Andy Murray: Messiah of a Slam-starved nation

‘’Four days after Wimbledon I dreamt I won Wimbledon, and I woke up in the morning and I was just starting to feel better’’ – Andy Murray.

The words were spoken in 2012 after the image of a tearful runner-up on the fabled lawns of Wimbledon struck a chord with many tennis aficionados around the world. The man had single-handedly carried all hopes of his nation but could not eventually cross the finish line. A perennial bridesmaid, Andy Murray was a much lonely man that evening as he saw his dream getting crushed and his hopes of winning the Wimbledon lying in tatters.

12 months later, Andy Murray made his dream come true in a heroic fashion that acted as a catharsis for the British public who had patiently waited for 77 years to witness this very moment. It was the culmination of a magical 11 months for Andy which saw him brush away the scathing pain of his 2012 Wimbledon defeat and emerge as the champion that we had always wanted him to be.

It all began at the hallowed SW19 where Andy picked up the remains from a crushing defeat and inspired himself to give his nation the Olympic gold. It was a victory that had a stirring effect on his entire career – it allowed him to re-discover his self-belief, squash his self-doubts and most importantly inject the conviction into him that he too can beat the very best. As Murray later wrote in his book, ‘Seventy-Seven: My Road to Wimbledon Glory’, “Out of all of the things that happened to me in 2012, winning the gold medal was the proudest moment,’’ it showed what a significant role it played.

Beating Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer back-to-back put him on the track for bigger glory and he proved it with his first Grand Slam title at the Flushing Meadows a few weeks later. If 2012 was the stepping stone to his Slam success, then 2013 naturally had much higher expectations from him. And Andy didn’t disappoint!

For the first time now he didn’t have to face the media bombarding him with questions about when he will taste major glory. He validated that he had the talent, the temperament and now the mentality on how to approach a Slam. That pressure was no more a burden, rather it was a privilege because he has now reached those higher echelons which seemed distant before.

And all that came forth as the Scot displayed that he was simply continuing from where he left. After a successful defence of his Brisbane crown, Andy basked in the sunshine Down Under even further. His forehand solidified by coach Ivan Lendl acted like a whip on his opponents and his nimble footwork simply outsmarted them at the Australian Open. The semi-final match was perhaps the biggest indicator of how much Andy had closed the gap between him and the established multiple Slam champions.

The match stretched to the decider but the Briton showed that he now can confidently make those split-second decisions which can alter the path of a match and a player’s fortune. He got his reward as he got the better of Roger Federer in a Slam for the first time. The roles have reversed – Andy was no more the hunted.

The final though didn’t go his way but Andy had learnt to take defeat in his stride. That setbacks are what strengthen you for the bigger battles in life, the Scot had definitely started believing. For when it was revealed that Andy had been playing with a searing back pain for more than a year that made him compromise his training and some of his shots, it showed Andy’s fearlessness, resilience and his strength of character.

And that attitude got reflected on the court. In a topsy-turvy Miami final, he had to combat with an inspired David Ferrer who would hardly leave him an inch of space but Andy didn’t budge. He waited patiently for his moment and for David to make that one course-altering mistake that would offer the US Open champion a glimmer of hope. And he duly obliged.

The clay season presented him with another setback as the merciless red dirt became unbearable for his back and Murray had to sacrifice the French Open – the first Slam that he had pulled out of since 2007 Wimbledon. But perhaps that’s what sparked the fire in him. Unseen by many, the 26-year-old had started preparing for a grass season that he will remember all his life.

When he set his foot at Queen’s Club, fans and critics were still skeptical about his performance. But when he emerged as the winner he had reinforced people’s support. And then came the biggest challenge. Conquering Wimbledon was what he had dreamt of since his childhood but every year it ended in a frustrating and agonizing wait for another year. Every year Andy had seen his hopes getting cruelly buried and his determination turned into dust.

But he still would not give up. Obliterating the painful memories from last year he immersed himself into the arduous task which looked even more menacing with both of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in his part of the draw. But they magically fell in the first week of Wimbledon and Andy’s draw looked smooth enough to get to the final. Fernando Verdasco looked set to thwart his quest in the quarter-finals but Andy remained unfazed. He was riding on his own destiny.

As Murray reached his second consecutive Wimbledon final, a nation waited with bated breath. Could the seemingly impossible be possible at last? Can this man be their savior and finally exorcise the ghost of Fred Perry? Can the entire British crowd witness the crowning of a homegrown male champion after 77 years?

Andy Murray played like a man possessed – he was aggressive, light-footed and brutal and was perhaps oblivious to the fact that he was playing the then World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the man who had beaten him in their last Grand Slam final. Andy Murray was in own trance and creating his own history. Nothing could deter him now – not even the loss of his first three Championship points. As Djokovic’s final backhand landed into the net, it was one of the historic moments in the entire sports fraternity.

The British crowd erupted into an euphoric outburst and delirious joy – their long-suffering had finally ended. As Andy clenched his fists and fell to the ground in a mixture of utter ecstasy, disbelief and relief, it was once more a vindication of the fact that no matter how severe the setback is, diligence and perseverance are ultimately rewarded.

The few weeks that the Scot played after that were not as fruitful as his defence of the US Open crumbled at the hands of a brilliant Stanislas Wawrinka and after playing two Davis Cup matches, he finally couldn’t delay the inevitable. Murray opted to have the back surgery that he had long postponed which drew the curtains on his season.

But in his truncated season, his incredible Wimbledon triumph remains a sparkling jewel in the crown and an oft-talked about story in the sport. What is even more admirable is that Murray had the best time of his professional career when he was compromised physically. And if that is what he did with an ailing back, it gives much hope for his 2014 season. The world simply can’t wait to see him bring even more intensity into an already sizzling men’s rivalry at the top.