Roger Federer and Andy Roddick battled their way through physical and mental fatigue as they fought out an epic Wimbledon final.

The two men were locked together in a marathon 77-game showdown lasting four hours and 16 minutes yesterday before the Swiss triumphed 5-7 7-6 7-6 3-6 16-14 to claim a record-breaking 15th grand slam singles title.

Ultimately, it was he who managed to cope the better, if only just, with the draining demands on mind and body to edge his way past the dogged American.

Dr Jonathan Folland, senior lecturer in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, was hugely impressed by the levels both men reached as they attempted to overcome the mounting fatigue.

He told Press Association Sport: "It's impossible to separate the physical from the mental.

"When you get tired, everything becomes a huge effort, so to do something really precise on court takes even more concentration than it did before.

"It's difficult to find that kind of concentration and that kind of motivation to play that well.

"When you are fresh and feeling great, it's not a problem, but after four hours when you are under so much pressure...

"There's a huge link between the physical and the mental largely due to fatigue.

"They are phenomenal athletes and sportsmen. When you are talking about Federer and Roddick, it's incredible to be able to do that for that period of time with the speed and accuracy they have."

Dr Folland outlined the process Federer and Roddick would have gone through as their dramatic shoot-out unfolded with the American getting his nose in front before the five-time champions hit back only to be taken to an energy-sapping fifth set.

He said: "A lot of things will begin to come down in terms of performance.

"The ability to sprint will come down, their skills will tend to be impaired somewhat.

"Everything is uncomfortable and everything is much harder than in the beginning.

"Their concentration, even their motivation to an extent will be impaired because of the exertion, discomfort and fatigue.

"It's all wrapped up together as they get more and more tired.

"Everything becomes a big effort and therefore to concentrate and make a big physical effort becomes harder and harder.

"It was pretty warm and they were out there for four hours-plus. That's a long time, particularly when it might have been 30 degrees on court.

"But the top tennis players are pretty good with the nutrition - they will be drinking and eating and trying to put some energy back in.

"But physically and mentally, it will be very fatiguing to play for that long, particularly when there is so much stress.

"There is a lot of pressure and a lot of adrenaline in the beginning, and four hours later, you are going to be starting to come down and there will be a huge amount of fatigue.

"There is likely to be some dehydration depending on fluid intake and if that dehydration is quite strong, that's a pretty powerful influence in terms of physical and mental fatigue."

However, years of practise and experience will have proved just as important as refuelling, according to Dr Folland.

He said: "Roddick was still banging down pinpoint services at 130mph even after four hours of play even though the muscles involved in his service action must have been getting tired as well as the overall game fatigue from play.

"It's phenomenal they can still do that after four hours.

"A lot of that comes from very thorough practise over not just the short period before the tournament, but over years."

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