Review of 2013 Wimbledon

focused, ready from the first match. The defending champion is out. More

drama on Centre Court. Roger Federer will be in the main interview room.

Sharapova is out. Maria Sharapova. Novak Djokovic. Rafael Nadal. The

Tory Azarenka. Serena Williams will be in the interview room

immediately. As the crow flies the University of

Roehampton is no more than a short trip from Wimbledon. Those without

wings but handy with a racket prefer to ride a bus and it's where the

next generation of tennis stars are staying during the Championships.

The teenagers have qualified to play in the junior events on the greatest

stage in the game, and for some it will be their first experience of

competing on grass. In 1998 a 16-year-old Swiss lifted both the

Boys' Singles and doubles trophies. I think when you come here as a

junior you sort of rubs shoulders with the best but I remember we were

tucked away under the old court to and we didn't see them or talk to

them. We just came in for the matches and left again. It was an

amazing experience and I had a great time and it was a dream come true

for me and to play on the courts of Wimbledon as a junior I had to pinch

myself, am I playing on grass? Playing on the same site as Pete

Sampras who was my hero back then. I got presented the trophy on Centre

Court in the Royal Box and it was just one of those incredible moments

I will never forget as a junior. 15 years later and with seven Men's

Singles titles to his name defending champion has been drawn in the same

half as second seed Andy Murray and the same quarter as Rafael Nadal,

seeded and uncharacteristic fit because he was sidelined for seven

months after last year's Wimbledon. -- uncharacteristic fifth. Age 31

this could be championships toughest championships to date. I'm excited

to be back at Wimbledon as a defending champion. I think it is

always an amazing situation to be opening on Centre Court, that's what

it is about in the first place, and after that you can hopefully take it

match by match. If you have been able to win your first one. Federer

was in familiar surroundings opening proceedings on Centre Court. Roger

Federer to serve. It required just 68 minutes for his Romanian

opponent, Victor Hanescu, to be completely outclassed. Normal

service was resumed. The last time Federer had played on Centre Court

was the men's final at the 2012 Olympics. Britain's Andy Murray had

memorably and spectacularly defeated him in straight sets then the Scot

finally unravelled the vagaries of winning a grand slam title in New

York five weeks later. That unravelling is a gift available to

only the privileged few. I know I will be very nervous before my first

match. But if I can find a way of getting myself into the latter

stages of the tournament, you know, knowing how to win the big events

and being able to have done it here, and at the U.S. Open, it will

only give me more confidence. The second seed's first round opponent

was Germany's B. Becker, Benjamin, not Boris. Murray defeated him at

Queen's Club a week early and went on to win the title. Game and first

set, Murray. Preparations had been termed perfect and here was first

hand evidence. Game, set and match, Murray.

Murray's Wimbledon campaign and that of his gigantic army of followers

had begun. Another grand slam champion was in

action on Court One, twice and Australian Open winner, Victoria

Azarenka suffered a fall during her opening match. Somehow, the second

seed progressed but rarely looked comfortable.

Enter a crowd-pleasing face. Rafa Nadal had just won and eight French

Open title yet the Majorcan was not content. By nature he likes to be

meticulous in his preparations. I feel nervous. I feel excited,

nervous, but before there is a lot of work here to play well because

the surface is difficult and it is the most difficult in my opinion. To

find the right feeling. I didn't have a chance to compete in a

tournament before here so it's the first time I will be playing here

without a tournament before. That is something that I don't like but I

don't have an option. So I will try my best, and I hope things go well.

His first-round opponent was the Belgian journeymen Steve Darcis.

Somebody with a low profile and a ranking in triple digits. The

29-year-old has spent much of his career toiling in the lower echelons

of professional tennis. But the Belgian went by the nickname of the

shark because of the tattooed on his shoulder. Nadal, a man of the sea,

new to be wary of such a dangerous predator. A year earlier Wimbledon

grass had proved too arduous for the Nadal knee as he lost arduously Li

agonisingly to Lukas Rosol, now the world 135th man was repeating the

torment. Lamentably Rafa was affected and the

low bounce and lack of preparation proved too much for the most debated

left knee in tennis. It was the first time in his career that Nadal

had ever been defeated in the first round of a grand slam.

