Murray favourite for title as usual suspects go missing

In the midst of contesting his 10th tension-filled set in three days, it was clear time had finally caught up with the aching and ageing limbs of the 34-year-old Swiss supremo.

However, in a year when "one stupid move" sparked a chain of bad luck -- which included left knee surgery in February and then sitting out the French Open with a back injury -- Friday's fall in the semi-final could not have come at a worse time.

Instead of heading for the baseline after getting back on his feet in the fourth game of the fifth set, Federer slumped into his chair and started to rub down both legs with a towel.

The crowd started to chuckle, wondering if he was staging a sit-down protest as his dreams of winning an eighth Wimbledon title, and 18th major overall, started to slip away from him.

But for Federer it was no laughing matter.

The man who until 2016 had a body that seemed bullet-proof against the aches and injuries endured by most top athletes, waited to get the all clear to continue from the trainer as he had landed heavily on his left knee after rolling his ankle.

 

FEDERER FALLS

"I was insecure coming into Wimbledon," said Federer, who surged back from two sets and three match points down in the previous round before beating Marin Cilic.

"(But) the 10 sets I played the last two matches really gives me the belief that I'm tougher physically than I thought I was, he added after his 6-3 6-7(3) 4-6 7-5 6-3 defeat by Raonic.

"I just hope with the slip I had in the fifth, I'm going to be fine tomorrow and beyond. I hope I didn't hurt myself.

"Is it (the pain) a three-day thing, is it a 24-hour thing or is it more? I don't know at this point.

"I was able to finish. But I don't slip a lot. I don't ever fall down.

"With the body that's been playing up this year, I just hope I'm going to be fine. I believe I am, but I'll know more tomorrow when I wake up."

The only thing that is certain when he wakes up on Saturday is that he will not be contesting a record-extending 11th Wimbledon final -- and 28th overall.

Instead, he will have to digest the disappointment of losing a Wimbledon semi-final for the first time in his career.

Whereas outside Wimbledon the Swiss had a 17-12 win-loss semi-final record at the slams, at the home of grasscourt tennis he had a perfect 10-0 record -- until Friday's heartache.

 

MISSED CHANCE

What was particularly painful for Federer, though, is that he missed chance, after chance, after chance -- converting only one of nine break points that he fought so hard to earn.

Despite leading by two-sets-to-one and holding two break points in the fifth game, Federer's body simply let him down.

"Just don't remind me of everything," the third seed pleaded in his news conference.

"I had a break point, I don't know how many. It's something I want to forget about. Getting broken at 6-5, I can't believe I served a double-fault twice. Unexplainable for me really.

"Very sad about that and angry at myself because never should I allow him to get out of that set that easily.

"Then getting broken again at 2-1, having the slip. Very disappointing half an hour there for me.

"This one clearly hurts, because I could have had it. I was so, so, close," added Federer, who for the first time since 2000 has failed to win a title going into the second half of the year.

A month shy of his 35th birthday, Federer knows time is not on his side if he wants to triumph at Wimbledon again, but he was adamant his goals stretched beyond the world's most famous Centre Court.

"It's a dream to win my eighth," said Federer, who applauded the fans and gave a thumbs up as he left his favourite arena.

"(But) it's not my only reason why I play tennis... otherwise I'll go in a freeze box now and come out before Wimbledon next year." (Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by)

(Adds comment from opposition lawmaker, background)

By Mitra Taj

LIMA, July 8 (Reuters) - Centrist Peruvian President-electPedro Pablo Kuczynski will appoint Fernando Zavala, the outgoingchief executive of a beer company, to be his prime minister whenhe takes office on July 28, a source said on Friday.

Zavala, a 45-year-old trained economist, has headed Peru'sbiggest brewery, Union de Cervecerias Peruanas Backus Y JohnstonSAA , for the past three years. He wasfinance minister for a year starting in 2005 when Kuczynskiserved as prime minister under then-president Alejandro Toledo.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because anofficial announcement has not been made yet, said Zavala hasaccepted Kuczynski's offer.

Kuczynski's office could not immediately be reached forcomment. Zavala did not respond to a request for confirmation.

Zavala, a widely respected business leader who has bloggedabout his desire to improve education and innovation in Peru,might help Kuczynski patch up rifts with the conservative partyof his defeated run-off rival Keiko Fujimori, Popular Force,which will hold a majority of seats in the incoming Congress.

"I personally have a very high opinion of Zavala," said LuzSalgado, a Popular Force lawmaker. "I think he is much morecoherent" than Kuczynski.

Kuczynski, a 77-year-old former investment banker, cameunder fire on Friday for calling for a march on the incomingCongress to help him press opposition lawmakers to reopen apolymetallic smelter.

Kuczynski has said he will announce his pick for primeminister on Sunday and other Cabinet positions on July 15.

Kuczynski and Zavala worked together closely in Toledo'sCabinet for three years when Zavala was deputy economy ministerand Kuczynski finance minister.

Backus, as the beer company is known, is a subsidiary ofSABMiller, which is in the process of being acquired byAnheuser-Busch Inbev.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

By Martyn Herman

LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - Canadian Milos Raonic will not be the only man experiencing something new on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Sunday -- for the first time Britain's Andy Murray will start a grand slam final as favourite after crushing Tomas Berdych in the semis.

Murray was seeded to meet world number one Novak Djokovic in another major showdown but the Serb's shock early exit opened the door for sixth seed Raonic to reach his maiden grand slam final after making the semis two years ago.

All 10 of Murray's previous grand slam finals were against either Djokovic or Federer, which explains why the 29-year-old Scot has endured more than his fair share of pain and still only has two majors to his name.

One of those defeats came against a sublime Federer in the 2012 Wimbledon final and a repeat of that duel was expected until the Swiss maestro lost to Raonic on Friday.

With a 6-3 head-to-head career lead over the 25-year-old Raonic, Murray will be expected to get his grand slam collection rolling again, three years after beating Djokovic to become Britain's first Wimbledon men's singles champion for 77 years.

Leading bookmakers were quoting Murray as 2-7 on favourite hours after he beat Berdych on Friday.

"It's the first time I'll play a slam final against someone that isn't Roger or Novak. So, yeah, that's different," Murray, who won the 2012 U.S. Open against Djokovic, told reporters.

"But you never know how anyone's going to deal with the pressures of a slam final.

"I'll just concentrate on my side, do what I can to prepare well for it and see what happens."

 

TOUGH OPPONENT

Murray's most recent encounter with the big-serving Raonic came in the pre-Wimbledon warm-up event at Queen's Club when he beat him in a fiercely-contested final having trailed.

"It's obviously an opportunity. I put myself in a position to try and win the (Wimbledon) event again. It's against someone new that I'm playing against in the final," Murray said.

"But Milos is a very tough opponent. He's played very well on the grass this year and has earned his right to (be in) the final by beating one of the best, if not the best, player ever at this event. So he deserves to be there."

Raonic has played two tough five-setters to reach the final, against David Goffin in round four and Friday's thriller with Federer, whereas Murray's path has been relatively smooth.

A two-hour semi-final against Berdych, in which he made only nine unforced errors for a 6-3 6-3 6-3 win, was about as stress-free as it gets at the business end of a grand slam tournament.

"I feel pretty calm just now, maybe because of the way the match went," Murray said. "There weren't many complications.

"I feel fairly calm."