Wimbledon 2012 Men's Final Preview

Roger Federer (3) vs. Andy Murray (4)
This is probably going to be one of the most watched Wimbledon finals of all time. After 76 years, Andy Murray is the first Briton to make it to the men's final. He will aim to be the first British winner in 78 years when he takes on Roger Federer, himself going for a record equalling 7th Wimbledon title.

Andy Murray (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Andy Murray has had a typical roller-coaster ride at Wimbledon this year. With the exception of a 4th round demolition of Marin Cilic, Murray has had to play 4 sets in every match. In each match he has had phases where he has been unstoppable, mixing it with phases where has gone completely off the boil.

In the semi-final against Tsonga, Murray looked in complete command for the first two sets especially with his serve firing. He then threw away a service game at the beginning of the 3rd set, and it was a completely different ball game from then on. Indeed if Tsonga had a bit more composure the match could even have gone to a fifth set.

Nonetheless, the way Murray has handled pressure situations at this year's Wimbledon has been extremely impressive. He has played the big points exceptionally well against all opponents, and has managed to dig in and come through in extremely tight sets, surely an asset to take into your first Wimbledon final.

Roger Federer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Federer on the other hand has just got better and better as the tournament has progressed. There was a feeling after he got through his 3rd round match against Benneteau, that it was a defining moment for Federer at this year's Wimbledon.

Since then his first serve has been extremely good, and in addition to his marvellous forehand, the really ominous aspect of Federer's game is that he is hitting backhand winners. His movement on court against Youzhny and Djokovic in the quarters and semis was just outstanding.

Federer's win against Djokovic was extremely crucial as he hadn't won a match against the other big two at a grand slam for a while. His variety was simply exceptional against Djokovic, and he had the defending champion completely ruffled and dejected by the fourth set.

Murray might have the support of the majority of the crowd, and he is bound to play with fervour and intensity in his first Wimbledon final. The only problem for Murray is that when he drops a level, Federer is not going to be as forgiving as his previous opponents.

Federer has already comfortably dispatched Murray in two grand slam finals. While this match won't be as straightforward, Federer's superior grass-court game and indoor game (the roof is going to be used if the weather forecast is accurate) makes him the heavy favourite to land his 7th Wimbledon title.