WIMBLEDON Federer uses serve to capture first slam

The 21-year-old beat Mark Philippoussis in straight sets.
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Roger Federer has no illusions about catching Pete Sampras.
Sampras was 21 when he won the first of his seven Wimbledon men's titles, a modern record. Federer, 21, won his first Grand Slam championship Sunday at the All England Club.
"This is one to his seven," said Federer, whose elegant game has drawn comparisons to Sampras. "I'm so far away, you know. I'm just happy to be on the board."
Long touted as a future Grand Slam champ, Federer fulfilled expectations by beating Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (5), 6-2, 7-6 (3). Now he's being heralded by John McEnroe and others as the game's best player.
"I think he may win many more Wimbledons, or even U.S. Opens or other Grand Slams," three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker said. "The future has come."
Tour balance
Seven men have won the past seven major titles, reflecting the tour's balance. That contrasts with the domination of the women's tour by Serena Williams, who beat sister Venus in the final Saturday and has won five of the past six major events.
With Sampras in semiretirement and Andre Agassi 33 years old, the men are in the market for a new star. Federer could be the guy.
Since ending Sampras' 31-match Wimbledon winning streak in 2001, the native of Basel, Switzerland has been praised for his big serve and all-court game. He has a tour-high five tournament titles this year, with wins on clay, hardcourt and grass -- a reflection of his versatility.
And now he's a Grand Slam champion.
"You wonder how come he hasn't won before," said Martina Navratilova, who earned a record-tying 20th Wimbledon title by winning the mixed doubles Sunday. "Now he can relax about it. The stuff he played the last two matches was just phenomenal.
"When you win here, you think you can win anywhere. And he's got the game for all surfaces."
Taking advantage
Philippoussis possesses the power to blow opponents off the court, but it was Federer who dominated with his serve. They reached deuce on Federer's serve only once, and Philippoussis never had a break point.
Federer was the better pressure player, too. He closed out a 15-shot rally -- longest of the match -- with a forehand winner for a 3-2 lead in the first tiebreaker. Philippoussis double-faulted to fall behind 6-4, and clubbed a wild return two points later to lose the set.
Philippoussis then lost his serve twice in a row -- the only breaks in the match.
"That first set was big," he said. "It definitely gets the momentum going, and that's what happened."
Despite the defeat, Philippoussis was encouraged by his progress in a comeback from knee problems that nearly ended his career. He drew consolation from the career of another big server with a polysyllabic surname and knack for coming close: Goran Ivanisevic.
"Goran was in the final three times before he won it," Philippoussis said. "I'm definitely going to hold that trophy up before I retire. That's for sure."
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