He who hesitates is lost. One can find a cliché for nearly every occasion in sports and indeed, Andy Murray was far too irresolute against the great Roger Federer on a humid summer night in Melbourne as the Swiss master added to his extraordinary legacy and claimed his 16th Grand Slam title - and fourth Australian championship - 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(11). And with it, the hopes of the British Empire were dashed once again as Britain continues to suffer through their Chicago Cubs-like drought of 74 years without a male Slam champion.

Right from the start, Federer seized control of this important occasion by breaking Murray in the Scot's first service game. And though Murray broke back, Federer would quickly regain control of the set by continuing to pounce on the weaker second serve offerings of Murray. And by serving at well over 60% percent himself, Federer rarely allowed Murray a chance to make a dent on his deliveries. In fact, it wasn't until 3-2 in the final set that Murray broke Federer for the second time. When Federer gains an edge in a match, his freight-train momentum can be a frightening sight to his opponent as he starts to gain confidence from all corners of the court.

And though that third set tiebreaker was riveting - including a heart-stopping get by Murray at match point down - one had the sense that Murray would have been too exhausted to prolong the match to five sets. Though it was at least an encouraging sign to see Murray not just merely submit to Federer's imposing game and at least make a match out of it for the last 45 minutes.

Murray's strategy from the start appeared sound as he took a cue from Rafael Nadal's schemes against Federer by relentlessly keeping the ball to Federer's "weaker" side, his backhand. But the problem for Murray was that he didn't take control of such points - once he was able to pin Federer on the left side of the court, Murray should have attacked every short ball and rushed Federer into less advantageous shots. Otherwise there is no chance against Roger. For once Federer can use his singular and exceptional retrieving skills and get himself back on equal footing, he'll go on the immediate offensive. And he did that countless times tonight. One would think that ennui would settle in, watching Federer do his thing for the 16th time. But witnessing his complete court talent, one still marvels at the results.

Perhaps Murray should have channeled his effort from the quarterfinals when he beat Nadal in straight sets (and thus almost accomplishing that rarest of doubles in Grand Slam play by beating both Nadal and Federer in the same event - something Juan Martin Del Potro managed at last year's US Open). When playing Nadal, Murray never stopped being the aggressor and didn't allow Nadal a chance to dictate the style or pace.

But most of all, Murray has to develop a stronger second serve if he hopes to beat Federer in a Grand Slam encounter (in non-Grand Slam events, Murray has the advantage but the only titles that really matter in the end are the Slams). By frequently striking his second deliveries at less than 90mph, Murray put himself in a ridiculously tenuous position and the mental and emotional toll of always being on the run is quite unhealthy. It had to be monumentally disappointing for Murray to not have played the way in which he surely knew he had to in order to beat Roger. After being summarily dismissed by Federer in the 2008 US Open finals in straight sets, surely Murray thought he'd fare better today.

To his credit, Murray is under tremendous pressure to deliver Britain that elusive Slam title. Though moody and a bit irritable on the surface, Murray is unquestionably on the doorstep of Slam glory (and the Scot has handled far more serious situations than tennis as he was a young student in the Dunblane school in his native Scotland the day of that horrible murder spree in 1996).

Federer, much like women's champion Serena Williams, never ceases to play the role of the aggressor. Yes, he'll make his errors when under pressure - especially on his backhand wing - but he knows that the only path to victory is by relying on one's best shots. It's an instinct that only the greatest of champions possess, a fearlessness. And tonight was vintage Federer as he showcased his varied and explosive offensive and defensive abilities - often times within the same point. It was an utter exercise in controlled aggression.

For Federer, this victory was most decidedly a sweet occasion. After last year's shedding of tears when he was left the exhausted challenger in the fifth set against top-seeded Rafael Nadal, the father of twins was beaming during the trophy ceremony on this night. And why not? There's nothing left to prove. He continues to dominate his opponents in the biggest matches and is apparently not slowing down at the advanced tennis age of 28. Surely, it must feel good to be The Roger.