Sunrise

The Wimbledon final finished at about 6:30 here yesterday morning, and not long after, the sun rose. I sobbed it up. Just as it was for Roger Federer, it was the hardest tennis loss I had ever experienced.

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But the sun still rose.

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And now that terrible loss was yesterday. And today is the first day of the rest of Roger Federer's life.

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The loss will haunt me for a while, just as it will haunt him. But what does not kill him will make him stronger - and this loss will not kill him, no. Not him. Not the greatest sportsman the world has ever seen. Even if he lost that final, there is nothing that will ever stop this man being a champion. No one can take away what he has already achieved and no one can take away what this man is. He is a champion. And champions do not roll over and die.

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The field has been improving. They have started nipping at his heels, the Nadals and Djokovics of the world. But Roger is still on top. He is still the best. And he can still improve. Because that is what he is. That is what he does. He is Roger Federer, and Roger Federer fights and fights and fights and never, ever gives up. I have watched him do it. I have learned it from him. Never lose hope. Never give in. Don't you dare dream it's over.

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Wimbledon 2008 is over. We cannot change the past. But we can change the future. And that is where Wimbledon 2009 is. And do you think Roger is going to let someone else hold that Wimbledon trophy next year? Oh no. No. He will fight. He will fight. Because that he is who he is. That is what he does. The field is improving, yes? What will Roger do? He will improve too.

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This is one of the darkest hours in Roger Federer's career - a self described 'disaster.' But it is always darkest before dawn. The sun will rise.

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Remember how Justine Henin lost in the semis of Wimbledon last year to Marion Bartoli and then didn't lose a match for the rest of the year? I would not be at all surprised to see Mr Federer do the same thing - but without the whole giving up and retiring halfway through the next year. Roger Federer has not yet won the Grand Slam, despite his five Wimbledons, four US Opens and three Australian Opens . (Who else has that pedigree, hmm?) 2009, my friends, 2009. Because it is darkest before dawn. It is darkest now. It can hardly get darker.

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But he is Roger Federer, and he will make the sun rise. And when I sob it up this time, they will be tears of happiness.

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Today's Results

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Mercedes Cup (Stuttgart)

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Andreas Beck def. Daniel Brands, 3-6 6-3 6-4

Juan Martin del Potro def. Evgeny Korolev, 6-3 7-5

Pablo Cuevas def. Santiago Giraldo, 4-6 6-4 7-6 (13-11)

Michael Berrer def. Eric Prodon, 6-3 6-4

Albert Montanes def. Jose Acasuso, 6-3 7-6 (7-5)

Oscar Hernandez def. Santiago Ventura, 6-1 6-4

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Allianz Suisse Open (Gstaad)

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Kristof Vliegen def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-3 6-4

Guillermo Canas def. Ivo Minar, 7-6 (11-9) 6-3

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Michael Lammer, 5-7 6-3 6-2

Igor Andreev def. Marcos Daniel, 6-4 7-5

Florent Serra def. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5)

Marin Cilic def. Josselin Ouanna, 6-3 6-4

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Catella Swedish Open (Bastad)

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Boris Pashanski def. Nicolas Massu, 6-2 6-3

Bjorn Rehnquist def. Michal Przysiezny, 7-5 6-2

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Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships (Newport)

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Rohan Bopanna def. Kevin Kim, 6-3 6-4

Mikhail Ledovskikh def. Kristian Pless, 4-6 7-5 6-4

Brendan Evans def. Paul Capdeville, 6-4 3-6 6-1

Donald Young def. Woong-Sun Jun, 6-3 2-6 6-4

Alexander Peya def. Philipp Petzschner, 6-7 )3-7) 6-3 7-5

Vince Spadea def. Simon Stadler, 6-2 3-6 6-4

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Gaz de France Grand Prix (Budapest)

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Tsvetana Pironkova def. Teodora Mircic, 6-3 6-1

Tzipora Obziler def. Ioana Raluca Olaru, 6-3 6-2

Lucie Safarova def. Kira Nagy, 6-2 6-2

Anna-Lena Groenefeld def. Palma Kiraly, 6-0 6-4