With the weight of a nation resting on his shoulders, Andy Murray's life was never easy, especially not at Wimbledon. This year though, he somehow managed to turn things around, drawing inspiration from the crowd as he sealed his berth into his first final at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Nadal's shocking exit left the bottom half of the draw empty and Andy took full advantage. He still had to bring out his A-game, but he got passed David Ferrer in the quarterfinals and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis and booked a final showdown against sixth time former champion, Roger Federer.
Contrary to his previous Grand Slam finals in which he appeared nervous, shaky and ended up beating himself up to defeat, this time around, Andy started with a fierce look in his eyes. Under a packed Central Court, it seemed like his time to shine has finally come. Pumped up with adrenaline and playing superb tennis, he produced a stellar display to take the first set 6-4. Some missed chances early in the second allowed Federer to come to life in this match though and there was nothing stopping the Swiss Maestro in claiming his seventh Wimbledon crown after that. Federer played some of the best tennis of his career and although Murray hung on, it just wasn't enough to bring him the Scot that elusive Grand Slam trophy.
Losing is always tough, especially if we are talking about a Wimbledon final in which you gave it your all, and Murray's defeat left him heart-broken. "I am getting closer," said a visibly emotional Murray, as he struggled to regain his composure and accept the runner-up trophy. "I'm going to start crying again... Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, how tough it is, ... the people watching make it so much easier to play - they make it incredible," he added while receiving a rapturous round of applause from the warm crowd.
Now that the fourth chance went begging, the question of if and when will Murray win that maiden Slam is on everyone's mind. As Federer stated in his post-match conference, "I really do believe deep down he will win Grand Slams, not just one. I do wish him all the best. This is genuine. He works extremely hard."
Murray's game is exquisite. He is not lacking in any departments and after seeing the huge mental progresses he did during the fortnight, I am sure his time will come. It must! Let's take Djokovic for example. I am sure the Serb is no better player than him, but due to his mental strength he took his career to the highest of heights. The Scot needs to do the same. Probably the first Slam is the toughest, but I am sure that after the 'curse' is broken, Andy can dominate as much as Novak did it during the last year and a half. His brave performance today and the genuine emotions he displayed after the match have won everyone one. If tennis is a fair sport, he ought to win a Slam!
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| Andy Murray lost his fourth Grand Slam final, being beaten 6-4,5-7,3-6,4-6 by Roger Federer. Although painful, Murray must take the positives from this experience. He played a great match, but Federer was just unreachable today. Relying on such a complex game, Murray's time will surely come; he just needs to be prepared when the opportunity arises. |
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