A 

.283

Player B

.284

Hint: Player B was traded and Player A replaced him and could’ve been signed by anyone.

18.There’s no such thing as “the perfect life” which is what Christie Brinkley, who’s been married four times said during divorce proceedings with Peter Cook.

Copyright Flickr

19.After seeing this latest shot of Paula Creamer, there are now as many attractive female LPGA players as WTA stars.

20.Given his latest setback, isn’t it about time Peter Forsberg called it quits?

21.Less than a month until the riveting artistry and sheer grit and determination of Olympic Power Walking.

Copyright Getty Images

It’s a day later and we’re still in shock over what we saw in the longest Wimbledon men’s final at the All England Club. How could it have been any better between the new King of grass Rafael Nadal, who became the first Spaniard to win the men’s title since Manolo Santana (in attendance) against the five-time rating champion Roger Federer, who was bidding to make it six straight surpassing legend Bjorn Borg (also present) and first to do so since 1886?

The memorable five-setter which Nadal won over Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7 concluding at 9:15 British time arguably is the greatest match ever played in the rich tournament’s history invoking memories of Borg’s five-set win over John McEnroe which featured a crazy fourth set tiebreaker won by Mac 18-16 before the Swede cameback to prevail in five hitting that backhand crosscourt pass and kneeling on his knees for his fifth and final title in 1980.

So, was yesterday’s match really better? Tough to say. I never saw the one played 28 years prior but have seen such a great final as unlikely winner Goran Ivanisevic finally winning that elusive Wimbledon over Patrick Rafter in another dramatic five-setter which needed sudden death to decide and featured momentous rain delays. That was pretty great itself. However, this one pitted the two best players against each other slugging the ball like never before seen with the kind of defense to offense transition which is what separates them from everyone else in their sport.

How many times did Federer hit a winner only to see a hustling Nadal lunge over to get the ball back and keep the rally going making the crowd murmur at what they were seeing? Federer also had some great gets as well but it’s rare that the brilliant 26 year-old Swiss 12-time slam winner is outdone on the baseline. Especially on grass where he’d taken 41 in a row at Wimbledon and an unheard of 65 straight on his best surface. It’s a tribute to how great his opponent was yesterday making the necessary adjustments to finally conquer Roger in their third consecutive final.

As Federer sarcastically noted during the trophy ceremony presentation, he “tried everything but went up against the worst possible opponent.”

Anyone else and it would’ve been a record six for a player many consider to be the greatest to ever play the sport. As runner-up also noted, Nadal was “a very worthy champion.”

Sometimes, that’s how it is in a sport which sees changes such as this take place. Was it really the changing of the guard? Yes because no matter what the rankings say which still have Federer some 500+ points ahead of his closest predecessor in the standings, Nadal has won both the French and Wimbledon. He’s surged ahead for now. So while he doesn’t have the No.1 ranking, many will now call him the best player in the world.

Does Rafa still have an awful lot to prove with the hardcourt season around the corner where he’s never fared very well? Absolutely. A quarterfinal or Round of 16 showing at the final grand slam of the year in Flushing at the U.S. Open won’t be enough if he wants to truly be considered the best. It’s time for the kid from Manacor, Mallorca to take that next giant step. He proved he could go deep on a hard court in Melbourne reaching the semis before getting blitzed off the court by Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

We’ll find out this summer if Nadal’s finally up to the challenge now that he’s conquered Federer on grass. The best storyline is that the still top ranked player for more than four years is the best player on hard courts with Novak Djokovic a close second and even Andy Roddick still in the mix with James Blake’s name and game resurfacing. Where does Rafa rate? That’ll be determined over the next couple of months during the U.S. Open Series.

We’ll have a better idea in September.

As for Federer, he’s still without a slam this season and hasn’t gone a whole year without at least one since 2002 before all the Wimbledons when he bowed out to then qualifier Mario Ancic. Amazing that you have to go back that far. In fact, he’s always won at least half the majors since 2004. That is impossible now as the best he can do is five-peating in New York which would be quite a feat in itself.

How does he respond to losing in back-to-back finals including on the Centre Court which he had ruled to his biggest rival? There should be plenty of motivation for a proud champion who still wants to accomplish so much. He still trails Pete Sampras by two for the most slams and has hinted to the press, that he plans to stick around another six to 10 years meaning he wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

However, the pursuit of history has become much more difficult with Nadal continuing to improve and a cocky Djokovic fearless despite winning his first major last January in Australia. The challenges promise to get tougher for Federer as his No.1 ranking is now in jeopardy.

Does he bounceback and finish the season strong by winning a couple of Open Series events plus a fifth consecutive Open or does he let such a heartbreaking defeat- one which he called “my toughest ever” affect him negatively? Federer’s always been so strong mentally. That will get severely tested.

