LONDON — Playing before a home crowd is supposed to be an advantage but it did not help Andy Murray as he lost to Roger Federer in their Wimbledon semi-final on Friday in front of an audience with divided loyalties.
The applause on Centre Court whenever the Briton won a point was distinctly louder at first than it was for Federer.
But as the match wore on and Murray's fate became clear, the fact that the 33-year-old Swiss has been voted the ATPWorldTour.com fan favorite 12 years running, began to show.
"I think he (Federer) is such a great player, he's a legend and he's good with the children's charities.