I think if you play from the baseline and rest against Rafa you

will be gone after two sets. The plan today was to put a lot of

pressure on him from the first point on and that's what I did. I think I

did great. Rafael Nadal will be in the main interview room immediately.

Questions, please for Rafael Nadal. I answered this question three times

or four times already, I don't want to talk about my knee this

afternoon. The only thing that I can say today is to congratulate Steve

Darcis, he played a fantastic match. Everything that I will say today

about my knee is an excuse and I don't want to put any excuse when I

lose a match like I lost today. The junior Rolls of honour display

many familiar names who went on to reach the finals, or win the men's

and women's singles titles at the All-England Club. The junior

championship started in 1947 and this is our 66 junior event here in

2013. For the overall event it is really important because it is the

stepping stone for the juniors to progress into the senior game. I

think it's really important for the juniors to be here, get a feel for

what it is like to be around the big stars that are playing and

everywhere they look here they are practising, especially in the second

week getting to the sort of business end of the tournament. A year ago

and America's Taylor Townsend was the world number one junior. Coming

here and being able to play in the juniors is such motivation for me to

come and say "OK, I want to be here one day but playing the pros. " It

is a huge motivation for me. Nine times Wimbledon singles champion

Martina Navratilova was on hand with advice for the teenager as she

prepared for her first-round match. Just to make it a little more

challenging they hit with wooden rackets. I just hit with Martina and

she was helping me with my volleys and telling me to stay down and

stuff like that. You think it is so simple but it makes a world of a

difference and the little things she told me to do and I did it was like

amazing the difference. Serena Williams is Taylor Townsend's

heroin. The defending champion entered Wimbledon the hot

favourite. Since the 2012 open she had won three grand slam titles and

an Olympic gold medal but even such grandiose success doesn't vanish all

the butterflies. I get nervous before every match. I always feel

excited. I always feel this anxiety. Sometimes have to just

relax and say a prayer like "Serena, just calm down." But I think it's a

good thing and it is really good for me that I'm able be excited, I'm

able to feel those feelings like I'm a teenager playing tennis. And

that's how I feel before every match. As hot favourites went at

Wimbledon Serena Williams in the She had just won her first French

Open title in 11 years and her winning streak was past the 30 match

Mark. Nobody, it was assumed, would be able to extinguish her flame.

I have a nice saying that I always like to say that it is not the will

to win that makes a winner but the will to prepare to win that makes a

winner. It is a mental battle. I try to always be determined and to do my

job and that is to win the match. And to have that necessary willpower

that carries me to the victory. When I step on the court it is an arena

for me. There was an ominous calm for Novak Djokovic. The 2011

champion was fit, confident and prepared. Sure, there were things to

think about, but not yet. He seemed an island of self-assurance but

troubled waters lay ahead. Rarely has French Open runner-up

Maria Sharapova spent so much time preparing. Rather than head home

from Paris to the United States she made London her base. I did come to

London quite soon after the French Open final loss. I started

practising and I've had a great few weeks on the grass. It's always an

adjustment, especially for the body to start so fast after the clay so

it was very important that I took my time. For all players the morning

has a routine elements, practice and preparation ahead of their second

round matches. Whoever would follow Nadal through the exit door, a

process in the media Centre is in place to ensure worldwide coverage.

We deliver for the world's media and opportunity to speak to players

after the match from the world number one to the lowest ranking

junior entrant in the tournament. This is the main interview room and

can accommodate a lot of people. We have a process for the press to

request interviews and we make them happen after matches. There was

nothing routine in what was soon to transpire. Victoria Azarenka will be

in the main interview room immediately. The breaking news is

Victoria Azarenka has pulled out with a knee injury see sustained in

her opening match. -- she sustained. Steve Darcis. We just heard that

Nadal's congress Steve Darcis has just also withdrawn with a shoulder

injury. I don't think he is going much further. Unfortunately due to

injury Jo-Wilfried Tsonga cannot continue to play. Going in one

direction only and that is to the locker room. Ladies and gentlemen,

unfortunately John Isner has to retire. One of the craziest days in

Wimbledon's history could get even crazier. Radek Stepanek is retiring.

