LONDON -- That backhand from behind the body in the last game against Andy Murray was so ridiculous that it drew astonished laughter from the patrons on Centre Court.
As Roger Federer explained later, it was the only shot that would have worked with Murray advancing to the net. But what the seven-time Wimbledon champion did not say was that no other player could have imagined the shot, much less have pulled it off for a winner.
After beating Murray 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 on Friday to reach his 10th Wimbledon final, Federer called it "definitely one of the best matches I've played in my career."
Which, of course, is saying something.
His records are becoming unapproachable:
• 142-19 on grass (.882), the best mark in the Open era.
• 79-6 at Wimbledon (.898), 15 more than the only other man to win seven titles here (Pete Sampras).
• 63 consecutive Grand Slam events played, seven more than second-place Wayne Ferreira, and 17 Wimbledon tournaments played, tied with Lleyton Hewitt for the record.
• 291 Grand Slam matches won, 58 more than second-place Jimmy Connors.
Those numbers are of impressive quantity, but what about quality? We tapped into some of the best minds in tennis this fortnight and are proud to present what we think are Federer's 10 greatest Wimbledon matches. Here they are, in reverse order:
Year: 2014
Round: Final
Opponent: Novak Djokovic
Result: Loss, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-4
No. 10: Down two sets to one, Federer came back to force a dramatic fifth set. In the end, Djokovic -- five years younger -- was just a little better. Federer's backhand into the net gave Djokovic his second Wimbledon title and his seventh major, tying him with John McEnroe and Mats Wilander. After it was over, Djokovic ate some of the celebrated Centre Court grass. "I kept believing and kept trying to play offensive tennis," Federer said. "Novak deserved it at the end, clearly, but was extremely close." During the trophy presentation, Djokovic praised Federer, saying, "He's a magnificent champion. I respect your career and everything you have done. Thank you for letting me win today."
Year: 2010
Round: First
Opponent: Alejandro Falla
Result: Win, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0
No. 9: The first match of the fortnight on Centre Court is usually a foregone conclusion. It's the defending champion often matched up against a journeyman. On this occasion, though, it was Federer who faced a journey with an excruciating degree of difficulty. Yes, Falla won the first two sets and managed to produce four break points at 4-all in the third set that would have left him serving for the match. He even did serve for the match in the fourth, but the Colombian could not convert. And so, for only the sixth time in 888 matches, Federer came back from being down two sets to love. "You definitely feel uncomfortable," Federer said afterward. "Thank God, I found it. To come out of this match, I got lucky, but that's how it goes." Federer would lose to Tomas Berdych in the quarters.
Year: 2004
Round: Final
Opponent: Andy Roddick
Result: Win, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 8: Federer, who won his first Grand Slam singles title a year earlier at the All England Club, backed it up with a second consecutive championship. Roddick had won the previous US Open and finished the year as the No. 1-ranked player and, for the first time in 22 years at Wimbledon, the two top men's seeds reached the final. Roddick won the first set and had a serious sniff in the third-set tiebreaker, but Federer managed to win the American's last three service points. For Federer, it was the sixth win against Roddick in seven tries. "I'm going to have to start winning some of them to call it a rivalry," Roddick said. "Losses like this just inspire me more. I just want to keep getting better and better. I feel like I'm on the right track."
Year: 2012
Round: Third
Opponent: Julien Benneteau
Result: Win, 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-1
No. 7: Approaching his 31st birthday, Federer was starting to look vulnerable in majors. Entering Wimbledon, he had failed to reach a final in four consecutive Grand Slam events, something that hadn't happened since 2003. When he lost the first two sets to Benneteau in the third round, it looked like it would be five straight. But Federer rallied against the No. 32-ranked Frenchman. A year after he lost to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals, Federer finished with a flourish. "My God," Federer said, "it was brutal. Benneteau: He's like a rock. If your level is a little bit low he takes the opportunity. Every point against him, you cannot make a mistake." This victory kept Federer's chances for a 17th major alive. Four matches later, he would bag it.
Year: 2012
Round: Final
Opponent: Andy Murray
Result: Win, 4-6 7-5, 6-3, 6-4
No. 6: They split the first two sets, but in the sixth game of the third, Federer made a critical breakthrough. It took 10 deuces and 19 points, but Federer broke Murray with a terrific forehand winner that converted his sixth break-point opportunity. The victory pushed his record Grand Slam singles title total to 17, a number Federer is still on three years later. It was his seventh Wimbledon title. "Feels nice," said Federer of hoisting the trophy. "Like it's never left me. This one comes at the right time in my life. It equals me with Pete Sampras, who's my idol. It just feels amazing."
Year: 2007
Round: Final
Opponent: Rafael Nadal
Result: Win, 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2
No. 5: This was the last time Federer held the upper hand against Rafa at Wimbledon, and it took five sets to do it -- a first in Federer's five-year reign (2003-07) at Wimbledon. Federer became only the second man in the previous century to win five straight Wimbledon titles. The first, Bjorn Borg, watched from the Royal Box. Borg, who won from 1976-80, congratulated Federer afterward. "I'm just happy with such a great run, especially at Wimbledon, the most important tournament of my life," Federer said. "I'm loving every minute of it, that's clear."
Year: 2003
Round: Final
Opponent: Mark Philippoussis
Result: Win, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3)
No. 4: This was where it all began, the first of Federer's record 17 Grand Slam singles titles. His Aussie opponent was ranked No. 48 among ATP World Tour players but had cobbled together a serious streak, knocking off Andre Agassi in the fourth round and arriving in his second major final. The 6-foot-5, 226-pound Philippoussis forced Federer to two tiebreakers but never managed to seriously threaten the Swiss. Ten years later, Federer acknowledged, "Just one of the greatest moments in my life as a tennis player, yeah."
Year: 2009
Round: Final
Opponent: Andy Roddick
Result: Win, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14
No. 3: A year after he left Wimbledon gutted, Federer prevailed in an all-time classic, beating Roddick in five sets. Federer stroked a career-record 50 aces and needed a 30-game fifth set to lock it down. It was the 15th Grand Slam singles title for the Swiss champion, moving him ahead of Pete Sampras on the all-time list. "I'm happy I broke the record here because this is always the tournament that meant the most to me," Federer said. "It definitely feels like coming full circle, starting it here and ending it here."
Year: 2001
Round: Fourth
Opponent: Pete Sampras
Result: Win, 7-6 (7), 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (2), 7-5
No. 2: This was a game-changer. Federer, then a 19-year-old prodigy, ended Sampras' 31-match winning streak at the All England Club and suddenly it felt like a new era. Sampras, a seven-time champion looking for his fifth consecutive title, suffered his earliest exit in a decade. "There are a lot of young guys coming up," Sampras said afterward, "but Roger is a bit extra-special -- he has a great all-around game. Like me, he doesn't get too emotional and is a great athlete."
Year: 2008
Round: Final
Opponent: Rafael Nadal
Result: Loss, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7
No. 1: It was, by a broad consensus, one of the greatest tennis matches ever played. Federer and Nadal battled for 4 hours, 48 minutes, amid rain, wind and darkness. After losing the first two sets, Federer came back to win a pair of tiebreakers before falling in extra time. Federer, thus, failed to win his sixth straight Wimbledon title -- something no man had done since 1880. His 40-match winning streak at the All England Club (and 65 straight on grass) came to an end. Nadal became the first man to win both Roland Garros and Wimbledon since Borg in 1980. "I am very happy for me, but sorry for him because he deserved this title, too," Nadal said. Federer added, "Probably my hardest loss, by far."