Murray wins first Wimbledon, ends 77-year British drought

LONDON – Andy Murray dominated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon championship ending a 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men’s champion.

Murray took 3 straight sets (6-4), (7-5), (6-4) against world number one Djokovic. 

It was the 26-year-old Murray’s second Grand Slam title to follow his breakthrough triumph at the US Open back in 2012. 

Djokovic was gracious in his defeat recognizing the tremendous amount of pressure that was on Murray’s shoulder with the entire UK egging him to win the Wimbledon title.  

“He deserves to win,” said the Serbian standout. 

Match closer than final score

Both struggled in the stifling 40-degree heat especially Djokovic who looked jaded coming off his record four hour 43-minute semi-final victory over Juan Martin del Potro.

Despite leads of 4-1 in the second set and 4-2 in the third, he was out-hit by Murray who finished with 36 winners to 31, with 21 unforced errors to the Serb’s 40 carving out 17 break points.

Murray, who played in the final of his last four majors, had break points in the first and third games, and finally pouncing on his seventh for a 2-1 lead.

Djokovic levelled at 2-2 but Murray was more aggressive and broke to love for a 4-3 edge firing almost four times as many winners than the top-seeded Serb.

Murray saved three break points for a 5-3 lead but Djokovic was furious that umpire Mohamed Lahyani had called a ball out at 30-40 while allowing play to continue with the Scot going to deuce.

The British second seed took the opener 6-4 after 59 minutes with a love service game, hitting 17 winners to six and with only six unforced errors to the world number one’s 17.

Murray wasn’t getting complacent. He won the the first set of the pair’s last three meetings and still lost the match.

Djokovic was obviously aware of the history, speeding into a 4-1 lead with two more marathon rallies of 30 and 32 shots.

But Murray roared back to 4-4 in a final which, despite its punishing hitting, still felt flat with both players too similar in style and then appearance when they both donned white caps to combat the sun’s glare.

Slippery court

Djokovic, however, was becoming increasingly frustrated with the court after slipping several times.

In his fog of anxiety, Murray mugged him for a break to lead 6-5 and went two sets to the good at 7-5.

Murray only lost once when two sets up and that was in the Wimbledon third round in 2005 against David Nalbandian, his debut year when he was an 18-year-old rookie .

A break in the second game of the third set gave Murray a 2-0 lead before Djokovic, discarding the hat, raced away with the next four games for a 4-2 lead.

But Murray reclaimed the break in the seventh game and levelled in the eighth with a running, curled forehand off a Djokovic drop.

It was almost over.

Djokovic, in his 11th Grand Slam final, was broken for 4-5 before the British star, with the crowd on their feet, wasted three match points.

Murray finally achieved his place in history when Djokovic netted a backhand after three hours and nine minutes of action.  – with reports from Rodneil Quiteles/Rappler.com