LONDON: Roger Federer won a record-equalling seventh Wimbledon title and 17th Grand Slam crown on Sunday, shattering Andy Murray’s dream of ending Britain’s 76-year wait for an All England men’s winner.
Federer, playing his eighth Wimbledon and 24th Grand Slam final, won 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 to join Pete Sampras and William Renshaw as a seven-time champion.
“I played some of my best tennis in my last couple of matches,” Federer said after lifting the trophy.
“I couldn’t be more happy. It feels great being back here as the winner and it’s a great moment. It feels nice to have this trophy back after three years.”
The Swiss great, who has also regained the world number one ranking, is the first man over 30 to win since Arthur Ashe in 1975.
Murray, 25, bidding to be the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win Wimbledon, has now lost all four Grand Slam finals he has appeared in.
With Australian great Rod Laver, British Prime Minister David Cameron and even the Beckhams looking on from the Royal Box, it was the Briton who started the stronger.
Murray, defeated by Federer in the 2008 US Open and 2010 Australian Open finals without winning a set, broke in the first game when an uncharacteristic nervy Swiss ruined a drive volley.
Federer retrieved the break, shrugging off the boozy call of ‘I love you, Roger’ from a male fan in the 15,000 crowd.
Murray survived two break points in the eighth game and later broke to lead 5-4 as Federer netted a forehand. The Scot then wrapped up the opener on an unreturned serve.
At 5-6 in the second, with the Briton serving, Federer suddenly carved out a set point with a magical drop volley in the 12th game. Another immaculate drop volley off his toes gave him the set 7-5.
In a dramatic sixth game of the third set under the roof, which lasted 20 minutes and went to 10 deuces, Murray took three tumbles to the ground, surrendered a 40-0 lead and Federer broke on a sixth break point for 4-2.
An ace gave Federer a two sets to one lead.
The life and vibrancy then seeped out of Murray and the Scot slipped 3-2 down in the fourth off a killer, crosscourt backhand.
A 12th ace in the 10th game took Federer to two match points, the first of which was saved but Murray then went wide to hand Federer victory.
An emotional Murray struggled to hold himself together after the match.
“I am getting closer,” Murray tearfully told the crowd. “I’d like to congratulate Roger. He played a great tournament and he’s not bad for a 30-year-old.”
The crowd, inside the stadium and outside watching on the big screen, obviously leaned towards Murray, and the British no. 1 gave it his all, but Federer was just too good.
Even Tiger Woods quickly tweeted, “Hats off to Murray for a great fight. But we saw why Fed is the #GOAT [Greatest of all time].”
Williams sisters in doubles win
Late on Saturday night, Serena Williams teamed up with sister Venus to win a fifth Wimbledon doubles trophy, ending a day where she had also won a fifth singles title.
The sisters defeated Czech sixth seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-5 6-4 for their 13th Grand Slam doubles triumph.
The men’s doubles saw some joy for the British, as Jonathan Marray (yes, Marray, not Murray) and Danish Frederik Nielsen beat fifth seeds Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 4-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3.
Coincidently, this was the first time in 76 years that a Briton won the men’s doubles, a similar wait to the singles, which Murray couldn’t end. (Agencies)