Roger Federer’s parents and wife Mirka (right) in the family box with the tennis star’s twins Myla Rose and Charlene Riva after the match. (AFP)

London, July 8: As important as the tennis at the Andy Murray-Roger Federer final, there was another equally entertaining game going — that was “spot the celebrity”.

England’s arguably most important man, David Beckham, arrived with wife Victoria. Speaking at Centre Court today, Beckham said: “I think it will be up there with the biggest games I have played in.”

‘It’s a great moment for our country, it’s been a great year with the Jubilee and the Olympics and now Andy making the final, it’s special,” said the former England football captain who has himself been left out of the Olympic soccer side.

Comparing it to taking penalties for England — something English players find hard to do — Beckham said: “Every point is a penalty for these guys, every point is important, every game is important. Individual players that play individual sports, they are so focused, especially when they are at the top of their game.’

Victoria, whose home was once dubbed “Beckingham Palace”, sat beside her husband wearing a dark green dress from her own label’s autumn/winter collection with a pair of sunglasses from the range. The sunglasses were essential because it was a cloudy day with intermittent rain.

Other folk, almost equally important, had wangled tickets for the final which were apparently being flogged on the black market for tens of thousands of pounds.

Politicians were represented by Prime Minister David Cameron, Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond, and mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Just as Mamata Banerjee benefited from the KKR win, Cameron hoped there would be a political dividend from a home victory (even though Scotland wants to secede from the Union with England).

He was confident Murray could do it. “I think he knows about pressure and he’s had some incredibly pressured games... and the pressure on the individual single person is immense. In doubles you share it, in government you have a cabinet, you have a team. But he’s going to be all alone out there in Centre Court. But he knows, I hope he knows, he’s got the whole nation behind him and we’re going to be roaring him on.”

Level in protocol terms in the new England was the Duchess of Cambridge who wears a new outfit nearly every day. When she doesn’t she is gushingly praised for her thrift.

Today, Kate came in a £275 Joseph Vanessa dress which she had previously worn when she visited Canada with her husband. She teamed the dress with a £480 Joseph jacket. She previously wore the Nessie tweed jacket to the Epsom Derby.

Nearby, her sister Pippa wore a Project D peplum dress with a blue bird pattern on it. The Middleton sisters sat side by side, both with their long hair loose around their shoulders. Prince William could not attend today because of an existing engagement.

There were many former tennis players in the audience — Rod Laver, Frank Sedgman, Stan Smith, Manuel Santana, Neale Fraser, Roy Emerson, and Tracy Austin.

Murray’s semi-final defeat of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was watched by pop singer Kylie Minogue, who sat in the Royal Box with boyfriend Andres Velencoso. They were joined by tv presenter Sir David Frost, as well as Sachin Tendulkar, Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.

In his clash with Federer, the 25-year-old was also watched by tennis couple Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, television sports presenter Des Lynam, veteran broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson and England football manager Roy Hodgson.

Having well-known faces in the crowd makes a difference, Murray has said. “I think it’s always going to make a difference when you have royalty in there. You know, it was an unbelievable privilege to play in front of those people.”

In Murray’s home town of Dunblane in Scotland, the streets were deserted. John Nixon, who was watching the match at Dunblane Youth and Sports Centre, entered a qualification: “Federer is playing well but I just think this is Andy’s year. No matter the result he is a credit to his family and to all of Dunblane and we’re really proud of him.’