Six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer will try for yet another storied record on Sunday when he makes his bid for tennis legend Pete Sampras' mark of seven career men's Wimbledon titles.
The man standing in Federer's way, fourth-seeded Andy Murray, is more than up to the challenge. Despite never winning a Grand Slam title in his career, Murray will be making his fourth appearance in a major final on Sunday, although his first in London. While he has clearly been knocking on the door quite a bit recently, Murray's struggles on Wimbledon's grass are well-documented, and the legions of fans in attendance will almost entirely be rooting for him to finally break through.
Federer, though, knows that merely reaching the final does not equate to a victory after having tasted defeat at Wimbledon before. Being so close to tying Sampras' record, a mark that was once thought to be unbreakable, the man they call 'Fed' is simply honored to be the one threatening to re-write all the record books.
"I'm very proud to have a shot of equaling Pete," Federer told reporters. "Everybody knows what a hero he is to me and how much I admire what he's been able to achieve in tennis." Regardless of whether he is indeed victorious, it's clear that Federer has his work cut out for him against the 25-year-old hometown favorite. Considering how both men are in excellent shape and aren't usually known for their overly-aggressive styles of play, a lengthy five-set match could just be on the horizon.
Live television coverage of the men's final can be viewed on ESPN at 9:00 a.m. ET on Sunday, and it will run until the prestigious event wraps up later in the day. A live online stream is also available at Wimbledon's official website.
For live scoring updates throughout the tournament, check out Sports Illustrated's scoreboard.
For more 2012 Wimbledon coverage, stay with this StoryStream or head over to SB Nation's dedicated tennis hub.
