Brilliant Murray wins second Wimbledon title

When Andy Murray won his first Wimbledon title, the number 77 seemed to crop up everywhere. 77 years since Fred Perry had won the men’s singles. The last British singles winner – Viriginia Wade – had won in 1977. The match was played on the 7th day of the 7th month.

The number is so significant that Murray wears it on his shirt these days. But while history has not weighed quite so heavily on the British No. 1 since that day in 2013, the toll that not winning more Grand Slams – yet coming so close on so many occasions – has taken on Murray was evident as one last backhand from Milos Raonic hit the net and the Scot punched the air. The Wimbledon champion for the second time.

This was Murray’s moment. For the first time in his career, he was the favourite coming into a Grand Slam final and he did not let that pressure affect him. He gave up just two break points in the entire match, both in the fifth game of the third set, but reeled off four straight points to save them both and win the game. Murray’s full resilience was on display.

"I think when I was out there at the tight moments in the tiebreaks and stuff, sort of knowing I'd been in that position before, knowing how maybe he would have felt at those moments, it being his first Grand Slam final – I do think that helped me a little bit during the match," he said.

Before the tournament, all the talk was of Novak Djokovic – and insofar as Murray was mentioned, the question was always whether he could he overcome the world No. 1. Since his Wimbledon win in 2013, the answer to that question, in Grand Slams at least, has been a fairly emphatic ‘no’.

But Djokovic, champion here for the last two years, was gone from this tournament by the end of the first week, a superb performance by the big-serving American Sam Querrey ensuring there would be no historic fifth consecutive Grand Slam win for the Serb.

And all of a sudden, the role of favourite was cast on Murray – and he has worn it phenomenally well. But for two sets dropped to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals, he has breezed through the second week here, setting himself perfectly for the showdown on Sunday.

Raonic, the Canadian with a big, brash game but a humble personality that does not match it, looked fully at ease on his Grand Slam final debut. But Murray is one of the best returners in the game and was ready to exploit any opportunities that came his way on the Raonic serve. The first of those came in the seventh game, the Canadian netting a volley to give Murray the break.

Murray maintained his cool to serve out the set, but despite numerous chances throughout the second set, a further break of the Raonic serve eluded him. Into the tiebreak it went, and here Murray pounced, earning 5 set points and taking a two-set lead after Raonic could not claw back a heavily spun second serve.

The third set was a similar tale, the Raonic serve holding firm until the tiebreak, where Murray once again elevated his level. He raced into the lead and, after carving out 5 championship points, converted the second that came his way to conclude a 64 76(3) 76(2) victory – and Centre Court rose as one to herald the best British player of the modern era.

Later, there would be more British success – Heather Watson and Finnish partner Henri Kontinen secured the unlikeliest of triumphs in the mixed doubles, winning 76(5) 64 against Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Groenefeld.

As for Raonic, he insisted there would be no regrets. "I think I did the best I could," he said. "I tried coming forward, putting pressure on him. He was playing much better than me off the baseline. He was more effective there.

"What happened today happened," he added, "the only thing I could ever regret is if I didn't do everything I can to make myself return to this position again." If he plays like he did this fortnight, it seems certain that he will play many more Grand Slam finals.

Today, however, he will have to be content with being second-best to a phenomenal champion.

"I'm going to make sure I enjoy this one more than the others," Murray said. There can be no doubt that he deserves it.