Roger Federer and Andy Murray face off in the final of the Australian Open in several hours! These two have met once before in a major final — at the 2008 US Open — and Federer won that match in straights. However, Murray holds a 6 – 4 head-to-head advantage.
Our view is that this match will hinge on how aggressively Murray plays. History suggests that — in majors — Federer only loses to players who can consistently pressure him over the couse of a match. For example, players like Juan Martin Del Potro or Rafael Nadal. Thus, Murray will need to find a way to attack Federer if he’s going to win his first major.
We expect Federer to win this match in five sets. The combination of his experience in major finals and his attacking style of play will be the difference. We’re also skeptical of Murray’s ability to attack Federer consistently. While he may play aggressively in spurts, there’s a decent chance he will revert to his often passive style, which will alow Federer to go on the offensive.