By Randy Walker
Just when you thought men’s tennis couldn’t get more epic with historical implications.
Andy Murray became the first British man since 1938 to reach the Wimbledon singles final Friday with his 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Scotsman will attempt to erase 76 years of British futility by becoming their first home-grown champion since Fred Perry won the last of his three titles in 1936 by defeating Roger Federer in Sunday’s “dream” Wimbledon final. The last British man to reach the Wimbledon final was Bunny Austin, who lost 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in 1938 to Don Budge, who would go on to win the first “Grand Slam” in tennis later that summer at the U.S. Championships.
Federer will be fighting for his own piece of history as he is looking to win his record seventh Wimbledon crown – tying him with Pete Sampras and Willie Renshaw for the all-time lead. A victory for Federer will move the 30-year-old Federer back to the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2010 and will have him tie and eventually break Sampras’ record for most weeks as the No. 1 ranked player (286 weeks.) Another Wimbledon title will give Federer his 17th major singles title, extending his grapple hold on the record for most Grand Slam men’s singles titles. Just by stepping on the court to play Murray, Federer will be playing in his record-tying eight Wimbledon men’s singles final, tying Renshaw, who played in eight finals from 1881-1890)
The Murray-Federer final is the third-straight major final in the men’s game that will gush of historical implications.
In January, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal waged a titanic battle over five sets, Djokovic emerging victories 5–7, 6–4, 6–2, 6–7(5–7), 7–5 in five hours, 53 minutes in the longest major final ever played. The match was an instant classic and was a last minute add to the cover and within the text of Steve Flink’s new book “THE GREATEST TENNIS MATCHES OF ALL TIME” ($28.95 New Chapter Press, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0942257936?ie=UTF8&tag=newchapre-20&linkCode=shr&camp=213733&creative=393185&creativeASIN=0942257936&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&keywords=greatest%20tennis%20matches%20of%20all%20time&qid=1341601508&sr=1-1)
In Paris at the French Open final last month, even more history was at stake and being made. Djokovic was attempting to become the first man, and only third ever, to hold all four major singles title at one time, joining Budge and Rod Laver, when he took on Nadal again. Djokovic was also seeking to join Laver, Budge, Nadal, Federer, Perry, Andre Agassi and Roy Emerson as the only men to capture a career Grand Slam. Nadal was seeking to win his seventh French Open singles title, eclipsing the great Bjorn Borg with six titles for the most Roland Garros men’s singles titles of all time. Nadal won his 11th major on that day – tying him with Borg and Laver in fourth place all time behind Federer (16), Sampras (14) and Emerson (12).
Murray leads the head-to-head with Federer 8-7, all the matches being played on hard courts, with Federer winning both match-ups in Grand Slam finals. In the final of 2008 US Open, Murray’s first major final, he lost to Federer 6-2, 7-5, 6-2. He lost to Federer in the Australian Open final in 2010, falling 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11). He reached the championship match again Down Under in 2011 – his only other major tourmament final appearance – losing to Djokovic 6-4, 6-2, 6-3.
To read up on Wimbledon and tennis history, check out “The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book” by Bud Collins, available here:http://www.newchaptermedia.com/the-bud-collins-history-of-tennis-an-authoritative-encyclopedia-and-record-book/