Federer bags 7th Wimby crown
WIMBLEDON, England — Up in the players’ box on Centre Court, Roger Federer’s twin daughters squirmed, yawned, made funny faces and then applauded the new Wimbledon champion.
The girls turn 3 this month. They were 6 months old the last time Federer won a Grand Slam title.
“The victory today is a dream come true for me and my family, you know, seeing them there,” he said. “It’s big.”
At 30, Federer showed the kids what he can do, and strengthened his contention he’s far from finished. Federer ended a Grand Slam drought and equaled a Wimbledon record by winning the tournament for the seventh time Sunday, beating Andy Murray of Britain, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
TIED WITH SAMPRAS
For months Federer had been widely viewed as a champion in decline, eclipsed by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Now he has won a 17th major title, padding his record, and he’s back atop the ATP rankings for the first time since June 2010, matching Pete Sampras’ record of 286 weeks at No. 1.
He matched the record of seven Wimbledon titles set in the 1880s by William Renshaw and tied in 2000 by Federer’s hero, Sampras. And while he ended his own 2½-year Grand Slam dry spell, he extended decades of frustration for the British, who haven’t had a homegrown men’s champion since 1936.
Murray, a Scotsman, was the first Brit to make the men’s final since 1938. In anticipation of the match, fans camped out overnight in the rain just for a grounds pass so they could watch on a large video screen near the practice courts.
The Royal Box audience included British Prime Minister David Cameron, soccer star David Beckman and Prince William’s wife, the former Kate Middleton. Murray tried to give them a good show, taking an early lead and then losing a close second set when he was broken in the final game.
WHEN THE ROOF CLOSED, SO WAS MURRAY’S CHANCES
The match began in sunshine, but rain interrupted play early in the third set, and the retractable roof was closed for a singles final for the first time since it was added in 2009.
And while Federer is good on grass, it turns out he’s especially good indoors on grass.
“When the roof closed, he played unbelievable tennis,” Murray said.
Federer agreed.
“I played terrific,” he said.
Coming into the match, Federer had won 20 of his 74 titles indoors. With wind eliminated as a factor, he can swing even more aggressively and hit his pinpoint serves with even more accuracy.
That’s what happened. A 26-point, 20-minute game in the third set proved pivotal and provided the match’s most memorable moments. Murray fell to the grass three times during the game but also saved five break points before he was finally broken to give Federer a 4-2 lead.
Federer held every service game the rest of the way. With the win, he became the first thirtysomething man to win Wimbledon since Arthur Ashe in 1975, and he reclaimed the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic. /ap
