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Tour professional Kevin Anderson provides his opinion on what we can expect from the Gentlemen’s Singles Finals at Wimbledon. This piece is featured on SuperSport.com as part of Kevin’s 2016 Wimbledon Diary.
The Sunday of the Wimbledon final is arguably the biggest day in professional men’s tennis all year long. Today you will witness first-time grand slam finalist Milos Raonic take on former Wimbledon champion Andy Murray.
In reaching today’s highly coveted final, Raonic continues a solid upwards career curve. We have witnessed his development as a player over the last few months.
Securing the win over Roger Federer in the semi-finals on such a big stage will have boosted his self-belief. The Canadian certainly wants to be on the biggest stage and he will back himself. However, it’s still new ground for the 25-year-old, so I am sure he will be experiencing some level of nerves. But, if he is able to find his rhythm on serve, we can expect some big serving with his adrenaline flowing.
Scotsman Andy Murray certainly heads into the grand finale as the favorite. In my opinion, Murray is presently playing some of the very best tennis I have seen him play over the course of his career. He is benefiting from an improved mental attitude ever since the beginning of the clay court swing of the season this year.
I believe that getting the proverbial monkey off his back by winning Wimbledon in 2013 will definitely work in his favor. The only expectations Murray will feel will be self-expectations. The 29-year-old has reached three grand slam finals since his maiden Wimbledon triumph, and has lost all three. As a consequence, we can expect Murray to be extremely hungry to seal the deal this time around.
That said, I foresee a very close contest taking place on Center Court. If I was forced to pick a winner, I would still go with Murray given his elevated level of experience in this scenario. However, Raonic asked for this rematch after losing to Murray in the finals of Queen’s, so I expect him to come out and prove himself.
Canada’s Milos Raonic trains with coach John McEnroe on the thirteenth day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 9, 2016. (Photo credit GLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images)
Wimbledon Super-Coach Showdown
An interesting narrative accompanying the final is that of the super-coaches perched in the corners of each respective competitor. Raonic has employed both John McEnroe and Carlos Moya as mentors in order to guide him through the grass court swing of the season, while Murray has famously reunited with the man who assisted him in winning his only grand slam titles, Ivan Lendl. Raonic seems to have fully bought into McEnroe’s instructions to play aggressively and to take every opportunity to come forwards. And, thus far it has paid dividends.
Meanwhile, Murray seems as composed and upbeat as I have ever seen him on court, and many are calling this “The Lendl Effect”. What is undeniable is that all three legends-turned-coaches are having a really positive impact, and it will be fascinating to see whose expertise prevails in helping their player lift the trophy.
Although I wish I was still onsite at SW 19, I will be watching the final at home in Florida. Check back on realifetennis.com where I will offer my review of the final. Let me know who you will be supporting today and why in the comments section below. You can also connect with me on Twitter (@kevinanderson18) or Facebook (facebook.com/kevinandersontennis).
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