Andy Murray yesterday failed to claim his first Grand Slam win at Wimbledon, but gained many more fans as his first set assault on Roger Federer and his emotional speech at the match conclusion won him both respect and admiration in equal measure.
There is a lot that can be taken from this defeat, not least that he made the final at all, the first time for a Briton in 74 years and that he managed to claim a set for the first time in his 4 grand slam finals. As he said himself after the match, “I’m getting closer”.
But it was Roger Federer who fulfilled what most people saw as the inevitable outcome, claiming his record equalling 7th Wimbledon crown, and first since 2009, and 17th overall grand slam singles title, extending his all time record.
Murray loses to Federer in Wimbledon Final
The match itself was a tense affair. Andy Murray declared his intent immediately by breaking Federer in the first game and consolidating it with a confident first service game. Roger seemed all at sea at times, racking up as many unforced errors in the first set alone that we would expect in an entire match.
Despite being broken back, Murray claimed the final game by once again taking Federer’s serve and claiming the first set 6-4. It was hard fought, particularly on Murray’s service game where he spent an average of over 6 minutes serving to his opponent, saving multiple break points in the process.
First blood to Murray.
The second always looked to be leaning towards Murray as both players held serve for the first 11 games with Murray in particular settling into his game well, spending less time on his service game and taking Federer to deuce and facing break points far more regularly. But in a cruel twist, Murray was broken in the 12th game, with two sublime points from the Swiss that saw him claim the second set. Not undeserved, but certainly against the run of play.
Play hadn’t made it to the end of the 3rd game of the 3rd set when the heavens opened and play was suspended, forcing the players out for 45 minutes as the roof was closed and the court reset. Had the rain started to fall half an hour earlier, it would have been considered harsh on Murray who certainly held the momentum in the match, but following the disappointment of the second set, it may have been a blessing.
Upon their return, there was certainly a change in the match. Federer, who could perhaps have considered himself fortunate to be level in sets, had clearly used the break well and came out all guns blazing, playing shots that deserve to be put in storage and on display for all time. His sublime single handed backhand was graceful, and deceptively powerful at times, sending Murray slipping and sliding all over the court, landing heavily at one point and clutching his hamstring at another. If Murray had Federer doing all the running in the first two sets, it was Murray covering the yards in the third and into the fourth.
Federer went on to claim the set to go 2-1 up, winning it 6-3. There was a certain sense of inevitability in the reconditioned air under the roof on centre court, and it didn’t look favourable for Murray.
However, as we’ve come to expect from him, he didn’t make it easy for the 6 time champion, playing the sort of tennis that on another day or another era, would have surely helped him clinch the title. Federer’s game just got better though, and he pushed Murray on every service game, often returning to deuce on at least 5 or 6 occasions in each game. Murray held on as long as he could but finally succumbed to Federer’s seemingly perpetual class as he claimed the fourth and final set 6-4.
Murray will rue the chances he had, particularly in the second set, to break Federer when the Swiss was relatively under par. He’ll also be kicking himself if and when he chooses to watch the game back at the number of games he struggled to kill off after being 40-0 or 40-15 up. As much as Federer made it hard for him, he also struggled, particularly on his first serve in the second half of the match.
He is getting closer, of that there is no doubt and as many have said, most notably Andre Agassi of late, if Murray existed in another era of tennis, he would be comfortably winning his fair share of grand slam titles. He still has time on his side. At 25, he has 5 years on Roger Federer, he’s a year younger than Nadal and the same age as Djokovic.
He also has Ivan Lendl in his corner, who must see Murray’s record in grand slams starting to mirror his own. After 4 grand slam final defeats, he went on to win 8, his first against John McEnroe. He knows what it takes to win in an era of greats and after multiple disappointments. He strikes me as the perfect role model for Murray.
The season isn’t over, and Murray can now look forward to the Olympics and then the US open on his favoured hard court surface. He should walk away from Wimbledon with great hope after breaking a 7 decade stigma in British men’s tennis. With one monkey off his back, he can continue to strive for the biggest prize of all – that grand slam title.
