Andy Murray Ends Britain’s Long Wait

I was supporting Federer to extend his record of Grand Slam title haul in the US Open even his convincing win over Djokovic in the Cincinnati Open finals. He had great start in the tournament until his stunning defeat from the hands of Berdych in the quarterfinals. While on the other hand, I want Murray also to bring home his first ever Grand Slam silverware and end Britain’s long wait. He almost makes it a reality when he reached the Wimbledon Finals against Federer but failed to capitalize his first set win. 

And on a day before the anniversary of September 11 at New York, Andy Murray finally made it through and has removed the monkey on his back by defeating Djokovic in a record 5 sets match. It was even almost halted after Djokovic fought back to take the third and fourth sets in a convincing manner but then it seems that it is Andy’s time to shine once again. I said once again because he was able to duplicate and followed his remarkable win at the same court and the same opponent during the London 2012 Olympics but this time it is more remarkable since it is a Grand Slam title that has eluded him in four occasions. 

I am sure Andy Murray will now become a big name not only in Britain but in international tennis. And I think the idea that big sponsors will be flocking on his way will now become another reality after his wonderful win at the Flushing Meadows. And I think his new coach (Ivan Lendl) had great influence in the way he played in big events like the Grand Slams. Finally, Great Britain has another grand slam winner after a very long wait of 76 years. 

Many believe that Murray will have good outlook in 2013 as the Swiss maestro continue to show signs of aging while Nadal is still bothered by a lingering knee problem which made him back out at the US Open. Then Murray-Djokovic rivalry is looming in the making if this kind of situation will continue.

Image from The Guardian.

The Golden Moment, Finally

I watched Federer bowed down to the resilient Andy Murray in their tennis finals at the London Olympic Games yesterday afternoon. And if you are following my blog, you know that I am a big fan of the maestro because of the sportsmanship he displays on and off the court or even during the hard times of his playing career. And you seldom see him smashed tennis racket on the court or show disappointments while on play. He always keeps his composure despite the difficulty of the situation on hand.

image from TopNewsToday

And just like what happened during yesterday’s Tennis Olympic finals, he never showed any frustrations when he can’t seem to find answers on Murray’s aggressive approach. He eventually lost in three sets with a stunning margin in the first two sets (6-2, 6-1), especially on the second set when Federer was unable to score for more than an hour.

It was a sweet revenge for Andy Murray after his defeat from the hands of Federer himself a month ago at the same tennis ground. The only difference is that, it was during the Wimbledon Grand Slam finals. Murray’s victory yesterday marked a career breakthrough for him and he could be a favorite going to the next Grand Slam, the US Open, which is still eluding him.

Federer on the other hand, was chasing for a career Golden Slam as it is the only major award that is missing in his illustrious career with a total of 17 Grand Slam titles in all competitions.

Federer’s Another Magnificent Milestone

I watched the Swiss maestro humbled Andy Murray in the finals at Wimbledon that many thought he could no longer compete with the younger legs. Yet, he once again defy that age is certainly not the case when it comes to his favorite court. It ended a Grand Slam title drought for Roger Federer and eventually became one of the oldest players to win a grand slam title and the second oldest to hold the number one ranking. It also puts on hold Britain’s 76-year wait for a homegrown champion once again though Andy is almost right there already.

Though Andy did try his best by taking the first set yet Roger was just in his own class and became the top-rank player that once he was. With the win, Federer equaled a record seventh Wimbledon title and adding one more to a record grand slam collection that now stands at 17. In doing so, he also returned as number 1 in the world rankings, equaling Sampra’s record of 286 weeks at the top and he will eventually set a new record and reach another unprecedented landmark of 287 weeks as world number one in the coming week.

And with the London Olympic just around the corner, there is no doubt that he will be one of the favorites to win the gold in men’s tennis considering that it will be held on the same grass court. Although Djokovic, Nadal and Murray were also there but there’s nothing simple about beating the guy on the other side of the net if Federer is standing there. An Olympic gold in men’s tennis singles will add to his already illustrious achievements that until now keep eluding him. And if he continues to play the way he has, he’ll have an excellent chance of finishing as number one through the end of the year.


NB: Image from wikimedia commons.