With history so close, Gerry Williams still can't fathom just what is going through Roger Federer's mind.
Serena's win undstinguished, Federer's will be anything but...
To say the least, it was an undistinguished women's singles final won by Serena Williams over her big sister, Venus. But where would the women's game be without them?
Serena won it because after an aimless beginning she broke free and muscled it. It was a complete contrast to the lengthy and vibrant tussle Serena had survived in the previous round against the Russian Olympic gold medalist, Elena Dementieva, a battle in which the new champion was down by match point at one dramatic moment.
Having been that close to the exit door, she is now Wimbledon champion for the third time.
But the truth is, for all their genuine effort the Williams sisters still find it difficult to compete against each other - and it surely doesn't need a psychoanalyst to explain that. Neither does it need a student of stroke production for his diagnosis: their games are simply too alike.
When they combine that at doubles they are just about unstoppable as they confirmed later in the day by retaining their doubles titles against the Australians Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs; that was their fourth title.
Combative
The men's doubles final, by contrast, was very combative. Daniel Nestor of Canada and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, retained their title by beating the top seeds the American Bryan twins, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3.
So today this magnificent festival comes to its peak with the men's final between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick.
If Federer conquers again he'll be the first man ever to win 15 Grand Slam titles. He is also aiming to win his sixth Wimbledon title and become only the third player in history win six or more, behind William Rendshaw and Pete Sampras, from rather different generations but who both went on to collect seven titles.
Federer is also the first player to contest seven successive Wimbledon finals; he's quite a man.
This will be his third battle with Roddick in a Wimbledon final; he he beat him in the 2004 and 2005 finals and overall, he leads Roddick 18-2 in their personal rivalry.
Assurance
Roddick though, is on a surge, which he demonstrated after beating Andy Murray after which, incidentally, he mouthed 'sorry' to the Centre Court crowd - a sign of his good heart.
As I said yesterday, I have never seen Roddick combine such savvy with his natural aggression and such assurance as well. Perhaps we can put that down to marriage and a new coach feeding him fresh thoughts.
Federer's approach this fortnight has fascinated me. He seems to have gone through each match at a princely and leisurely pace without inspiration.
There's nothing to betray what's going on inside; whether he's utterly confident, bored or excited, tense or relaxed. But, he almost impercetibly raises his game at just the right moment in each match.
Yesterday at last, he admitted that he is beginning to feel tense because, after all, this is a final. Even so, in his most determined mood there is no-one like him and I would suggest there never has been.
Adrenaline
The plan is to keep playing, he says, until the baby he and his wife Mirka are expecting is big enough to see him compete.
To me the big question about Federer today is this: can he still get an andrenaline rush?
You wouldn't want me, on today of all days, to miss a footnote would you? Well, just as Roddick has a new coach, I need one too - someone who will teach me to pronounce the new Under 18 girls champion here!
She's from Thailand and her name is Noppawan Lertcheewakern. What is this game coming to?