Shvedova and Marin Cilic have also pulled out through injury. On Court

Two more excessively noisy drama in sealed. Maria Sharapova was match

point down to Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito.

I just wasn't there. It's frustrating. You certainly don't

want to lose matches. Whether it is early or late. As I have said this

tournament is extremely special and it is definitely tough to lose but

I'm going to keep my head high about it because there is no other way,

and try to find the positives out of what I have today in my career and

set new goals and keep moving forward. So, the two highest seeds

in the bottom half of the women's draw were out. But the drama that

was to follow in the men's competition left a greater dent in

the bodywork of everything that had transpired in men's tennis over the

previous decade. Federer faced Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky, the

player ranked 160 in the world who did not rewrite the history books,

he pulled out an old edition, charging at the net at every

opportunity. Stokowski is not letting up. He has not let Federer

breathe. Two past champions and exponents of the seemingly extinct

serve and volley at liked what they saw. Wow, now this is really getting

interesting. For once, Federer wasn't in charge on the court which

so often has been his turf. His imperious domain.

Sergiy Stakhovsky just keeps plugging away. You have got to hand

it to Sergiy Stakhovsky, he is making this so competitive. Clearly

for him this is a huge, huge moment. For the first time in 37 grand slam

events the quarterfinal stage would take place without Roger Federer. In

fact, never mind the last eight, at Wimbledon 2013 the seven time

champion did not get as far as the last 32. This has got to go down as

one of the all-time craziest days, without doubt, in the history of

Wimbledon. Roger Federer. What you do after something like this is, you

do the 24-hour rule, don't panic at this point, that's clear. I think

there was a time that some players did not believe they could beat the

top guys. You guys I could tap so much me playing Rafa and he is out

and I am out. Maybe it was disrespectful towards the other

opponents -- hyped it up. It sends a message to you guys as well that

maybe you should not do that so often next time round. Ladies and

gentlemen, Sergiy Stakhovsky. Where does this match rank in terms of

your career today? Beating Roger today here on his court where he is

a legend is, I think, having a definitely special place in my

career. Shock exits, injuries and withdrawals. Wednesday 26 June 2013

was a day at the Championships many sages, old and not so old, will

ponder and analyse for a long time to come. I feel like there are

electric currents that go through slams on certain days once in awhile

and that was a very powerful current. I think the players were

all feeling it, picking up on it and there were string things happening

around the tournament, on the grounds, in the player 's largest on

the televisions they were seeing the slips and upsets and surprises and

there was a certain energy and they are a bit of a tribe in that sense

and it goes deep into larger emetic roots probably. -- deep into our

genetic roots. Middle Saturday. Wimbledon prides

itself on being something of a sporting oasis. While the

earth-shattering happened in terms of results a sense of English

country garden come still remains around the All-England grounds. The

boys and girls championship start on the outside courts. The French Open

junior boys champion from Chile is playing the South Korean. Li is the

Asian champion and this is his first match on grass. There has surely not

been a more remarkable competitor because the 15-year-old has been

deaf since birth. The teenager lost in three sets but

the experience should stand him in good stead for the future. And

meeting one of his heroes later that day was surely an inspiration. Hi,

how are you, nice to meet you. How are you doing? He is deaf but. I

have read about him before. It is a great honour to see you. Has he

played already? He played the first game but unfortunately he lost. He

has a double game tomorrow. His first time on grass? Yes, his first

time on grass. It is very difficult. Shall we take a quick picture?

Please, is it allowed? Sure. One more? Yes. Thank you. No problem.

Have a good match in Wimbledon and we will hopefully see you later on.

