At last, conclusive proof that Andy Murray is British after all. We should not have been fooled by the ease with which the Scot, in such stark contrast to Tim Henman before him, eased into the second week for the loss of just one set. And how dearly he made us pay for our folly.
At two sets to love and 5-4 behind against Richard Gasquet, after two hours of gut-wrenchingly tense tennis during which the eighth-seeded Frenchman had hardly put a foot wrong, Murray’s post-French Open declaration that he was capable of winning Wimbledon seemed a hollow boast. Then came a brief flash of inspired returning from Murray, a double fault from Gasquet, and we all boarded a familiar emotional rollercoaster, one that would not reach its final destination until Centre Court was virtually shrouded in darkness.
Who would bet against Murray now? Rafael Nadal, perhaps, who will surely have been grinning from ear to ear as he watched his next opponent push strength and sinew to the limit. Yet this 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2, 6-4 victory answered virtually every question that has been asked of the Scot.
In an epic encounter that must have had even Henman, the acknowledged master of the cliffhanger, green with envy in the courtside commentary box, Murray showed that he has the mental fortitude to retrieve a seemingly lost cause, the fitness to prevail against the world’s best over five sets, and the ability to orchestrate the emotions of a raucously partisan Centre Court crowd.
In truth, by the time Murray finally put the nation out of its misery with one final, booming service winner to cap a three hour, 57 minute victory and seal his place in the quarter-finals of a grand slam event for the first time, most of those questions had long since been answered. “It was tough and I got a little bit nervous,” said Murray. “The light was tough at the end, but it was the best moment that I’ve ever had on a tennis court. To come back from two sets to love down is an awesome feeling. It was a privilege and I’d like to say thanks to everyone for their support.”
It could not have been more needed. A tight opening set went with serve until 5-6, when Murray proved the first to blink, sending a backhand volley wide. Having dropped the set, Murray promptly went walkabout mentally. In the process, he demonstrated once again that the drop shot is the fatal Cleopatra that stands to lose him – contentedly, it would seem – if not the world, then certainly many a tennis match.
Against Tommy Haas in the previous round, the Scot had shown admirable restraint, waiting until midway through the second set before attempting his most overused tactic. Not this time. A trio of unsuccessful drop shots in his opening service game was compounded by a double fault at 30-30, costing Murray a break and, ultimately, the set, 6-3.
Two sets to the good, Gasquet was soon threatening the Murray serve again. Serving at 2-3, 15-40, Murray held on tenaciously, saving the first of two break points with a winning volley and the second with yet another drop shot, one that this time teetered on the net tape before fortuitously falling onto Gasquet’s side. Two more break points came and went for Gasquet before Murray held, greeting a rare netted backhand from his opponent with a triumphant bellow.
The game set the tone for the remainder of the set, Gasquet holding with ease while Murray battled to stave off the incessant pressure imposed by the Frenchman’s superb ground strokes. Murray could not continue to live on the brink and at 4-4 the pressure finally told, Gasquet securing the break at the third time of asking with a trademark backhand passing shot.
Then came the dramatic twist on which the match turned as Murray, who had scarcely threatened the Gasquet delivery throughout, heaped the pressure on his opponent with some inspired returning. It was enough to make the Frenchman falter for the first time, Gasquet double faulting at 30-40 as Murray broke to level the set at 5-5.
More drop shots followed as Murray, flirting with disaster, threw away a 40-15 lead before forcing a forehand error from Gasquet to hold. The inevitable tiebreak followed, and after racing to a 6-3 lead Murray, pulled wide of the doubles court, pulled off an outrageous one-handed backhand winner to clinch the set. The fourth went by in a 25-minute blur as Murray, sustaining his momentum, squared the match at two sets all.
Five break points came and went at the outset of the fifth, but an unanswerable stop volley finally brought the break and, for the first time in the match, Murray was ahead. It was 9.27pm by the time Gasquet courageously held serve to force Murray to serve out – and it would hardly have been Murray had he not dumped one final drop shot into the net. But an ace brought up match point, and a service winner completed the job as the Centre Court erupted in jubilation.
Link:http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/jun/30/wimbledon.tennis9
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