Tora, Tora, Tora

7:55 P.M. BST

At 4-3 in the third set, right after Roger Federer broke Andy Roddick’s serve, he started thinking. As you know, it’s rarely a good sign for a tennis player trying to win a match.

Like, Wow, he thought, eight more points on my serve and I’m all right…

His mind raced on: How will it be with the trophy. What will be my reaction? How is this? How is that? . . . No, no, no, we’re not there yet.

He started to shake his head, had another thought: I’m so close again…it’s all in my power now, there’s no more really Andy can do, except if I mess up here…

Then Roger held serve, and he felt calm. Then Andy held serve and Roger felt nervous again. He was serving for his third consecutive Wimbledon title.

The first point is big, he thought.

Boom! Ace!

Then he got more nervous, and found himself just hoping to make his first serve. He missed it. Okay, he thought.

He then hit a second serve ace because Andy was leaning the wrong way.

Then Roger felt his arm trembling, and he lost the next point.

Oh my God! I’m two sets and a break up and playing perfect tennis and Andy just pulled within 15-30 in my match game Why now? 30-15? I want 40-love here!

After he won the next point, Roger did what came most naturally under the circumstances for this most natural of players. He reared back and hit the ball as hard as he could.

He won the match.

After he reconstructed this scenario in the post-match press conference, he added: "Once it all happens, you don’t know what happens. It’s really strange."

Who says Roger Federer doesn’t get nervous?