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triumph as the hardest points he had ever played.
Murray powered to a 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 victory over world No 1 Novak Djokovic yesterday.
The 26-year-old described the dramatic conclusion to his historic Wimbledon triumph as the hardest points he had ever played.
Murray, who lost in a tearful Wimbledon final against Roger Federer last year, became the country’s first male winner since Fred Perry in 1936.
Murray squandered three matches points before finally taking the title at the fourth attempt.
And the world No 2, whose only other major crown came at the US Open last year, admitted the pressure of closing out the win was almost unbearable.
“Probably the hardest few points I’ve ever had to play in my life,” Murray said.
“I have played Novak many times and when everyone finishes playing, he will go down as one of the fighters.
“He did the same today and that is what made it tough. I understand how much everyone wanted to see a British winner at Wimbledon and I hope everyone enjoyed it.”
Murray clambered into the players’ box to hug his girlfriend Kim Sears, coach Ivan Lendl and the rest of his support team.
Murray’s mother admitted she could barely remember how Murray actually won the final game because she had been reduced to a nervous wreck by that point.
“I was an emotional wreck but now it is the best feeling ever to watch your son win Wimbledon,” she said. “I can’t remember what happened in the last game but he was gutsy and determined to win that trophy today.”
Djokovic, who lost in straight sets at a Grand Slam for the first time since the semifinals at Wimbledon three years ago, praised Murray.
“It wasn’t easy. Andy deserves the win, he played incredible tennis. Congratulations to him and his whole team and the country, I know what it means to you all,” said the Serb.
“It makes the success even bigger as I am aware of the pressure he gets. There are always lots of expectations on him to win this tournament. It’s a great achievement.”
Boris Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion, saluted Murray’s will to win.
“It is reality now, and for where he’s come from and what he’s gone through, it’s an incredible performance,” he said.
Just why Britain had to wait almost eight decades to witness such scenes of unbridled patriotic joy at the spiritual home of lawn tennis was summed up by an astonishing final game when Murray won and lost three match points, leaving 15 000 fans gasping in disbelief.
The pulses were racing even faster as Djokovic displayed his own survival instincts to earn three break points before a wondrous volley winner gave Murray another championship point.
This time Djokovic could not deny him and when the Serb dragged a backhand into the net after yet another lengthy exchange, 60 million Britons leapt up and Murray tossed his racket to the famous turf.
Murray took three hours and nine minutes to finally lay Fred Perry’s ghost at 5.24 local time yesterday.
On the hottest day of the year in Britain, with the mercury soaring toward 30 degrees Celsius, the world’s two best players produced scorching sinew-stretching action from the start and the first three games alone lasted 20 minutes.
The opening salvo of the Centre Court clash lasted 20 strokes as Murray went up 0-40 on the Serb’s serve but Djokovic produced staunch defence to stave off his opponent’s attacks.
The duo did trade breaks in the third and fourth games, with each Murray winner being greeted by a chorus of 15 000 roars.
Second seed Murray got another chance to break to love in the seventh game and this time he pounced as the 2011 champion surrendered his serve by slapping a backhand into the net.
A set that initially looked like lasting forever ended exactly on the hour mark as Djokovic whipped a service return wide to give Murray, runner-up to Roger Federer last year, the one-set cushion.
The battle between the two players who were born seven days apart in 1987 intensified in the second set as they went toe-to-toe from the baseline with 25-shot rallies being par for the course.
Djokovic, who survived a four hour 43 minute semifinal epic against Juan Martin Del Potro two days ago, showed his super-human ability to recover quickly as he ran down everything Murray could throw at him.
The Serb rattled Murray by going for the lines and broke for a 3-1 lead when Olympic and US Open champion Murray flicked a forehand into the net.
Even when Djokovic slipped and skidded flat on to his stomach while trying to chase down a Murray winner, the six-times grand slam champion appeared unfazed as he quickly got back on to his feet to extend his lead to 4-1.
But Murray, who trains in the intense Miami heat even on Christmas Day, showed off his iron-man conditioning as he stormed back to level at 4-4, a Djokovic double fault on break point down handing him the break back in the seventh game. — AFP/Reuters.
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