Andy Murray's Wimbledon defeat scores big win for charity
(CBS News) Andy Murray's Wimbledon defeat has resulted in a big victory for one worthy cause. Tennis' now No. 1 player Roger Federer won the Grand Slam with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Roger Federer wins 7th Wimbledon title
Oxfam International had big money riding on the match thanks to a donor who bet in 2003 - at odds of 66-to-one - that Federer would one day win seven Wimbledon titles. The donor died in 2009, but promised his betting slip to the organization, which tackles poverty worldwide.
Unlike many of his countrymen and women, Oxfam marketing head Andrew Barton was rooting for Federer -- as the donor had left $155,000 riding on the match.
For a few moments, it looked as if Murray might just pull off the Wimbledon title. When he took the first set against Roger Federer, expectations rose in the crowd.
Barton said, "I kept finding myself cheering on the points for Murray because it was so hard-wired in me to be rooting for him. So my heart in a sense was saying Murray, but my head kept coming back to $155,000."
That $155,000 is much-needed money that would go towards helping starving people in West Africa. Barton said, "$155,000 for Oxfam basically means we can feed 10,000 people for a month, and given how critical the food crisis is, it's really the difference between life and death."
Centre Court - filled with the likes of Prince William's wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, her sister Pippa Middleton, Prime Minister David Cameron, and soccer star David Beckham - got wet when the rains came. But with the roof closed, Murray's chances of winning ended.
Federer, known for his successful indoor play, flipped the switch back to flawless, and powered his way to take three sets in a row, winning the tournament for a seventh time, equaling the record held by Pete Sampras.
For Murray, this year's dream ended in tears. "I'm going to try this and it's not going to be easy," he said, addressing the crowd following defeat. "Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is, but the support's been incredible, so thank you."
Federer proved he's not only a master of the backhand, but of the backhanded compliment, saying of Murray, "He's done so well. Over the years he's been so consistent, and to me it shows he feels so dearly about tennis and this tournament. He'll, at least, win one grand slam."
Murray's outpouring of emotion was completely unexpected from a man with a reputation of being a bit cold, but the British love a good cry. As one writer put it, "Murray may have lost it on the court, but finally won the nation's heart."
