Roger Federer made history Monday night, becoming the first man to win five successive titles at two different Grand Slam tennis events -- the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

But Tampa Bay area viewers didn't see CBS' telecast of this historic match on local affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10, because officials there decided to air their regular programming during the match -- a new episode of the Dr. Phil talkshow and their 6 p.m. newscast.

When WTSP officials heard on Saturday that the men's U.S. Open final match would air on CBS Monday from 5 to 8 p.m., they knew they had a problem.

Airing the match would mean forgoing the first new episode this fall of popular talk show of Dr. Phil and pre-empting a 6 p.m. newscast on a day when passing Hurricane Ike was a major weather story. Going with regular programming would mean forcing tennis fans to look online or on WTSP's digital TV channel for sports coverage.

WTSP decided at 1 p.m. today to go with regular programming, bypassing broadcast of a titanic match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray, earning the ire of tennis fans across the Tampa Bay area.

"It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation," said WTSP spokesman Pete Nikiel, noting that fans can watch the tennis match right now on USOpen.org or on their digital weather channel.

Nikiel said CBS would not allow the station to re-air the match, insisting it be presented live.

"The tennis people are angry (but) if we hadn't done this, the Dr. Phil people would have been angry," added Nikiel, who couldn't say how many angry phone calls they had gotten. "Turns out, tennis fans are quite vocal."

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