Murray wins five-set thriller at Wimbledon

By James Toney, Sportsbeat, at the All England Club

 ANDY Murray survived a fright under lights but his Wimbledon dream lives on – although only just.

 

SHEER RELIEF: Andy Murray was put through the ringer but still booked his last eight place at Wimbledon tennis

As day turned into night, Murray just got the better of a prime-time tussle that decimated TV schedules and enthralled millions. 

Murray will have no time for the fact he was involved in the first-ever entire match to be played under Wimbledon’s new £80 million roof.

Or in the latest ever game to finish at the All England Club and the first played under floodlights.

He is still eyeing another much more prized place in history and the dream of a British winner, after a 73-year drought, lives on following this 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka.

“That was pretty special and Stan played a great match,” said Murray.

“The standard he set was tough to keep up with and I was getting very tired towards the end. But the atmosphere when you have 15,000 supporting makes it extra special.

“I’m not dreaming about winning yet but I’m taking a lot of confidence into my next match.”

Wawrinka is used to late night Wimbledon tussles. His match with Mario Ancic three years ago held the record as the All England Club’s previous latest finish – 9.49pm – and he didn’t win that one either.

Murray secured his win at 10.38pm after a rollercoaster near four hours that left his supporters frazzled and frayed and in desperate search of last orders, to toast his success and calm their shredded nerves.

Last week Murray got a letter from the Queen, then he received a good luck call from James Bond and tonight Obi Wan Kenobi, or at least actor Ewan McGregor, was in attendance.

However, the force was certainly not with him as he made a sluggish start – before rallying to impose his sheer will on Wawrinka with a performance that was hardly dominant but was certainly determined.

Murray always knew his Wimbledon would be defined by an encounter with a Swiss player – although he had Roger Federer in mind, rather than Wawrinka.

And while far from complacent about facing his friend and regular hitting partner, Murray seemed strangely lacklustre during a first set that his opponent wrapped up in just 34 minutes.

After Murray’s dominant wins over Ernests Gulbis and Viktor Troicki, a capacity crowd hunkered under the roof and prepared for a barrage of unstoppable winners.

They were certainly not expecting to spend the evening chewing their finger nails, as Murray struggled to find his range and rhythm and was repeatedly punished by Wawrinka’s thumping backhand.

The world number 19 got his early tactics spot on, forcing Murray from his comfort zone and gleefully taking advantage of every error.

Being Switzerland’s second best tennis player is no shame when you realise who is number one and Wawrinka has been briefly ranked in the world’s top ten.

He also won the Olympic doubles gold with Federer in Beijing and has beaten Murray in three of their seven encounters – a better record than his more famous compatriot against the Scot.

Murray continued to stutter in the second set and crucially saved two break points before Wawrinka called the trainer to the court.

The momentum then started to swing as Murray cranked up the pressure and a partisan crowd turned up the volume – a wall of noise bouncing off the roof and reverberating around his hallowed arena.

After leveling the scores, the third set stayed close but Murray’s serve – such a weapon in earlier encounters – was still jittery.

Matches like this having turning points and when Murray studies the video evidence he will point to the critical sixth game of the third set.

He saved three breaks points and then broke Wawrinka at the next opportunity.

He then went on to win the next five games in succession – closing out the third set and establishing early control of the fourth.

However, his opponent was busily redefining plucky and finally converted one of his numerous break points to take a fourth set lead that he comfortably served out.

Few would have predicted this would go the distance but few are fitter than Murray and maybe his conditioning and experience made a telling difference.

Both players exchanged service breaks in an understandably nervous final set, before an emotional Murray closed out the most famous win of his career yet.

He will now face former French Open winner Juan Carlos Ferrero in Wednesday’s quarter-final, after he beat number eight seed Gilles Simon - the first wildcard to reach that stage since Goran Ivanisevic, who famously won in 2001.

Although a clay court specialist, it will be the Spaniard’s third appearance in Wimbledon’s last eight.

The 29-year old is dubbed the Mosquito because of his speed and wiry physique, a chastened Murray better hope he doesn’t get bitten.  

 * 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