Wimbledon Tip: Federer v Murray

From a British perspective the 2012 Wimbledon men’s final is a groundbreaking day because a man from the home isles will participate for the first time since 1938. But from a global standpoint it could simply be the moment that Roger Federer confirms his status as the greatest player of all time, once and for all.

The Swiss star has become the first man to ever reach eight singles finals at SW19. More importantly, he has the chance to equal Pete Sampras’s record of seven titles and take his Grand Slam tally to 17 a few weeks before he turns 31-years-old. Let’s not forget for a moment that Sunday matters as much for Federer as it does Murray.

But can the Scot handle the occasion and carry the hopes of a nation in the biggest match of his career? Based on his previous Grand Slam final outings, there must be a few doubts in that regard. Murray has failed to win so much as a set in his three prior major finals, and two of those came against Federer - in the 2008 US Open and the 2010 Australian Open.

Federer’s stunning display against Djokovic on Friday tells us that he can’t be regarded as a player past his best. Afterall, he will return to number one in the world rankings regardless of the outcome of this match!

But winning Wimbledon titles will be what he really cares about, and I can’t see a potentially nervy Murray denying him. The man from Dunblane has shown enough grit and class to suggest he will have his moment, but a Federer triumph in four sets is my prediction at best odds of 3/1 with Skybet.