WIMBLEDON, England — Roger Federer was playing for history. Andy Roddick was playing the match of his life.

On and on they dueled, Federer trying for a record-breaking 15th major championship, Roddick striving for his second, in a Wimbledon final that required more games than any Grand Slam title match in the considerable annals of a sport dating to the 1800s.

"Ten games all, final set," intoned the chair umpire. Then, "Twelve games all, final set." And, still later, "Fourteen games all, final set."

They were each other's equal for four full sets and nearly the entire 30-game fifth set. Until Federer, far more experienced in such matters, finally edged ahead, breaking Roddick's serve for the only time in the 77th and last game to close out a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 victory yesterday.

The epic match — the fifth set alone lasted more than 1 1/2 hours — gave Federer his sixth Wimbledon title. Add that to five from the U.S. Open, three from the Australian Open and one from the French Open, and Federer's Grand Slam total rises to 15, one more than Pete Sampras, who flew in from California yesterday morning to be on hand.

"He's a legend," Sampras said. "Now he's an icon."

Indeed, Sampras already was among those labeling Federer the greatest tennis player ever, and there's no doubt the 27-year-old from Switzerland keeps bolstering his case.

"It's not really one of those goals you set as a little boy," Federer told the Centre Court crowd during the trophy ceremony, "but, man, it's been quite a career. And quite a month."

Federer won the French Open four Sundays earlier to complete a career Grand Slam and tie Sampras with 14 major titles (Margaret Smith Court owns the women's record of 24).

"Sorry, Pete," Roddick said. "I tried to hold him off."

He weathered Federer's career-high 50 aces and his 107 total winners in the longest match and longest fifth set in major final history, topping marks set in 1927.

The tennis gods — as well as Sampras, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, all in front-row seats — must have enjoyed every moment of the 4-hour, 16-minute tussle.

Federer, who can make it all look so easy, was forced to work darned hard to eclipse Sampras' mark, and Roddick was left heartbreakingly close to finally winning Wimbledon.

Roddick dropped to 0-3 in finals at the All England Club, also beaten by Federer in 2004 and 2005. After the match ended on a mishit by the sixth-seeded American, the two men hugged at the net.

"Sports, or tennis, is cruel sometimes. We know it," Federer said. "I went through some five-setters in Grand Slam finals, too, and ended up losing. It's hard."

Wimbledon doesn't use tiebreakers in fifth sets, and there were times it seemed Federer and Roddick would play into the night with the players slugging huge serves at each other, offering few chances to break. Roddick saved one break point in the second game, and Federer erased two at 8-8 when he came up with two big serves when 15-40 down.

"I was just trying to survive each time and hold serve and give myself a shot," Roddick said. "It didn't work out, but I definitely gave myself a look."

Finally, in the 30th game, serving with Federer ahead 15-14, Roddick blinked. On the second deuce, he misplayed a forehand to give Federer a chance to secure his place in history. On match point, after a contest featuring so many aces, winners and brilliant shots, Roddick shanked a forehand. Until then, Federer had been 0-6 on break points.

"Frustrating, at times, because I couldn't break Andy till the very, very end," Federer said. "So satisfaction is maybe bigger this time around to come through, because I couldn't control the match at all."