Andy Murray is no stranger to creating British history. But his Sunday achievement was a big one. In its 125 years of existence, the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club hasn’t had any five-time winner. The World No. 2 rewrote the record books with his comeback 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over the third seed Milos Raonic that made him the first ever player to accomplish such an extraordinary feat on the verdant London lawns.
Murray treaded a rough path for the early parts of the match and the record looked very doubtful. He went a set and a break down to trail the big-serving Canadian 6(5)-7, 0-3. The John McEnroe-backed Raonic’s serve seemed impenetrable which hadn’t been broken all tournament till then.
But being the great returner that he is, the Briton finally settled down and broke back the Canadian. He would go on to break him again and secured the set 6-4.
Riding on the confidence, the two-time Major winner made in-roads into Raonic’s game twice more in the deciding set to earn the much-coveted fifth title that starts off his second stint with the former World No. 1 Ivan Lendl on a grand note.
Florian Mayer becomes lowest-ranked Halle champion
Over at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, Florian Mayer too had his own share of a historic accomplishment. The World No. 192 became the lowest-ranked winner of the title in the event’s 24-year history as he edged past his 19-year-old compatriot Alexander Zverev, 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
The former World No. 18 had lost a chunk of the season early on in the year due to an adductor injury that had threatened to end his career. The hiatus had caused his ranking to plummet so low and this triumph will shoot him up into the top 100 once again.
Zverev, who had toppled the defending champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals, found himself staring at defeat in the second set as he faced two match points. But he summoned his A-game and quickly erased them to push the match into a deciding third set.
The two were even till 3-3 after which the youngster cracked under pressure and let Mayer go on a run of 11 straight points. The elder countryman would soon close it out on his fifth match point.
