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Andy Murray plays follow the leader before the 2012 Mens' Final. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
set by set

Wimbledon Mens' Final: Murray wins first set against Federer

Solid serving games were expected from both men but that was not the case in the opening exchanges.

ANDY MURRAY HAS broken Roger Federer’s serve twice to take the first set of the Wimbledon Mens’ Final 6-4.

Murray needed just the single break point opportunity in the opening game as he disrupted Federer’s tempo and got off to the perfect start.

The seven-time Wimbledon champion was not going to be flustered by that opening hiccup, however, as he pushed Murray to deuce in both of his opening service games.

The slices and thundering ground strokes of the Swiss were brought to bear on the world number four and he eventually netted a simple forehand to level the set up at 2-2.

The Scot was up 0-30 on the Federer serve immediately afterward but a hawkeye challenge and a net-cord did not go in the Scots’ favour. Federer was composed at the net to make 3-2 and take the lead for the first time.

Just warming up

Murray was dragged into another deuce game on his next serve but survived a stern examination from his opponent.

The aces started to fly from Federer’s racket as he warmed to the challenge and his next service game was relatively uneventful.

The former world number one has a knack of upping his game at the crucial stages of each set and he went 0-30 up on the Murray serve only for the Scot to battle back.

Nonetheless, another game went to deuce but, with British Prime Minister David Cameron shifting nervously in his seat, Murray battled through an 11 minute affair to make it 4-4.

First blood

Federer had made just 87 unforced errors coming into this year’s final but he coughed up 16 in the opening set. His duck under a Murray drive, as he patrolled the net, would have further ruffled his Swiss feathers.

He overcooked a forehand to fall behind 15-40 and excellent baseline hitting from Murray forced him into a sloppy shot into the net and the Scot had another vital break.

Federer overturned an umpire’s call to stop Murray from going 30-0 up but the underdog added some spice to his serves and soon gained two set points.

He needed just one to go a set up on Federer.

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