Murray crashes out of Wimbledon to inspired Roddick

ANDY Murray’s Wimbledon dream is over – beaten by an inspired Andy Roddick.

AGONY: Andy Murray crashed out of Wimbledon tennis to Andy Roddick - beaten in four sets

Murray carried the hopes of a nation starved of success.

But Britain’s long national nightmare – a stain on its sporting character – will continue. 73 years of hurt will become 74.

Fred Perry, a player only remembered in black and white photographs and smudgy newsreels, is still the best to offer after Roddick upset the form book and dismayed the home crowd with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 semi-final victory.

“I had to play my best tennis to win. I can’t say enough good things about Andy Murray,” said Roddick

“But I can play some tennis sometimes, not many people gave me much of a chance but I knew I had a shot.

“Throughout my career I’ve had a lot of shortcomings but trying hard is never one of them. He had a lot of pressure on him and that probably helped me.

“The last couple of years I didn’t know whether I’d play for another Grand Slam title – it’s just a dream.”

Murray and Roddick had played eight times with the Scot holding a commanding 6-2 advantage, including wins in their last three encounters and a triumph in their only previous meeting on grass.

However, Roddick clearly hadn’t read the script as he took the early advantage.

Well-drilled by one of the canniest coaches around, Larry Stefanki, his disciplined tactics were spot on as he mixed caution with his trademark aggression and unrelenting serve.

Murray’s first serve statistics gave cause for concern and when he presented Roddick with a first break point – which also happened to be a set point – the two-time finalist gleefully converted.

But Murray responded immediately, breaking the American in the first game of the second set as a capacity centre court belatedly found their voice.

Murray continued to hold his serve to level the scores but then squandered three break point chances at the start of the third set.

It was to be an opportunity he’d regret, as his rival quickly recovered, combining the power serves for which he is so well known with some ferocious groundstrokes.

Murray, repeatedly left flatfooted, was clearly frustrated and received a code violation for swearing from umpire Pascal Maria – a charge that he furiously contested without success.

He also seemed to be in pain, holding his thigh on several occasions as the pair traded blows from the baseline.

But still Murray had his chances. He broke back to take the set into a rollercoaster tie-break that frayed and frazzled the nerves.

He had set point and spurned it but so did Roddick. However, he didn’t make the same mistake at the second time of asking.

The fourth set was equally as close but Murray just couldn’t get close to Roddick’s serve and the American – who has won 26 out of 30 tie-breaks this season – closed out the match. 

It was a classy performance and he even mouthed 'I'm sorry' to the crowd as he departed Centre Court, exhausted from a three hour and seven minute tussle.

Five-time champion Roger Federer, seeking an unprecedented 15th Grand Slam title, now awaits in the final.

The stage is set – but, for the home crowd at least, the cast is wrong.

But don’t worry. The Ashes starts next week and there are 33 days to the start of the new football season.

 * Leading life assurance and pensions company AEGON is lead partner of British Tennis and is backing the sport at all levels, from grassroots to world class tennis events. For further information visit www.lta.org.uk