Quote:
Originally posted by Phoenix83
First off, great performance from Murray. Unlike in his previous slam finals, this time he was aggressive (indeed, for almost two sets he was bossing the match), served well - for most of the match - and kept fighting to the very last point . I'm more convinced now that he will win a slam - not because he got closer than ever before but because of the more assertive nature of his game.
Of course he equals a depressing record by becoming only the second man to lose his first four grand slam finals. But the plus side to that? The only other man who can know what Murray is feeling is sitting in his corner now - Ivan Lendl. Those who know their tennis history will know that Lendl, a late developer, went on to win eight grand slams and dominate the game in his late 20s. Murray can have no better mentor to guide him through the next few years - and hopefully, finally win that elusive slam. The Curse of Fred Perry continues, but I wager, not for much longer!
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I know I'm 2 weeks late on this but haven't been online much recently.
Many congrats to Andy Murray! I stayed up until 2:30 am on a Monday night/Tuesday morning watching this - and thought I was going to regret it after Djokovic levelled at 2 sets all (particularly since he broke again at the end of the 4th set to ensure he was serving first in the fifth). Great credit for Murray to once again swing the momentum in his favour and battle through for that slam title - at last. He coped better with the windy conditions than Djokovic, and showed great mental toughness to win the epic first set tiebreak and, of course, to claim the fifth set. Some amazing rallies between the two though, it takes two to play an epic match and some of Djokovic's retrieving and apparent indefatigability was stunning to behold.
People say Murray got a monkey off his back with this win but I think that's understating the issue. I think he got two gorillas off his shoulders:
1). 'The best man never to win a Slam'
2). The curse of Fred Perry on British men's tennis which had lasted 76 (!) years
Now he has won this slam, I think he will go on to win more. Although nothing can be taken for granted given the quality of the champions today, he definitely has a realistic shot at 3 of the 4 slams (all bar the French). As a Brit, I hope he prioritises Wimbledon next year - but he's more likely to carry his form into the new year and win the Aussie, I suspect.
PS. Shame for Laura Robson not quite managing to become the first UK female in 24 years to win a title of any sort. But it will definitely come. Her opponent Hsieh had such a weird game that it must be infuriating to play against..
F***! 
I watch all my tennis, apart from Wimbledon, on Eurosport.