2013 Wimbledon Championship Match Picks – Andy Murray versus Novak Djokovic: It is quickly becoming the premier rivalry in tennis, top-seeded Novak Djokovic will meet second-seeded Andy Murray in the championship match at Wimbledon Sunday at the All England Club. The two also met in the title match at Wimbledon last year and met in the finals of four of the last five major tournaments. Djokovic currently owns a 3-1 edge in those showdowns, winning a five-set thriller at the All England Club in 2012. Overall, Djokovic owns an 11-7 advantage against Murray, and “The Joker” enters Sunday’s title match as the favorite (-175) as he attempts to capture his second consecutive Wimbledon crown while preventing Murray from becoming the first British-born player to win the tournament since 1936.
For a majority of the tournament, it appeared Djokovic was going to steamroll in the finals. He lost just a single set en route to the semifinals, but in the semis, he was pushed to the brink by eighth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro before winning a five-setter that set a new record for the longest match in Wimbledon history. Murray had his scare in the quarterfinals when he dropped the first two sets to Fernando Verdasco before rallying to win, but with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal getting upset in the early rounds, Murray’s path to the title match was much easier than anticipated.
In terms of styles, both players possess plenty of versatility. Djokovic has more power to his offensive game, but Murray is probably the craftier of the two. Murray is also the better defender in terms of technique, but Djokovic’s stamina and endurance are as good as they come, and he can wear down opponents with his relentless pace.
Murray Wins If:
As if facing the No.1 player in the world wasn’t tough enough, Murray will also have to deal with plenty of mental pressure if he is going to win. While he will certainly have the overwhelming support of the crowd, Murray will have to keep his focus on the match at hand instead of the fact he is playing to snap 77-year drought for British-born players at Wimbledon. In between the lines, Murray needs to use his full arsenal on offense, especially slicing drop shots to keep Djokovic on the move and to prevent “The Joker” from pounding him from the baseline. Murray already has a deeper bag of tricks to, and if he can also make sure Djokovic has to work just as hard as he does, he can avoid becoming worn down later in the match and merge with the win.
Djokovic Wins If:
He has shown throughout his career that he is just fine playing in high pressure situations and turning matches into a last-man-standing type of affair. Facing a pro-Murray crowd that is sure to provide a little extra fire for his opponent in the early going, Djokovic needs to stick to what he does best and wear down Murray over the course of the match. If he is able to consistently force Murray to chase his power forehands across the baseline, he should be able to take control of the match. Djokovic will have remain focused and patient because of Murray’s excellent defensive skills, but as long as he avoids trying to match Murray’s offensive creativity and sticks to his aggressive, attacking style, Djokovic can outlast the crowd favorite.
Bottom Line:
Although Djokovic is every bit the player that defeated Murray at Wimbledon last year, Murray has improved since the meeting. For one, he got the monkey off his back so to speak by winning the 2012 U.S. Open to capture his first major title. In addition, he has improved his own service game, adding a little more offense to support his excellence defense. More importantly, the grass surface at the All England Club will neutralize Djokovic’s edge in power to a degree while enhancing Murray’s defensive skills and creative shot making ability. Plain and simple, the gap between these two players is small at this point, and while Djokovic was able to control Murray on the hard surface at the Australian Open earlier this year, the grass surface favors Murray’s game. Lengthy matches are the norm between these two so neither is going to go down easy, but in the end, look for Murray to outlast Djokovic in another epic match and end the 77-year drought.
Prediction: Andy Murray Wins in 5 Sets
Prediction: David Ferrer Wins in 5 Sets