Thank you, goodbye. The tennis action of the first week

of the Championships might have taken a break for a day but female

stars throughout the history of tennis joined together to celebrate

40 years of the women's tennis is in. Billie Jean King worked

tirelessly with great determination to form the WTA in 1973. We had a

meeting on June 20 at the Gloucester hotel. The week before another rig

at 63 women in there and I had Betty stove at the back of the room and I

said lock the doors, don't let any of the women out. And at the end we

definitely had our association. It was a momentous occasion. We finally

were going to have one voice. In 1973 King won the triple Crown at

Wimbledon. I had been trying to reflect on how did I ever win

Wimbledon in 73 after all the work was going on off the court. I think

what happened is I was so excited on the first day of Wimbledon and felt

so much happier and lighter because we had formed the WTA the week

before that I think I was kind of like floating. To think about

winning the triple Crown after forming this WTA it had to be my joy

and happiness, and also I had great partners.

The second week of the Championships. So much still to be

decided. It was 23 days since Williams danced in delight with the

trophy at Roland Garros. Germany's Sabine Lisicki and a semifinalist

two years previously was a dangerous opponent on grass, but surely not

that dangerous. Her intent was clear from the outset. Hit hard, failing

that she would hit even harder. Could fate play a part? Lisicki had

beaten the reigning French Open champion in three of the previous

four years. It was time for the Serena game face. She snatched

domination to take a 3-0 lead in the final set. Lisicki was far from

finished. Williams became hesitant and Conservative in her shot

selection. A player under sure in her mind and not committed to the

concept of attack is a player floundering.

But did Lisicki have the nerve to complete a shock that would surpass

all those massive ones earlier in the tournament? Advantage, Miss

Lisicki. The defending champion was out. I

think it was my biggest win of my career. Serena has had a tremendous

year. She has lost maybe three or four matches in the last 12 months.

So to be able to come back from 2-4 down in the third set to beat her

6-forward is just unbelievable feeling. Serena Williams will be in

the main interview room immediately. -- 6-4. She played a super

aggressive game and when you are playing and have absolutely nothing

to lose its like you can really play with so much freedom and so loose.

That's how she played today. What is the ethos of Wimbledon?

Summary once described it as top to bottom crisp, clean, regimented

perfection balanced against the possibility for the hugely

unpredictable occurring. This was the Championships to ponder on such

words. Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska,

last year's runner-up, had become the

last year's runner-up, had become An intriguing match in terms of

style and powers of concentration. But after two hours and 43 minutes

Radwanska triumphed in three sets. The poll's semifinal opponent would

be Sabine Lisicki, on court for just over an hour against Kaia Kanepi

from Estonia. Affection was growing probe the German with a big smile.

-- Pole. The former junior champion Kirsten Flipkens had come through

the quarter and was proving too strong for the 2011 champion Petra

Kvitova. The eighth seeded Czech was suffering. The 20th seed was through

filled by the 2007 runner-up Marion Bartoli, the French personification

of the term unorthodox. The months beforehand had been troubled because

of her split from her long-term coach, who also happened to be her

father. Bartoli's many on court eccentricity is a cause for debate,

but the power of her groundstrokes, particularly on the back and side

cannot be doubted. She defeated the young American Sloane Stephens six -

four, 7-5, to become the only women's semifinalists not to have

dropped a set. I'm really low-key when I'm outside of tennis. I'm

really easy and I like to laugh a lot. When I'm outside of tennis. But

when it comes to tennis, whether it is inside the gym or on the court

I'm totally focused and 100% on everything I'm doing. I believe this

kind of intensity is also why I'm here again today in the Sunni final

for a Grand Slam. Men's quarterfinals day. The top seed had

not dropped a set en route to the last eight but Tomas Berdych had won

their last Wimbledon meeting three years revisited with a place in the

final at stake. Ultimately the check found himself clinically dismantled

with Djokovic progressing to his 13th successive Grand Slam semi. --

semifinal. Who would be next to suffer the Djokovic racket? The

towering Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina? Or Spain's terrierlike

