Murray vs. Tsonga: Momentum Will Carry Murray to First Grand Slam Title

Andy Murray will be brimming with confidence after a thrilling victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and his fine form will lead to a victory over Roger Federer in the finals at Wimbledon. 

Murray has made it to the finals of a Grand Slam three times prior to this tournament. Federer denied the Scot his first major victory twice, and Novak Djokovic bested him in his most recent attempt. 

But the 25-year-old is coming of age and looks poised to break through on the court in his home country. 

He started extremely well against fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and took the first two sets. But the Frenchman came charging back and took the third set. 

With momentum on his side, Tsonga pushed the fourth set into extra games, but Murray showed remarkable resiliency and held off the surge. 

The match ended when Murray returned Tsonga’s serve across the court. The judge ruled the shot out, but Murray challenged the call and was awarded the point and a spot in the finals. 

The final will be an extremely tough test for Murray. Federer has drastically improved upon his previous two appearances at Wimbledon, where he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.  He has been in brilliant form, and in the semifinals, he looked like the player who won five consecutive titles in London. 

Federer became the only man ever to reach the finals at Wimbledon eight times and will regain the top spot in the world rankings if he defeats Murray. With the victory, he would tie Pete Sampras’ records of seven titles in London and 286 weeks as the world’s top-ranked player.

But Murray is also chasing history. His first major championship would break a 76-year drought by British players at Wimbledon. 

He has been eliminated in the semifinals in the previous three years. He plays extremely well on the grass in London and he has continued to prove that in 2012. 

He has shown poise and patience, as well as the speed and defensive efficiency that have made him one of the world’s top players. 

Murray has also had surprising success against Federer throughout his career, winning eight of the 15 matches against the all-time great.

In his first finals appearance, Murray will have momentum and confidence pushing him along. He will face a difficult challenge against Federer, but at this stage in his career, he will finally be up to the task.