Federer vs. Murray: Expert Predictions for Men's Final

No matter who wins, history will be made in Sunday's Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

The third-seeded Federer is looking to enhance his case for the undisputed title of "Greatest of All-Time," while No. 4 Murray is looking to become the first Brit to claim the Wimbledon crown since Fred Perry in 1936.

If Federer wins, he will push his Grand Slam singles record to 17, tie Pete Sampras for the most Wimbledon titles ever (seven) and reclaim his spot as the world's No. 1 player. That would also tie him with Sampras for most weeks (286) at the top of the rankings.

On the other hand, if Murray wins, he will reach immortal status in Great Britain, cementing his legacy as one of the top athletes in the nation's rich sporting history.

Regardless of who comes out on top, the stage has been set for an instant classic.

Murray leads their career series 8-7, but Federer has won both their meetings in Grand Slam finals. He defeated Murray 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in the 2008 U.S. Open, then beat him 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) at the 2010 Australian Open.

According to the fans, a similar result will occur on Sunday. In a recent ESPN SportsNation poll, 77 percent of the 26,834 (and counting) voters predicted a victory for Federer.

Do the top tennis experts from around the web agree? Just scroll down to find out.

 Expert  Credentials  Prediction
 Pete Sampras  Tennis Legend  Federer
 Chris Chase  Yahoo! Sports Blogger  Federer
 Darren Cahill  ESPN Analyst  Federer
 Chris Everett  ESPN Analyst  Federer
 Pam Shriver  ESPN Analyst  Federer
 Kamakshi Tandon  ESPN Writer  Federer
 Julie Hayes  Yahoo! Sports Contributor  Murray

Boris Becker: "Roger is probably the greatest player of all time on grass, and it’s hard to describe just how difficult it can be to go up against somebody with so many options, so much talent. Roger has the whole arsenal: the half-volley, the second serve, the slice backhand and the drop shot. He brings it to you from the off, and on grass it’s so hard to compete with that weaponry because it’s the hardest surface to defend on. For me, Roger is the favourite by 55 per cent to 45. He has already been in too many this position not to know what he wants to do. He will have a good idea exactly how he wants to play this final, and I expect him to come out ultra-aggressive, trying to blitz Murray in the same way that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did for much of the third and fourth sets."

Date: 07.07.2012, Source: Bleacher Report

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