David Ferrer? Most certainly a catchweight contest. Four points

into the encounter Del Potro crashed to the ground and there he stayed

for some considerable time. The Argentine insisted he had suffered a

lot of pain and was close to pulling out before being handed some magic

pills by the tournament doctor. What came next could only be termed

magical tennis. Del Potro pummelled Ferrer in

magical tennis. Del Potro pummelled submission to reach his

magical tennis. Del Potro pummelled Wimbledon semifinal. Game, set,

match Del Potro. History had already been made when Lukasz Kubot and

Jerzy Janowicz walked on to court. No matter who came out on top Poland

would be guaranteed a male Grand Slam semifinalist for the first

time. There was something decidedly

frightening about the power and apparent lack of nerves shown by

22-year-old Janowicz. In the end tears washed down a face so brimful

of determination. Meanwhile, on Centre Court. Fernando

Verdasco was proving a match for Andy Murray. The Scot was unable to

break through the Spaniard's solid ground strokes and gifted his

left-handed opponent the first set by double fault.

There was no sign of improvement in the second. Verdasco won five

straight games to lead 2-0. Verdasco, 6-3. The storm was

brewing. Murray had two options. He could either succumb to his

annoyance, or do the thing of champions and calmly regroup all

stop he chose the second and the calm across the net was clearly

unnerving for the task of who faulted with victory in sight.

Five years previously Murray had fought back from trailing 2-0. Then

Richard Gasquet was rendered powerless at the crucial stage. Now

it was Verdasco. In the end Murray came through in

five sets. But it's fair to say on this occasion the Scot had a lot of

help from his friends. The Championships were guaranteed a

new women's winner. But while none of the semifinalists had won a Grand

Slam singles title, two were Wimbledon runners-up. Six years

after losing to Venus Williams Marion Bartoli reached her second

final at the All-England Club sweeping past the nerve stricken

Kirsten Flipkens. If that match was a one-sided

affair, the second semifinal was a dramatic encounter of wildly

fluctuating fortunes. Last year's runner-up Agnieszka Radwanska and

Sabine Lisicki split the first two sets. In the decider Radwanska took

a 3-0 lead, but Lisicki reprieves tali on how to performance against

Williams to fight back and Triumph 9-7. Whatever happened in the final

the trophy would be handed to a most unexpected champion.

For the last 20 months coach Ivan Lendl has been a guiding force for

Andy Murray. As the Scot prepared for his fifth successive semifinal

one of Ivan Lendl's rivals liked what he had seen so far. I expected

him to play very well this year. In the first couple of rounds I felt

Murray was the most confident and mature I had ever seen at Wimbledon

and he won all his matches in straight sets until the final. But

at the end of the day let's give credit to Murray who pulled one

out. And what of Murray's opponent? The big hitting Pole, Jerzy

Janowicz. He was almost crying afterwards in interview. It was

beautiful to see how much he cares. His nerves will hopefully settle but

I expect he will have a few butterflies playing Murray. With a

question over his fitness could Juan Martin Del Potro pose a serious

challenge to Novak Djokovic? He's one of the most dangerous players

when he is confident. He is a really true shotmaker, forehands, down the

line and crosscourt, nothing to lose. Hopefully his knee is holding

up. The first five rounds had been nothing more than a stroll for the

world number one. Djokovic is playing the best I have ever seen

him on grass. He is the first one to tell the world after his matches

that he is in super form. Marketing wise very, very smart from him. But

his results are backing him up. He won every match in straight sets and

physically not tested yet so a problem for all four players. The

one with the least amount of time on the court, therefore the most

dangerous. And after something really rather special, Del Potro and

Djokovic fought out the longest semifinal in Wimbledon history. An

encounter which banned for hours, 44 minutes, five sets, 55 games, two

tie-breakers and 368 points. But all of that is just numbers. What really

mattered was the level of skill, the spirit of competition and mutual

respect throughout. From the outset the quality and

closeness of play was superb. Finally a forehand error gave

Djokovic the decisive break in the 12th game. Game and first set,

Djokovic. By virtue of his injured knee Del Potro could understandably

just have faded away. But with nervous hitting he saved a

succession of break points and levelled the match. Game and second

set Del Potro. In the heart of the third it was clear that this was no

ordinary encounter. And the crowd sensed the magnitude of the

occasion. Whoever won would have to recover

within the space of 48 hours for one of the most important matches of

their career. Neither player gave such an eventual outcome a second

thought. In the tie-break Djokovic used great

court coverage to take the upper hand and regain control.

