By Chris Oddo | Friday, July 10, 2015
Roger Federer used a serving clinic for the ages to get past Andy Murray and into his 10th Wimbledon final.
Photo Source: Stephen White/Camerasport
On a pleasant, picturesque Friday at Wimbledon, Roger Federer put forth a pitch-perfect performance for the ages to reach his tenth Wimbledon and 26th Grand Slam final. Federer’s 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 victory, his 13th in 24 career battles with Andy Murray, was a stunning display of the Swiss’s capacity for domination on the grass, one that has sparked hope that he might indeed be able to capture an elusive 18th Grand Slam title to add to his legacy on Sunday when he meets Novak Djokovic in the final.
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The one-sided scoreline gives no indication of what type of tense, high-quality tennis was played in this match, nor does it allude to how close Andy Murray was to turning this contest on its ear late in the second set when he saved five set points to hold for 5-all.
But like the scoreline, Federer’s tennis always gives off the impression of ease. Especially when he serves like he did on Friday, routinely kissing the corners of the box with spin-lathered offerings that left Murray on the back foot for all too many rallies.
When Murray fought off those five set points Federer showed no sign of exasperation whatsoever. Instead, he took the balls to serve, rattled off a lightning-quick love hold and broke on his 6th set point in the next game to take a commanding two sets to love lead.
“I was screaming inside myself,” said Federer of failing to convert on those five set points. “It was so close, but still I was able to make the difference right after. It was a tough twenty minutes there, but probably the key of the match anyway.”
Murray won the opening coin toss and made the much-talked about call to allow Federer to serve first, and his decision appeared to be an intelligent one right off the bat. Federer faced a break point on just the sixth point of the match, but he casually swiped it aside, and once he saved it he would not face another.
It would be the last time that Murray experienced any type of a lead in this affair. As the match rolled on Federer remained stingy from the service stripe, connecting on 76 percent of his first serves, and there was little Murray, who was now saddled with the unenviable task of playing from behind in each set, could do to stop him.
“There’s so much expectation riding on the match that you try to sort of focus and keep it up,” a thrilled Federer told the BBC after the match. “Hold your serve one more game, one more game. You do it so many times that you just feel like ‘Maybe the break will come and he’ll get back into the match.’”
But the only breaks that came were from Federer, who ended the first two sets—and the match—on break points.
“I think that’s the best match I’ve ever seen Roger play at Wimbledon,” chimed Mats Wilander from the Live at Wimbledon commentary desk.
It was a sentiment that Murray couldn’t disagree with. “I definitely don’t feel like a played a bad match,” he told reporters straight after the match, before he talked about how remarkable it is that a player can do the things that Federer does at the age of 33. “There’s very few players that have been able to do it,” Murray said. “I don’t know if anyone’s played as well as Roger at that age… He doesn’t put loads of strain on his body, and that’s why he’s been able to compete into his mid-thirties at his highest level. It’s impressive.”
With his victory, Federer becomes the oldest Wimbledon finalist since Ken Rosewall appeared in the title match at SW19 at the age of 39 in 1974. But the man who joked early on in week one by saying that his biggest weakness is that he’s old looks fresh, feels fresh, and doesn’t appear to be at all encumbered by his age.
“I’m unbelievably happy,” Federer told the BBC immediately after the match. “I played so well on the biggest occasions today, and that’s probably why I got it.”
Though he’ll face a much younger Novak Djokovic in the final, Federer will take confidence into the final knowing that he’s serving perhaps as well as he ever has. He has been broken only one time this Wimbledon.
Is his form good enough to avenge last year’s loss against Djokovic in Sunday’s final?
“We’ll find out,” Federer said. “Novak’s been the best player for a few years now. He’s made it extremely difficult for guys to win big tournaments. I felt that here last year.”
He added: “I know how I can beat him, but this is a different occasion. We’ve both been there before and I think we’re both looking forward to it. I really hope I can get this one on Sunday.”