On Sunday, Murray will be playing in his 11th major final. Murray was still struggling after back surgery and split from coach Ivan Lendl a couple of weeks later.
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Berdych was one of Murray’s most hard opponents earlier in his career and won six of their first 10 meetings but the Scot has since chalked up four successive victories, losing only one set.
Now that he’s 29, he relishes the last-Sunday opportunities more than ever, no matter the foe.
The 2013 champion leads 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court.
The victor of the match will face Milos Raonic in Sunday’s final. Williams is a heavy -400 favorite versus fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber, who ousted her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the semis. He then served out the set.
Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych traded early breaks in the Wimbledon semifinals.
Federer – who tasted defeat for the first time in 11 Wimbledon semifinals – had an unsettled Raonic in trouble in the fourth set as he was routinely ahead on his opponent’s booming serve. I was down a set and a break at Queens. “It was a great match”, reflected Raonic after the game.
Overall Murray is 6-3 in his career against Raonic, winning each of their last five head-to-head matchups including the final of the AEGON Championship in London just last month.
The fifth set started off on level footing before a rare slip on the grass for Federer meant that he was facing breakpoint.
Raonic has been taken the distance on two occasions – against Federer and coming back from two sets to love down to beat David Goffin in the third round.
Murray stopped his losing run against Raonic at the O2 Arena but ended his season on a real low note in his next match by winning only a single game against Roger Federer.
In the third set, Federer started getting a read on Raonic’s serve and broke to 4-3 when Raonic mis-hit a forehand down breakpoint.
The world number two was not dealing with any nerves, and looked to be in top form – as he is able to use his quickness to get to this volley and steers it past his opponent for a victor as he takes this frame by a 6-3 count.
Raonic won the first set 6-3, and Federer took the second 7-6 (3).
“I can’t believe I served a double fault twice”, Federer said.
Raonic, the first Canadian man to reach a major final, said he’s become more vocal on court, something McEnroe was both famous – and infamous – for doing.
This is the 25-year-old Canadian’s second Wimbledon semifinal.
Andy Murray and Milos Raonic are on Center Court and warming up for the Wimbledon final.
Raonic had a chance for double break but Federer held on strong with good support from the crowd. “I just have to go out there and concentrate on my side [and] do what I can to prepare well for it and see what happens”.
Nadal, a two-time champion at the All England Club, never made the starting line because of a wrist injury.
No. 2-seeded Murray will then play No. 10 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.
Murray goes into a major final for the first time as favourite but said it won’t make any difference.
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He’s the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Murray reached the title match in 2012 at the same age.
