Points won by each set: | 45-36, 32-23, 26-21 |
Points won directly behind the serve:
40 % Federer – 34 of 84
24 % Roddick – 24 of 99

The first Grand Slam meeting between the young upcoming players who were supposed to rule in men’s tennis of the 00s along with Safin, Ferrero & Hewitt. Everyone knew that Federer [5] was the best all-court player within that group, but that semifinal showed something worrying for Roddick [6], namely the Swiss could outplay the American also in the service department. Federer was able not only to read Roddick’s service bombs, but also block them very well with returns. When you don’t hold your service games quickly, then things become complicated; it’s tougher for instance to save a break point with an ace/service winner if you have to play some longer rallies preceding the crucial situation. Federer instead, feeling his supremacy during rallies, could allow himself to serve faster than usual, being fresh like a daisy all the time. This pattern will be repeated in their confrontations many times in the future… In the opening set Roddick had a set point on serve at 6:5 in the tie-break, but Federer blocked it with his backhand forcing an error and won it 8/6. Tough to say what could have happened in that match and the following years if Roddick had won the opener. Maybe their ultimate H2H couldn’t be so aching for Roddick (?)… 3-21.