Roger Federer Tops Andy Murray, Wins 7th Wimbledon Title

The 2012 Wimbledon tournament came to a conclusion on Sunday afternoon, with a thrilling four set match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. The men’s final, which was spilling over with storyline, pulled big ratings for ESPN over the weekend.

According to Deitsch, the previous highest rated tennis events for ESPN included the 1995 Aussie Open final, which pitted Andre Agassi against Pete Sampras.

Andy Murray made it to the 2012 Wimbledon Finals, a feat that hadn’t been done by a British men’s player since 1938. The crowd was clearly behind Murray during the match, chanting his name between volleys multiple times. Murray fell short, however; after picking up the first set over Federer, he dropped the next three in heart-breaking fashion.

After the match, Murray struggled to keep his emotions in check during his interview. “I’m getting closer,” Murray said as he tried to hold himself from crying.

In the fourth set of the 2012 Wimbledon men’s final, Andy Murray and Roger Federer continued to battle back and forth. Federer had won the second and third set after Murray picked up the first set. Murray took the early lead in the fourth set of the match, going up 2-1 and leaning on his serve to pick up some quick points.

Federer was able to rally and tie 2-2, not allowing a point to Murray in the fourth game of the set. Federer continued eating away at Murray, picking up points on his returns and forcing Murray into some mistakes. With Federer up 4-2 in the fourth set, Murray took a 40-30 advantage and closed out the set with a serve Federer couldn’t return to stay alive in the match.

After a 40-minute rain delay that forced Wimbledon officials to close the center-court roof, No. 3 Roger Federer looked cool and relaxed, cruising to a 6-3 third-set victory over No. 4 Andy Murray.

With some perhaps thinking that momentum from his second-set victory would dissolve during the rain delay, Federer continued his strong play against Murray, winning 14-16 of his first serve points and 9-13 of his net approaches in the third set.

It was another tight set in the Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final, but No. 3 Roger Federer has tied this match up with a 7-5 win over No. 4 Andy Murray.

In what seemed like a sprint -- the set took no more than 40 minutes to complete -- Federer continued his exceptional volleying to tie the championship match up at one set apiece.

No. 4 seed Andy Murray has taken the first set, 6-4, over No. 3 Roger Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Championship.

It’s the first set Murray has ever won in a Grand Slam final, after losing his first nine sets.

In Friday’s second semifinal at The Championships at Wimbledon, No. 4 Andy Murray downed No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in four sets to advance to the championship, where Roger Federer waits. Murray becomes the first British man to reach the finals since 1938. And if he were to win on Sunday, Murray would be Britain’s first men’s champion at Wimbledon since 1936, when Fred Perry accomplished the feat.

Murray started strong, taking the first two sets from Tsonga, 6-3, 6-4, but the Frenchman battled back to win the third set, 6-3. His comeback efforts proved futile, however, as Murray took the fourth and decisive set, 7-5. For Tsonga, it marks the second straight year he has gone out in the semifinals (he fell to Novak Djokovic in 2011).

In Friday’s semifinals at the 2012 Championships at Wimbledon, six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer defeated defending champion Novak Djokovic in four sets to advance to the finals. Djokovic appeared to be lost and playing out of desperation right from the outset, and Federer took advantage, playing with ease the entire match -- while Djokovic kept scrambling.

Federer won the opening set, but Djokovic regrouped and evened things up by claiming the second set. That would prove to be the last time that Djokovic would be in the lead, as he continually hit the ball into the net and grew increasingly, visibly frustrated with his play. In the end, Federer was far and away the stronger player in the match and won by a final score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.