The Difference Between Murray and Federer

Besides the obvious “Andy Murray loses and Roger Federer doesn’t,” WSJ’s The Fix runs the numbers on the duo’s respective losses. The real difference is that Andy Murray loses to marginal players and Roger Federer doesn’t. Ever:

Roger Federer has 15 Grand Slams to Murray’s zero, and the reason was apparent in Murray’s straight-sets loss to No. 17 Marin Cilic at the U.S. Open on Tuesday. That was Murray’s fourth loss in four Slams this year to a player ranked below him, and outside the top five. Since he ascended to the top 20 of the rankings before this tournament three years ago, he’s lost to someone outside the top five in all but three majors. Half the time he’s exited to someone like Cilic, ranked outside the top 10.Federer, by contrast, hasn’t lost to a player outside the top three in a major in his last 18 Grand Slams, and hasn’t lost to someone outside the top five in his last 22 Slams — since the 2004 French Open. That’s why he’ll be looking to make his 22nd straight semifinal on Wednesday, while Murray has reached only two Slam semis. Murray has thrived against Federer in recent years in head-to-head encounters, but hasn’t done well enough against lower-ranked opponents at majors to reach many matches against Federer. That’s particularly baffling because his strengths — fitness and the ability to return any ball — should aid consistency.