Some finals are just about one player and his story line. Roger Federer may have won his 7th Wimbledon title in the 2012 Final, now even with Pete Sampras, and making it 17 Grand Slam titles in his career, more than anyone else. But this final was just as much about him as it was about Andy Murray, the weight of expectations he carried and his touching, tear-choked speech at the end.
Looking From Above
Probably the moment of the match, of the tournament, at least from the camera’s perspective. Another drop shot full of perfection from Roger Federer and another painful slip from Andy Murray, who had quite a few of them during the afternoon, as the match was moving more and more out of his reach.
Defeated & Hurt
Like the picture above, this one came when the match was in Federer’s grasp. Murray fought on, but began take more risks, which isn’t really part of his gameplan, while his body kept taking the abuse of all the running around and tumbling down. You could see his energy reserves, confidence and belief in a turn around fade away with each fall and painful recovery.
That Moment
As Andy Murray’s shot went wide and out, Roger Federer just won his 7th Wimbledon title and 17th career grand slam. Every time he steps on a tennis court, there’s a record being broken, tied or extended.
The Losing Moment
Murray won a lot of fans with his post-match sorta-speech, struggling to hold back the tears, choking on his own disappointment and sadness. Beyond all the cynicism, it was a truly touching moment, moving and bringing a lot of people in the audience into tears.
Avoiding the Hit
Blow Hard
Shout out to the fans on Murray Mount
There’s always this talk about Andy Murray not being as popular as he should or could be because of his personality, the one that shines not so brightly on court during the rough moments. There’s also some talk about him mom being rather hard on him. But there were plenty of people willing to wait 40 minutes in the rain to watch the match resume. They cheered him all through the tournament, as he was the first Brit since 1938 to make the final. I’m pretty sure he won more fans after the match as well.
Friendly Hug?
After Murray poured his heart out in front of the capacity crowd and the millions watching around the world, Roger Federer gave him a hug. Federer has been critical of Murray in the past, but he’s been known to shed a tear or two after Grand Slam finals, knowing, partially, what it must feel like for Murray.