Olympic Tennis Men's Gold Medal Match: Federer Will Spoil Murray's Magic Moment

Andy Murray will go for gold in the men's final in front of his thousands of adoring fans. Unfortunately for Murray and Great Britain, Roger Federer is going to spoil the party.

Less than a month ago, these two met on the very same court for the Wimbledon championship. Federer won in four sets.

Murray started strong, winning the first set 6-4, but the all-time leader in major championships made the adjustments and closed out the next three to win his seventh Wimbledon championship. When they meet again, expect similar results.

The biggest thing in Murray's favor in the gold medal match is that it is only three sets. If he can jump out early and feed off of the raucous crowd, he will have a shot to knock Federer off. However, that is unlikely to happen. Federer has played against hostile crowds many times before. He will not be phased.

I am not taking anything away from Murray's performances in the past year. He has done quite well, but he will not be equipped to handle the pressure.

Yes, Murray has made the finals of a major championship before. Yes, he did it at Wimbledon last month. This time around it is different. The Olympics are different. The weight of a nation falls on your shoulders while the world looks on. It is a different beast to tackle.

Champions like Federer thrive in this environment.

A lot was made of Federer's length semi-final match against Juan Martin del Potro. The four hour, 26 minute match was an Olympic record, but nothing Federer hasn't been through before in his career. While it is an Olympic record, Federer is accustomed to playing five-set matches in major championships.

Both men will have plenty of energy to give in a three-set match.

Federer has a gold medal from Beijing, but it was a mixed doubles gold. In 2000, Federer finished fourth. A single's championship would mean a lot to the 30-year-old. The 17-time major championship title holder is only missing Olympic gold from his resume.

Giving Federer more motivation will make him even more dangerous. As Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic moved past him in the rankings many thought his reign was over, but he stormed back to prove he is still atop the tennis world. Federer reclaimed the No. 1 ranking on July 23rd.

The Wimbledon rematch is exciting. There are a vast number of storylines to talk about, and plenty of reasons to cheer for both men. Tennis fans should rejoice that this is the final in London.

Federer may be the greatest tennis player of all-time. Murray is simply a good player. A very good player, but not a great one. That will be the difference on Sunday.

The crowd will be fired up for Murray and his chance at gold, but they will soon realize that Federer is a superior talent. Federer is greatness personified and Switzerland will pick up a gold medal when he pushes Murray past his limit.