Australian Open Men’s Final Preview: Federer vs. Murray

This matchup on Sunday night in Melbourne will be another attempt to dethrone the “master,” as he’s called in Australia, from the top of the tennis world. In New York at the last grand slam of 2009, it was the Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro who defeated the Swiss Maestro in five sets. This time in Australia, we have a rematch of the 2008 US Open in which the Federer breezed through a young and nervous Andy Murray. However times have changed and Murray isn’t the same player he was a couple of years ago. He’s fitter, smarter, and more experienced plus he holds a 6 wins 4 losses record against Federer and all the matches were contested on hard courts. Perhaps, the young Brit has what it takes to defeat the Swiss.

Roger Federer comes into this matchup virtually holding almost all significant records in the history of tennis. He’s looking to add to his total on Sunday night. While his game hasn’t necessarily matured at the same rate as Murray’s, Federer holds a significant edge in handling the grand slam final experience and also the pressures associated with playing in front of a worldwide audience. Both men come into the final well rested and prepared to battle for the trophy.

The matchup should produce spectacular tennis as the all court player Murray looks to use quality tactics and pure speed to upend the #1 player. At the same time, watch for Federer’s outstanding variety to disrupt Murray and force him to defend for a large part of this match. The keys to the match look like this:

1. 1st serve %: Federer’s first serve percentage must stay high because Murray currently has the best return in the game and the Brit will take advantage of Federer’s second serves.
2. Adjustments: this matchup will be full of tactical adjustments. Make sure you pay attention because the strategies used to break each other down will constantly evolve based on the circumstances of the moment.
3. Momentum: If either player can grasp momentum and flow with the wave there could me major damage done by a “hotter” player. As a result, watch both players carefully to find the clues to what is going on in their minds. You can be sure that Murray and Federer will be studying each other very carefully.
4. Nerves: The only factor that can turn this into a Federer blowout is the potential for Murray to come out tight in which the veteran Federer will make him pay dearly if such an occasion arrises.

PREDICTION: If this matchup does go into a final set I truly believe Murray will be the favorite to win the match, but that is only an if. The reason would be because if it got that far it would mean that Murray had figured out a tactical solution for this particular match. However, an “if” is not a prediction. The following is: Federer will use his experience and cool demeanor to win in 4 sets. Enjoy!