(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) IN THE end, it was not to be. Seventy-six years after Frederick Perry won the men's Wimbledon's championship in 1936, becoming the last British player to do so, there were hopes of a homegrown men's champion emerging at the All England Club on Sunday. All eyes were on the centre court at the club, with millions of Britons hoping that Andy Murray would finally win the Wimbledon's singles final.
Ultimately, however, Roger Federer reiterated his position as the world's number one, beating Murray, winning the gold trophy and equaling the records of William Renshaw (way back in the 1880s) and Pete Sampras by winning the coveted singles titles on seven occasions. Besides taking the Wimbledon crown, he also equaled Sampras' all-time record of 286 weeks in the top spot, regaining the ranking from Novak Djokovic, who along with Rafa Nadal had virtually sidelined Federer.
The 31-year-old Swiss player's historic win also saw him raise his record to 17 Grand Slam titles. Interestingly, he is only the second above-30 player (Andre Agassi was the first) to be ranked number one. Federer's comeback, especially after his quarter-final defeat to Tomas Berdych two years ago, saw many writing him off. After winning a record seven consecutive Wimbledon finals from 2003 to 2009, Federer lost in the quarter-finals over the past two years.
Despite age catching up with him, Federer displayed his versatility on the court on Sunday. The windy conditions during the first set saw him battling the elements; but once the roof was closed - the first time in a Wimbledon final - he was back with his natural game. An all-rounder, known for outstanding shot-making, he is also a powerful smasher and has excellent footwork. Sunday's finals ended with both the top players breaking into tears and many in the audience, including some in the royal enclosure, also doing likewise.
For the 25-year-old Murray, who appeared to be shouldering the burden of an entire nation desperate for a Wimbledon finals win, the pressures were high, but he battled it out with gusto.
Said Murray towards the end: "Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is. It's not the people watching. They make it so much easier to play. The support has been incredible, so thank you."
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