From Out in Right Field: Murray’s performance at Wimbledon one for the ages

There is absolutely nothing like the All-England Club – and the Wimbledon tennis championships.
Through the years, the club has seen champions come and champions go. It’s seen John McEnroe at his best – and his worst – and gracious champions like the Williams sisters, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras.
On Sunday, for the first time since 1936, a male player from the United Kingdom lifted the championship trophy. Andy Murray won the tournament, a year after a gut-wrenching loss in the final.
For years, England has waited. It has waited through the talent of Tim Henman, who came so close so many times to being the champion his country yearned for. And yet, the drought continued.
And then came Andy Murray. Talented, emotional, a joy to watch and cheer for. He battled and fought, but found only heartbreak.
After losing the Wimbledon final to Federer last year, Murray broke down in tears. His first words to the assembled crowd after taking the microphone were, “I’m going to try this, and it’s not going to be easy.” With Murray crying, the crowd responded with a standing ovation. Murray went on to make a wonderful speech, witty and respectful.
But the loss had to weigh on his mind. Instead of letting it rip him apart, Murray responded by winning the Olympics less than a month later, beating Federer in straight sets. A month later, Murray won the U.S. Open, downing Novak Djokovic in the final in five grueling sets.
In late 2011, Murray signed on with a new coach, a man who had won several majors, but never Wimbledon. Ivan Lendl was the emotionless automaton in tennis in the 1980s and early 1990s, winning titles everywhere but showing very little emotion while doing it. So much of that, though, came from playing for Czechoslovakia – an oppressive nation behind the Iron Curtain. Once becoming a U.S. citizen in 1992, Lendl found a new passion. Tennis had made him rich, and he settled into America with a new life.
Whether he would be a good coach was anyone’s guess. Whatever Lendl did, though, it worked with Murray. Coming into Wimbledon this year, Djokovic was ranked No. 1, Murray No. 2. The top two seeds in the tournament, they were both expected to make the final.
And yet, twists and turns and insanity ruled the fortnight at the All-England Club. Murray barely survived five tough sets against Fernando Verdasco, losing the first two sets before rallying for the victory.
Djokovic went five sets to beat Juan Martin Del Potro in the semifinals, and Murray outlasted his opponent Jerzy Janowicz, to set up the final everyone expected.
It wasn’t easy. Murray had to show every bit of fight he had in him Sunday. He was down 4-1 in the second set, and won six of the last seven games to take the set. In the third set, he got an early break, but fell behind 4-2.
He got back on serve, and broke Djokovic to go up 5-4. Then Murray had triple match – and championship – point at 40-0. Somehow, Djokovic fought back, pushed it to deuce – and even got break points in the advantage against Murray.
If Murray had lost that game, all bets were off. Just watching him on the court, you could see every ounce of effort he had was being poured into that game, to get off the court then and there. Who knows what Djokovic could have done with a break back?
And yet, Murray fought. On his fourth match point, Djokovic tried to be a little too perfect. The ball went into the net, and Murray made history.
To be able to watch it all – the history being made, the pageantry of Wimbledon, the crowd and perhaps the entire country standing behind Murray – was a scene never witnessed at Wimbledon in the Open era.
It is a moment in time that will never be forgotten.