For a moment there, it looked like Andy Murray finally found what it takes to become a Grand Slam and Wimbledon champion. Then came the rain, and Roger Federer found his forehand, form and confidence. Eventually he found his way to a 17th Grand Slam title and the number one spot in the World, leapfrogging Djokovic and Nadal after a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Andy Murray gave everything he had. He won his first ever Grand Slam final set with a fantastic first set, breaking Roger Federer twice and simply playing the kind of Tennis usually not associated with him. Going for quick points, for winners, while enjoying Federer’s inaccurate and unreliable backhands. Federer couldn’t rely on his serve as well, as Murray seemed to read every shot the six (at that moment) champion threw at him.
The second set was the turn of the tide. The heavy rain came right after Federer tied the match at 1-1, understanding what he needs to do. Drop shot after drop shot while keeping Murray stuck on the baseline. The image of Murray falling down on the grass while chasing down impossible shots from Federer became more and more prominent in the landscape of the match. Murray tried taking more chances while adding bruises to his knees, while Federer simply felt more and more comfortable with his serve and with the match.
The roof coming up didn’t change a thing. Federer won 60% of the points during the ‘concealed’ period of the match, preparing everyone for the tear-fest at the end of the match. You had to shed a tear with the choking Andy Murray, as many in the stadium did. He gave it everything he got, and it wasn’t close to enough. He won his first ever Grand Slam final set, he got the usual praise from Federer ‘He’ll win one in the future’ but was left only with consolation, disappointment and probable heartache.
Roger Federer played his best Tennis against the best of his opponents during these two weeks. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. They both tried to ride the Federer backhand and capitalize on those mistakes, but both couldn’t sustain that dominance for long enough. Federer proved that when he’s on top of his game, trying to match him winner for winner isn’t the greatest idea in the world. Grass Federer isn’t the same version from the clay courts, or even the hard courts. Wimbledon is Federer’s bread and butter, or at least usually is.