It all makes for an intriguing rest of the summer where even non-tennis fans are still talking about how great Sunday was.

It only promises to get even more interesting.

There aren’t enough words to describe how unbelievable Sunday’s Wimbledon men’s final was between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. That it featured three rain delays and more twists and turns which explained a tournament record four hours and 48 minute marathon featuring some of the most spectacular tennis ever played at the All England Club was a credit to just how special both the No.1 ranked 26 year-old Swiss and the No.2 ranked 22 year-old Spaniard played.

In over two decades of watching tennis, this just might’ve been the best match ever seen. Particularly with so much history on the line. Nadal dethroned the five-time defending champion ending one of the greatest runs ever. Federer’s 65-match win streak on grass finally ended as did his run of 41 in a row at tennis’ most prestigious grand slam.

It looked like Rafa would make it easy on himself by stunning Federer by coming back from 1-4 down in the second set breaking him twice in taking the final five games to go up a commanding two sets. But the proud champion who’s won 12 slam titles didn’t go down easily using the first rain delay to rally back fighting off triple break point to hold before taking a third set tiebreaker on a perfect ace out wide to make it interesting.

It would only get better from there as both players who had been slugging the ball as hard as possible making each other come up with ridiculous shots on the run while playing great defense elevated their elite games even more. Neither faced a break point in set four which was destined for another breaker.

This one was unpredictable as each server had problems winning points. When Nadal jumped out to a two mini-break 5-2 lead, the end seemed in sight with a changing of the guard about to happen. But not so fast as Federer got a rare double fault and then took the next point with a huge forehand to get back on serve. He would save one championship point and then be forced to save yet another in heroic fashion. Trailing 8-7 with Rafa serving, he came up with a very tough backhand pass down the line to ward off defeat. After going up 9-8, a service winner gave a pumped up Roger the set leveling the match before an even more excited crowd which loved every minute.

The quality was that special. Even when Federer dropped the first two sets by identical 6-4 scores, it wasn’t because he was playing poorly but rather spoke to how well Nadal was playing. The kid from Mayorga who’s won four French Opens in a row including three straight versus the world No.1 was much better on the bigger points. If there was a difference in the match, Federer only converted on one of 13 break chances while his younger opponent broke three more times in the same amount of chances (4/13).

Still, Federer had drawn even showing the heart of a proud champion who wouldn’t hand over his crown that easily and looked determined enough to complete a remarkable two set comeback against his equal. There was even more drama as the rain came again delaying play another half hour at two apiece in the final set at Deuce on Roger’s serve making one ponder if they’d be able to finish the match before darkness.

They would get back out there and Nadal again seemed on the verge of cementing that break which would mean what could’ve happened last year had he converted one of those couple of break points early in that fifth set. But Federer again valiantly fought them off to keep it on serve. Would he pull this off and give tennis history by becoming the first player to win six straight in over a century since 1886?

Nadal never blinked serving harder and at a higher percentage. When a Federer forehand went just long in the 15th game finally giving the hungry two-time runner-up the break. The question was could he serve out the championship? He setup a third championship point but yet again was thwarted by a great backhand slice return just out of his reach making it Deuce.

A big serve gave him a fourth opportunity to cash in and this time, Federer couldn’t pull another rabit out of his magic bag of tricks netting a forehand to give Nadal the thrilling victory for his first ever Wimbledon becoming the first Spanish male player to win there since 1966. He immediately slid to the ground by the baseline before getting back up to receive congrats from a gracious champ who really took the defeat tough. Who could blame him? He worked so hard to get back in it and was so close.

The match which started half an hour late due to the first batch of rain ended at 9:15 London time with little light left making for a fantastic scene. Watching a jubilant Nadal climb up and go across to greet his family in the player’s box was a special treat. His Dad had been so emotional throughout. It really was great stuff and theater at its best.

Former three-time Wimbledon champion and current NBC tennis analyst John McEnroe who once went five in another epic some 28 years prior before losing to Bjorn Borg termed it:

 ”the best match I’ve ever seen.”

Pretty strong stuff coming from one of the best American players and someone I always admired. I have so much more to say and will do so later today because it truly was special.

Both players deserve congratulations for putting on a show worthy of an encore which is sure to run on ESPN Classic. This was tennis at its finest.

Congrats also goes out to the Williams sisters, who won the women’s doubles crown after older sis Venus got the better of Serena to repeat and win her fifth Wimbledon. Just remarkable. And it was a very good match too unlike past all-Williams finals with each sister slugging it out and hitting tons of winners and not many errors.

Great to see.

We’ll have much more on Nadal becoming the first player to win the French and Wimbledon in the same year since Borg (1980) later on. Plus analysis on Federer.