Olympic Tennis 2012: What Beating Roger Federer Would Mean for Andy Murray
Beating Roger Federer at Wimbledon in front of the home crowd at the 2012 Olympics would be the pinnacle of Andy Murray's career. There isn't anything tennis-related that could possibly top that achievement for Great Britain's beloved star.
It's not out of the realm of possibility, either.
Even though it feels like Federer has stymied Murray at every turn, the two of them are actually dead even when it comes to head-to-head matches, according to Tennis.com.
Perhaps it's because Murray's Wimbledon loss in the final this year is so fresh in our minds that we tend to give Federer more credence in this matter. Or, perhaps it's simply due to the fact that Federer has won 17 Grand Slam titles, while Murray has yet to win a single one.
Whatever the case may be, it seems like Federer is a god among mortals when spoken of in the same sentence as Murray.
But, a win here for Murray in the Olympics would change all that for good.
Beating Federer would become a national tale akin to the one in the Bible when David slewed Goliath. Murray would become a part of national lore, and his place as one of Great Britain's national heroes would be set for all time.
That said, as surely as it's a real possibility for him to beat Federer, it will also be a monumentally difficult task. Federer is the greatest tennis champion of all time. Even now, at the age of 30, he's ranked No. 1 in the world.
Federer has an uncanny ability to play tougher when the going gets tough. Even when he's down, he's never out. He wears his opponents down by refusing to give in to difficulty.
Therefore, if Murray has any hope of becoming a legend, he'll need to match Federer's resolve and refuse to give into his own fears and anxieties.
If ever there were a proper place and time for Murray to break through and beat Federer in a meaningful match, though, it's now.
His place in Great Britain's history books hangs in the balance. Murray will either continue to be a lovable loser, or he'll rise up and slay the Goliath of tennis in front of his countrymen on the world's biggest stage.
