By a Newsnet reporter
Scot Andy Murray has lost out in his bid to become Wimbledon champion going down 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to Swiss Roger Federer.
In an enthralling encounter, Murray failed to prevent the Swiss legend winning his seventh Wimbledon title.
It wasn’t to be for the Dunblane man who had become the first male player from the British Isles to play in a Wimbledon final since 1938.
In a match watched by millions across the UK and around the globe it was Murray who got off to a flyer, taking the first set 6-4, after breaking the Federer serve twice.
A set up, Murray looked the stronger as Federer struggled to gain a foothold. However the Scotsman failed to convert a series of break points in a see-saw second set. With the set looking to be heading for a tie-break it was the Swiss player who conjured up a break point of his own.
A sublime backhand slice volley converted the opportunity and the second set went to Federer 7-5. It was against the run of play, and a blow for Murray.
Into the third set the first two games went with service until rain caused a break in play with Federer leading 40-love in the third game. Momentum had swung in Federer’s favour and the rain delay allowed Murray the chance to re-group.
With the roof on it should have given Federer an advantage, his indoor game is one of the best.
And so it proved, in the sixth game of the third set it was Federer who moved ahead breaking Murray after a mammoth service game, the Scot losing his serve despite being forty love up at one point.
Down two games to five, Murray served to keep the set alive which he duly did.
But it was Federer who took the third set holding his own serve and in doing so taking a two sets to one lead in the match.
The match appeared to be moving away from the Scotsman as Federer’s class began to tell.
The fourth set proved too much for the brave Dunblane man as Federer swept to take it 6-3 and with it the championship.
Take nothing away from Murray who held his own for much of the match and never gave up, but the Swiss player showed why he had won 16 grand slam titles coming into this final.
This championship win takes the tally to seventeen, seven of them at Wimbledon, and in doing so he joins Pete Sampras for the most number of Wimbledon wins.
Federer also equals the Sampras record for the number of weeks as world number one at 286, a record he will now overtake for certain.
