WIMBLEDON, England - Roger Federer is living up to his reputation as the best tennis player of his generation.

With two straight Wimbledon titles, 24 consecutive grass-court victories and a 3-0 record in Grand Slam finals, the 22-year-old Swiss star is the most dominant player since Pete Sampras.

Just listen to Andy Roddick, the heavy-hitting American who lost to Federer in four sets Sunday in the Wimbledon final.

"He definitely has an aura about him, there's no doubt," Roddick said. "He's an unbelievable tennis player, and people know that."

Federer withstood Roddick's 140-mph serves and go-for-broke forehands, winning 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-4, to become the first men's champion to successfully defend the title since Sampras won his seventh and final championship in 2000.

Federer's grass-court winning streak is second only to the 41 consecutive matches won by five-time Wimbledon champ Bjorn Borg. And Federer, who won the Australian Open in February, is the fourth man to win his first three Slam finals since the Open era began in 1968.

Borg, Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg all lost in their fourth major final.

"I kind of like it - the 100 percent record in the finals of Grand Slams," he said. "These are the ones that really, really count. Grand Slam titles put you just a step higher."

After being labeled early on as someone unable to win the big ones, Federer has won his last eight tour finals overall.

"I've always told myself that if I get to finals, I just don't want to lose them," he said. "For me, winners stay and losers go. I don't want to be one of them who goes."

While Federer cemented his place at the top of the men's game, there was a dramatic change in the women's hierarchy when 17-year-old Maria Sharapova beat two-time defending champion Serena Williams 6-1, 6-4 Saturday for her first major title.

"I'd like to win all of them. I'd like to win all the Grand Slams," the Russian said. "I mean, Wimbledon is my favorite, really, and I'd love to win it many more times, of course. But I'd also like to win all the other Grand Slams."

Why not? Sharapova, the third-youngest Wimbledon champion in history, certainly has the game and the maturity to be a lasting superstar.

A future of many more Slams seems likely for Federer, the first man since Andre Agassi in 1999 to win two majors in a year. He has the versatility, power, touch, shotmaking and unflappable demeanor to dominate for years to come.

For now, he's savoring the moment. When his 12th and final 124-mph ace flew past Roddick on match point, Federer dropped to his knees at the baseline and arched all the way onto his back. He was in tears as he sat on his courtside chair.

"Somehow I feel even more joy this year because I had so much pressure going into this tournament. Now to see my name on the board twice in a row, I get more joy out of this."

If Federer and the 21-year-old Roddick are a cut above the rest, it's clear who has the upper hand between the top duo: The Swiss star is 6-1 against the American.

"Roger just played too good today. I threw the kitchen sink at him, but he went to the bathroom and got a tub," Roddick said. "I'm going to have to start winning some of them to call it a rivalry."

Roddick's game plan was to try to muscle Federer off the court. It worked in the first set when he smacked huge serves and threw his whole body into searing forehands that kept Federer on his heels.

"I wanted to take it to him," Roddick said. "I didn't want him to control anything out there. I wanted to play the match on my terms."

But Federer clawed his way back in the second set, going up 4-0, losing four straight games, then breaking in the 12th game to even the match. The momentum changed for good after a rain interruption in the third set. With Roddick up a break at 4-2, Federer used more serve-and-volley tactics and won the set by playing a brilliant tiebreaker. In the fourth set, he saved six break points, then broke a demoralized Roddick at love in the seventh game to take the lead for good.

Roddick, the U.S. Open champion, saw the positive side.

"I proved that Roger is not quite invincible," he said. "He's pretty close, but I proved a lot to myself today. I thought I took it to him. I played the game the way I wanted to play it. I just came up short. It was a couple of points here and there."

"Losses like this just inspire me more "I just want to keep getting better and better. I feel like I'm on the right track. All is not lost because I lost today. I still had a hell of a run."

Where would Roddick like to play Federer next? In the U.S. Open final, naturally.

"Flushing Meadows - obviously I'd have 25,000 of my closest friends, so that wouldn't be terrible," he said.