12/18/24
July 08, 2012
Federer Denies Murray, Wins 7th Title: Roger Federer defeated Andy Murray in the Wimbledon men's final Sunday, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, claiming his seventh title in the event and making the United Kingdom cry. Federer reclaims the No. 1 ranking in tennis and becomes the first player in his thirties to win a Grand Slam final since Andre Agassi in 2003. Murray, 25, won his first set in a slam final after nearly taking Federer's head off with a return at a pivotal moment.
Federer's consistency is pretty amazing. He'll lose from time to time, but he never seems to lose to a guy you've never heard of. Good for Murray for making it to the finals (it had been almost as long since a Brit had even done that much at Wimbledon), but Federer's consistency was too much.
posted by TheQatarian at 04:31 PM on July 08, 2012
Murray's margin of error playing Federer today was incredibly small. He played well, but after the roof closed it didn't seem like he had a real shot of winning.
Loved this, though:
posted by rcade at 04:33 PM on July 08, 2012
I felt so bad for Murray. He was so choked up. I doubt he felt comforted by Federer's words to the crowd that Murray would win at least one Grand Slam.
posted by bperk at 08:14 PM on July 08, 2012
Federer reclaims the No. 1 ranking in tennis and becomes the first player in his thirties to win a Grand Slam final since Andre Agassi in 2003.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:23 PM on July 08, 2012
To add to lbb's link, Navritalova won her's in 1990, really pointing up the youth advantage in the women's game.
posted by kokaku at 09:58 PM on July 08, 2012
You overlooked the "his" part.
I thought Federer's "at least one Grand Slam" remark was unfortunately phrased. It made it sound like winning just one of them would be a career-capping accomplishment for Murray.
posted by rcade at 09:59 PM on July 08, 2012
I actually thought that was a fair point by Federer. As long as Nadal and Djokovic stay healthy and on top of their games, I don't really see Murray winning more than one major.
posted by insomnyuk at 11:07 PM on July 08, 2012
Oxfam was cheering for Federer.
posted by tommybiden at 12:21 AM on July 09, 2012
Murray's 25. Is his ceiling already established at this point? As well as he played Sunday, I don't know that Federer beats him a year from now in a rematch.
posted by rcade at 10:56 AM on July 09, 2012
Federer might have phrased it a little more charitably, but I think Murray's in a similar position to del Potro, the only player other than the big three to win a Grand Slam title since 2005.
I don't know that Federer beats him a year from now in a rematch.
But odds are that Murray will have to beat two of Fed/Nadal/Djokovic to win a Grand Slam, not just one. The ATP rankings have a pretty steep slope.
posted by etagloh at 01:23 PM on July 09, 2012
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:41 AM on July 10, 2012
I get the feeling that the crowd, and the British public, are fairly sanguine about it. Federer is at the point of his career where the Wimbledon crowds tend to have the greatest love for players -- past their invulnerable peak, humanly fallible -- though the way he played after the delay to wear out Murray was reminiscent of his best years. Definitely less gutting than had it been Djokovic or Nadal, Murray's contemporaries. Murray may still have his day of glory.