Roger Federer vs. Andy Murray: Brit Proves First Major Is Inevitable in Loss

Andy Murray came up empty once again at Wimbledon, but while doing so, he proved that elusive first major title is well on its way. 

Murray lost to the great Roger Federer in the Wimbledon finale on Sunday by a score of 6-4 5-7 3-6 4-6, and while that score does not look particularly close, the action on the court was hotly contested. 

The lopsided outcome of sets was not due to Murray falling apart; he did not self-destruct into a multitude of unforced errors. He was simply beaten by a man who was just not going to accept defeat in this tournament. 

This is both a sign of Murray's development, and typical of his career. In the past, the Scot often compounded his struggles by coming off the rails emotionally. However, even when he wasn't busy being his own worst enemy, he has just continually run into opponents that were not going to be denied. 

Murray, 25, has had to play second fiddle, I guess fourth actually, to three of the greatest players the sport has ever seen in Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. This isn't going to go on forever. 

Federer is nearing the end of his career. Nadal, as he displayed in his early exit at Wimbledon, is not set to be consistently dominant, and injuries are always a concern for the Spaniard. 

Djokovic is still going strong, but he has not been nearly as dominant as he was at this time last year.

Meanwhile, Murray keeps plugging away and making steady improvements in his game. Sooner or later, this is going to deliver that major title that has been frustratingly just out of his reach.