Could Wimbledon Be A Two Man Show? Andy Murray, Roger Federer

Lawn Tennis, Paris Open, Lawn Tennis Magazine

Could Wimbledon Be A Two Man Show?
Andy Murray, Roger Federer
By Tripp Mateschitz, Lawn Tennis Analyst, Posted: Sunday, June 14, 2009 8:37pm PST USA

Could Wimbledon Be A Two Man Show?, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Lawn Tennis Magazine

London--(lawntennis.org) Andy Murray of England and Scotland scored his first career grasscourt title Sunday and leads the five time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer of Switzerland head to head 6-2.

Murray Sunday capped off a sterling week of tennis in London at the Wimbledon warm-up tournament, the Aegon Championships, with a 7-5, 6-4 final round victory versus the sixth seeded James Blake of the USA.

Andy Murray and Roger Federer | Images: Getty

Could Wimbledon Be A Two Man Show?, Lawn Tennis Magazine, Wimbledon, Lawn Tennis

Lawn Tennis Magazine, Wimbledon, Lawn Tennis

Should Nadal withdraw from Wimbledon, the third ranked Murray most likely would receive a singles seed of two and a guarantee of not facing Federer until the final round.

Murray did not lose a set all week.

In September in New York in the US Open semifinals, Murray stunned the top ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-2, 7-6(7-5), 4-6, 6-4 before falling to Federer in the championship round in straight sets.

The 22 year old Murray, despite his winning head to head versus Federer, has never defeated the Swiss in a grand slam or grasscourt match. The two players have faced off on hardcourts exclusively.

However after losing to Federer at the US Open, Murray has won their last four matches. In their only meetings this year, Murray topped Federer in the semifinals at both Doha, Qatar and Indian Wells, California.

And with Nadal fighting a knee injury and Federer not as dominant at he once was, the ATP Tour two man show which in the past several grand slams had been Nadal and Federer could at Wimbledon this year be Murray and Federer.

Federer and Nadal both withdrew from the Aegon Championships; Federer with exhaustion after taking his first French Open title last week and Nadal citing a knee injury.

Should Nadal withdraw from Wimbledon, the third ranked Murray most likely would receive a singles seed of two and a guarantee of not facing Federer until the final round.

The retired British tennis player Tim Henman is the last British player to reach the Wimbledon semifinals (1998, 1999, 2001, 2002). Murray lost to Nadal in last year's Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Murray's brother, the 23 year old doubles specialist Jamie Murray, along with Jelena Jankovic of Serbia won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007.

A Wimbledon singles title this year from Andy Murray would mark Britain's first male singles champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

In 1977, Virginia Wade of Britain won the ladies' singles championships to become the last Briton to win a singles Wimbledon title. Wade was presented with the championship trophy by Queen Elizabeth II.

“I'm a long way from winning Wimbledon but I feel confident and I don't want to get too far ahead of myself,” said Murray.

“If I play my best like I did this week I've got a chance but we've got two of the greatest players of all time who are going to be there and it will be tough to get past them.”

Wimbledon begins June 22nd in London.

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