Each year at Wimbeldon, we are reminded that the last British man to win Wimbeldon was Fred Perry in 1936. Prior to the 2012 Finals appearance by Andy Murray, the island nation hadn’t even sniffed a chance at the coveted championship since 1938. In this years tourney, the incomparable Roger Federer rallied from a 1-0 defecit to snatch the title from the grasp of not just Murray but from an entire nation.
With London hosting the 2012 Olympics, Murray would have another opportunity this year to defend the grass and also bring home a gold medal for the Brits. The native of Glasgow received some help with the injury to one of the world’s highest ranked men, Nadal. Not to look past many of the other competitors, but Nadal along with Djokovic and Federer are the only obstacles to Murray being the world’s best male tennis player. Murray has never won a Grand Slam, but a gold medal would surely bring a sense of pride to him and his countrymen. He didn’t just win the gold he rocked his competition!
Murray dominated and won nearly every set of the tournament. In the third round he lost the opening set to Cyprus’ Marcos Baghdatis before rallying to take the next two sets. That was the only set he lost on his way to the gold. Despite Nadal’s absence, Murray would still need to defeat the next two top players. He faced Djokovic in the semi-finals and won 7-5, 7-5 to move on to the gold medal match where he would face off with the Swiss great Federer. The rematch provided a perfect story line for Murray and the Brits, after his loss at Wimbeldon earlier in the year. He came out and won the first set, as at Wimbeldon, but this time he would not allow Federer to comeback. He was able to consistently win long volley’s that gave him the confidence and slowly reminded us that Federer is on the back end of one of the greatest tennis careers in history. Murray won in straight sets (6-2,6-1,6-4) as the raucous crowd chanted his name. The official routinely had to ask for quiet, but the excitement and jubilation was well deserved.
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August 05, 2012