At the start of the fourth Djokovic was sublime and looked on course for

victory. Del Potro refused to buckle, even

when under the pressure of two match points in the tie-break.

Somehow the Argentine's willpower forced a fifth set, as befitting

such a great contest. In the decider both players have the

chance to break and once more the opportunities were thwarted.

Until at 4-3 Djokovic finally broke through. He served for the match.

Game, set and match, Djokovic. As a classic of its kind the match was

only five minutes short of the 2008 five set final between Federer and

Nadal. Djokovic maintained that regardless of winning it was one of

the best matches of which he had ever been part. Del Potro's in this

epic encounter would not be forgotten. Early evening shadows

were moving across the Centre Court by the time Andy Murray and Jerzy

Janowicz appeared. More drama seemed inevitable. How would the Scot Cope

with the Pole's withering served and how would the semifinal debutant

handle the occasion against a proven champion? Janowicz was in no mood to

be intimate aided and emphatically took the first set tie-break aided

by an ill timed double faults from Murray on set point. Such things can

scramble coherent minds. Murray needed to make his presence felt.

There was no time to delay. In the first game of the second set he took

a note from the Ivan Lendl playbook aiming a forehand straight at his

opponent which seemed to have the desired effect. Polish frustration

followed impatiens, breeding inconsistency. Murray was undeniably

gaining control of mind and muscle as he levelled the match. Game and

second set, Murray. The daylight was fading and young of it started to

question the light. Nonetheless he took a 4-1 lead. -- Janowicz. Murray

needed somebody to flip some kind of switch but with darkness closing in

he resumed control. CHEERING The Scot had won five games in a row

and momentum had clearly shifted but the clock was ticking.

The referee Andrew Jarrett then took the decision to close the roof,

taking the view there was insufficient daylight remaining to

complete the match. Murray was not happy but the decision was final.

When play resumed 30 minutes later Janowicz was the more unsettled,

Murray was in control of his considerable anger.

Murray cracked a forehand return to keep his and a nation's Wimbledon

title hopes alive. Game, set and match, Murray.

Wimbledon would have a new women's champion with Sabine Lisicki taking

on Marion Bartoli in a final nobody predicted. The pair practice

side-by-side as Lisicki reminisced about her childhood dreams on a clay

court in Germany. That girl always loved tennis and that girl always

dream of holding up the trophy at Wimbledon and showing it to the

crowd. You know, it is just something I have always dream of

achieving. Here I am one step away. Bartoli was five years senior and

one of the most renowned fighters on the women's tour. I'm expecting a

very hard battle, but trust me I will leave absolutely everything I

have on the court to come up with the W and if it doesn't happen then

she deserves it more than me. Bartoli also knew about taking the

last big step from 2007. Taylor Townsend had progressed to the girls

final and now encountered newly crowned French Open champion Belinda

Bencher guv switch and. -- Bencic. The Americans started well but Swiss

precision won the day. Both Martina Hingis and Roger Federer were junior

champions from Switzerland who progressed to win the main title.

Italy's Gianluigi Buffon was the boys single champion. Bob and Mike

Bryan won the men's double to complete the slam winning all the

titles simultaneously. Shea Seaway and China's who show a won the

women's titles. Wristy Gradovich of France and Canada's Daniel Nestor

won the mixed title. With 40 years of the WTA to celebrate legendary

champions were abundant for the women's final. Could either of the

two contestants ever progressed to such status?

