Monday 11 July 2016

Dominant Murray produces a masterclass at Wimbledon

ANDY MURRAY became a double Wimbledon champion with a dominant display on Centre Court against Canadian Milos Raonic.

Murray won 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in two hours and 48 minutes to regain the title which he first won in 2013.

Back then, Murray also won in straight sets against his arch rival and friend Novak Djokovic - but, though there was only one break of serve in the whole match yesterday, this was a lot more comfortable for the Dunblane man.

Raonic, to his credit, had played well over the two weeks at SW19, the highlight of his run being his defeat of the great Roger Federer in the semi finals on Friday in a titanic five-set battle.

The Podgorica-born 25-year-old could find barely any spare change out of Murray, however, and he gained only two breaks points in the whole match.

By contrast, Raonic seemed under regular pressure from a superb returning masterclass by a relentless Murray, only for his big serve to come to his aid.

Still, against Murray's returning ability, Raonic's main weapon was having nowhere near the effect that it had earlier in the tournament.

After all, heading into the contest, Raonic had served 137 aces. In his first ever Grand Slam final, however, he could add only eight more while Murray was able get a highly impressive 74% of his returns back in play.

That was enough to give Murray a vital edge in a match which presented few clear cut opportunities to either player.

Murray's first breakthrough came in the seventh game of the first set in which he earned two break points.

After frittering away the first chance by pushing a backhand too long, the Scot took the second cracking a forehand which his Candian opponent could only net.

Murray then consolidated his break by winning from deuce - and, though Raonic was gallant enough to make the world number two serve out the set, he did so with ease.

The second set oddly followed the same pattern of the first with Murray's big opportunity coming in the seventh game after he forced Raonic to deuce and gained a break point.

Raonic stood firm this time and then saved another couple of break points in the ninth game.

But he was still no closer to forcing a breakthrough on the Murray serve and, following a comfortable hold each, it was time for a tie-break.

Raonic had won four of the previous five tie-breakers between the pair - but Murray did not allow such history to trouble him as he moved into an early position of dominance to go 5-1 up at the change of ends.

That became 6-1 as Murray, on serve, forced Raonic to net a forehand. The Canadian held the next two points on his serve but, back on serve, Murray soon confirmed a two-set lead.

It now became a case of waiting to see whether Murray would steamroller Raonic or if there would be a comeback - and, to be fair, the first major action of the third set suggested the latter.

In the fifth game at 2-2, Raonic finally got some joy and held two break points - but Murray did not flinch.

Saving the first with his serve, the Scot then outlasted Raonic in an attritional rally to get the game to deuce. Murray then made it four points in a row to hold again.

Weaker players may have crumbled at that point but Raonic's serve was always going to keep him in the contest as long as physically possible. The problem was that he never got close on the Murray serve again.

Another tie-break was thus the inevitable conclusion to the third act - and, in a carbon copy of the second set, Murray found himself 5-1 up at the change of ends.

Again it became 6-1 to bring up five championship points - and, though Raonic saved the first of those against the serve, Murray made no mistake on the next point.

Cue the tears - of joy, of course - from Murray, and the 29-year-old made it clear he was going to enjoy this victory far more than his tension-riddled previous success on the hallowed turf at Wimbledon.

Instead, perhaps, the only tension surrounding Murray this year came about from his status as red-hot favourite once Djokovic had surprisingly lost to American Sam Querrey in the third round.

Nowadays, though, Murray is far too good a player to allow the occasion get to him.

Indeed, he seem to relish playing in his 11th Grand Slam final - but his first which was not against Federer or Djokovic. His dominance was rarely examined by the still-developing Raonic.

A second Wimbledon title, and a third Grand Slam in toughest ever tennis era, was never really in doubt.

Andy Murray: the route to glory Wimbledon 2016
Round 1v Liam Broady (GBR)6-2 6-3 6-4
Round 2v Lu Yen-hsun (TPE)6-3 6-2 6-1
Round 3v John Millman (AUS)6-3 7-5 6-2
Round 4v Nick Kyrgios (AUS)7-5 6-1 6-4
Quarter Finalv Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)7-6(12-10) 6-1 3-6 4-6 6-1
Semi Finalv Tomáš Berdych (CZE)6-3 6-3 6-3
Finalv Milos Raonic (CAN)6-4 7-6(7-3) 7-6(7-2)

The pantheon of champions Wimbledon Men's Singles titles in the Open Era (since 1968)
7 Pete Sampras (USA) - 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
7 Roger Federer (SUI) - 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
5 Bjorn Borg (SWE) - 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
3 John McEnroe (USA) - 1981, 1983, 1984 
3 Boris Becker (GER) - 1985, 1986, 1989
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) - 2011, 2014, 2015
2 *Rod Laver (AUS) - 1968, 1969
2 *John Newcombe (AUS) - 1970, 1971
2 Jimmy Connors (USA) - 1974, 1982
2 Stefan Edberg (SWE) - 1988, 1990
2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) - 2008, 2010
2 Andy Murray (GBR) - 2013, 2016
1 Stan Smith (USA) - 1972 
1 Jan Kodeš (CZE) - 1973
1 Arthur Ashe (USA) - 1975
1 Pat Cash (AUS) - 1987
1 Michael Stich (GER) - 1991
1 Andre Agassi (USA) - 1992
1 Richard Krajicek (NED) - 1996
1 Goran Ivanišević (CRO) - 2001
1 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) - 2002
*Note: Rod Laver (1961, 1962) and John Newcombe (1967) also won titles in the Amateur Era, pre-1967

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