Federer dashes gallant Murray’s dream
Federer dashes gallant Murray’s dream
Roger Federer dashed Andy Murray’s hopes of becoming the first British man to
win Wimbledon since 1936 as he recovered in some style to complete a 4-6
7-5 6-3 6-4 win in the final at the All England Club.
In claiming his 17th Grand Slam title, the Swiss player
equals American Peter Sampras’s record of seven titles at the grass
court tournament.
A tearful Murray was the first British player to reach the final of
the London event since Bunny Austin lost to Don Budge in the 1938 final.
He was attempting to become the first British winner of the event since
Fred Perry managed it wearing slacks two years earlier.
Murray said: "I'm getting closer. The support has been incredible so
thank you. I'd like to congratulate Roger. He is such a great champion.
Was this my best chance? Roger is 30 now. He showed what fight he still
has left in him after having back problems earlier in the tournament."
Federer said: "I think he (Andy) will at least win one Grand Slam.
This is what I hope for Andy. I think I played some of my best tennis in
the last couple of matches. I couldn't be more happy being back here as
the winner. It is a great moment. It feels nice to get my hands back on
the trophy."
Federer returns to the world number one spot courtesy of his win and
will overtake Sampras’s career total of 286 weeks at the summit of the
game. He becomes the first man in his 30s to win a Grand Slam since
Andre Agassi collected the Australian Open in 2003.
"This just feels amazing," added Federer. "I never stopped believing.
I have great momentum, great confidence and it all came together for
me. It is a magical moment for me."
Federer, 30, had held the world number one spot for 285 weeks, but has not been ranked number one since May 2010.
He was made to work for his win over Murray having been broken by the
gallant Scotsman in the ninth game of the match to drop the opening set
before predictably coming roaring back to claim the next three sets
with some of his finest tennis.
Murray produced an almighty performance and could easily have won the
second set before rain forced the final to be moved under the roof on
Centre Court. It changed the whole context of the match with no wind to
divert Federer's ball striking skills.
It certainly seemed to suit Federer, who subjected his opponent to
considerable pressure with a sense of the inevitable shrouding the home
man's serve as Murray was broken twice at key moments in the third and
fourth sets.
Watched by British Prime Minister David Cameron, Scottish First
Minister Alex Salmond, the Duchess of Cambridge - and the Beckhams - the
final was a match that saw Murray perform stoutly in winning his first
set at a Grand Slam final after two defeats in straight sets in
Australia and one at the US Open, but he will be left to consider what
might have been. He could easily have been two sets to the good before
Federer spoiled the Great British party.
The man from Dunblane in Perthshire made an exhilarating start to the
day by benefiting from a slipshod Federer service game to break in the
opening game of the match.
A backhand error by Murray enabled Federer to level at 2-2 before
Murray produced a delicate winning volley to save the second of two
break points in the eighth game.
A drilled forehand at the body of Federer helped bring up a break
point for Murray before the Swiss player netted a forehand to drop serve
for a second time.
Murray saw out the set comfortably on serve, but there was always a
gnawing sensation that Federer would come to life such is his pedigree
in the sport. With Rafael Nadal the only man to have beaten him in a
Wimbledon final in five epic sets four years ago, Federer is not a
character who tends to slip quietly into the night.
Murray resisted Federer to stave off a break point in the second game
of the second set, but he could not ram home the escape as four break
points came and went in the four and eighth games of the second set.
They would prove to be key misses.
There was no such profligacy from Federer, who recovered from 30-0
behind on Murray’s serve before converting a winning volley of real
quality to convert set point into a second set that seemed destined for a
tie-break.
The groans from the 15,000 onlookers inside Centre Court and the
millions of British supporters watching on television were almost
palpable.
The mood of the match was changing and the tone of proceedings did
not help Murray when the match became an indoor contest as the rain
tumbled down with Federer leading 40-0 and serving at 1-1 in the third
set.
Having emptied last year's winner Novak Djokovic out of the
tournament in the semi-finals under the roof on Friday, Federer's
credentials in such conditions were never really up for debate.
Murray had not beaten Federer indoors for almost five years and when
play resumed some 35 minutes later, Federer seemed to have a foot on
Murray’s neck. He never really released it.
Murray constructed a 40-0 lead, but was slowly sucked in by the
finesse and intelligence of Federer’s play as he was finally broken on
the sixth break point of a sixth game lasting almost 19 minutes with
Murray’s slips at the net an emblem of the way the match was
unravelling.
Federer looked to press Murray's second serve with his ferocious
forehand and would proceed to snare the third set 6-3 for a 2-1
advantage before he plunged the dagger into the Scot’s service game for a
final time when he broke in the fifth game of the fourth set as he
swarmed all over Murray’s second service like a rash.
It became clear Murray was about to join Mark Philippoussis, Andy Roddick (three times) and Rafael Nadal (twice) as Federer's victims in
the third Grand Slam final of the season.
Federer tumbled to the ground to celebrate his first win in a Grand
Slam final since he downed Murray in straight sets at the 2010 Australian Open in scenes not far removed from his first success at
Wimbledon in 2003. It was his third win over Murray in a Grand Slam
final.
Murray was not outclassed, but did fall down in two crucial elements.
He fell short of averaging more than 7.2 points per game on service
return while his first service percentage was only 56 percent providing Federer with ample scope to exploit the second serve.
In saying that, if the British weather had been as kind to Murray as
the British crowd, perhaps the home player would have wound up standing
with the winner's trophy.
