Andy Murray conquers Novak Djokovic to emerge Wimbledon champion

The Wimbledon final, mercifully for the British crowd, turned out to be an anti-climatic final between the world’s best two in the world

The crowd erupted in a boisterous roar when Djokovic landed another forehand in the net to be broken in the eleventh game. Moments earlier, the Serbian lost his cool when he argued with the chair over a baseline call since he had already run out of challenges. Hawkeye suggested it was in anyways, but an incensed Djokovic dumped one in the net to offer a decisive break point. Murray took control of the match, sealing the set with his ninth ace.

Henri Cochet was the last man ever to work his way back from a two-set deficit in a Wimbledon final, the musketeer doing so against his good mate Jean Borotra in 1927. There was no such camaraderie between Djokovic and Murray and he was left with a mountain to surmount all by himself. The match was already a mighty effort with the first set taking an hour and the second lasting six more than that.

Djokovic needed a solid start to his third set, but got off to a disaster when he was broken in the first game when Murray forced the error with a power packed forehand. Murray held confidently to take a 2-0 lead to have the greatest prize of his life firmly on his racket. But Djokovic is not the kind of man to allow matters to slip entirely out of his hands.

The world No.1 put a twist in the tale, when he picked off a drop shot and produced a cross court winner of brilliant pedigree to earn a break point in the third game. Djokovic got the set back on serve when Murray sent his response wide while the duo duelled at the net. The set swung towards Djokovic when Murray made consecutive errors off either flank to gift a second break in the sixth game.

Djokovic had taken four straight games to 4-2, but Murray played a resilient seventh game to halt the momentum. A fabulous backhand cross court winner earned Murray two valuable points to bring the set back on serve. Djokovic saved the first, but Murray packed too much power on the next point to wrest the initiative back from his resurgent opponent.

In the ninth game, Murray did a 360-degree turn around the ball to defeat Djokovic at the net to force the issue on the Serbian’s serve. Murray earned two break points when he passed Djokovic with a blistering forehand struck on the run. Djokovic, looking spent, dumped a forehand in the net to surrender a vital break.

Serving for the Championship, Djokovic invited Murray to the net with another drop shot and the Scot didn’t disappoint swinging a forehand winner up the line to get within two points of a maiden Wimbledon title. Djokovic mishit a return on the next point to offer three points for the Championships to the man from Scotland.

Djokovic nailed a backhand volley at the net to 40-15 and followed it with a typically characteristic backhand return winner to nullify the second. Murray flailed a forehand long and all three points melted away in the hot British Sun.

The tension was mounting all around as the game reached a third deuce point, when Djokovic made a sensational cross court winner off the half volley to earn a third break point. Memories of Djokovic returning from the dead against Roger Federer started playing out, especially at the sight of that backhand return winner. But Murray steadied himself to force deuce for a fourth time.

A brilliant rally ensued, Murray defending as if his life depended on it before forcing the error with a powerful forehand from the middle of the court to earn a fourth Championship point. The match ended in a collective roar of the British pride, when Djokovic sank the ball in the net on the next point to leave Murray clenching both fists in a moment of immense relief and great joy.

It wasn’t one of those great finals, but the outcome made it a memorable event. The sight of Murray collecting a second grand slam trophy and the one that really mattered is bound to be received with great fondness all around the tennis world. For a country that has given us some of the most memorable tennis over the years, we owe the British their lap of victory. It has been after all too long in the making.