From the outset it appeared Bartoli had the steady nerve and stronger

game. The first set was a one-sided affair

lasting only 30 minutes with Bartoli winning six games in a row. Those

fans in Ahmed with Lisicki's smile in earlier rounds will her somehow

to offer some resistance. But there was no mercy from Bartoli

and Lisicki sadly appeared increasingly fragile and unable to

deal with the occasion. Too late to gain something of the

German fight back. But there was no stopping Bartoli's

March to becoming only the sixth woman in the open era to win the

title without dropping a set. Game, set and match, Miss Bartoli.

Six - one, 6-4. I have been pinching myself a lot of times to realise I

have just won Wimbledon. It was totally unexpected. I thought I

played so well today and obviously playing that level of tennis in the

Wimbledon final on Centre Court is just amazing. I'm just so happy I

can't stop smiling. It is just surreal. I'm sure she will get

another shot. She is too good of a player not to and I have no doubt

she will lift this trophy as a winner one day but I'm just so

pleased that it was my day-to-day and I'm the Wimbledon.

Much had happened since Murray lost last year 's final act but now he

was a proven grand slam champion, wiser, better equipped and by his

own admission less burdened by self-doubts. I need

own admission less burdened by focused, ready from the first match.

Expectations are even higher this year, they get higher every year. Is

it difficult for you knowing the weight of expectation? Because of

the weight of history and it is 77 years since Fred Perry won, would

winning Wimbledon mean more to you than the US Open? If you could bring

him back what kind of chap would you have with Fred Perry? It will be

kind of emotional for me. A lot has happened since our final last year

but I'm obviously looking forward to coming back and playing for the

Championships. I'm sure when I step back out on the court it will be

emotional return. Murray just had one request as he walked out of face

destiny. That the Centre Court crowd supported him in the way they had

done to Olympic gold, vociferously, patriotic plea. He couldn't simply

do it alone. -- patriotically. Everyone seated around the famous

stadium and on Henman Hill knew they came with an obligation to the Scot.

Novak Djokovic to serve. Ready? Play.

Djokovic and Murray had been opponents since they were 11 years

old. They know every nuance of each other's game. Each time they play

its an investigation into who can better handle the pressure and which

manages the fitter. Encounters are elongated battles of attrition. As a

20 stroke early rally proved. Game and first set, Murray. And just

as in the US Open final between the pair it was Murray who started the

stronger. But Djokovic as a resolute and determined competitor who now

finds the thought of sacrificing a title at warrant -- at warrant. The

Serb was determined to fight back as he did in New York and the rallies

just grew in their length and intensity. Murray wouldn't have

expected any less. -- was Murray up to the task or would

he bottle again under pressure as he did a year previously in the final

against Federer -- buckle again under pressure.

He was prepared to answer the question.

Game and second set, Murray. Home doubts were laid to rest in more

ways than one. But as any champion will tell you the hardest set to win

when claiming a title is the last. Murray broke to lead 2-0 but signs

looked ominous as the Scot fell to a 4-2 deficit.

But he broke back and they were level again.

These are the moments when the greats find that special reserve

that distinguishes them as the elite.

Three championship points to Murray. So close but yet still so tense. One

winner is all that is needed but did Djokovic know something? Another

chance goes to waste. The agony is overwhelming. Djokovic is not just

torturing Murray, he is tormenting a nation.

Three chances gone, the opportunity of a fourth is precious beyond

value. Game, match, Murray. No longer would

it be necessary to count back how many years since Fred Perry had won

the title. There is a lot of pressure and stress out there, the

last game especially really took a lot out of me. It was very emotional

in the last game and I can't bully by managed to beat him. -- can't

believe I managed to beat him. It so nearly went the other way in the

last game. I was just so concentrated and focused on each

point, at the end of it I was so tired as well, I was so relieved to

get it done. So many people have supported me the last few weeks. It

was unbelievable that it was so loud from when we walked out onto the

court. To win it this year has meant so much and to lift the Wimbledon

trophy is something I will never get tired of seeing.

Andy Murray had indelibly written his name into sporting history as

this year's last man standing.