Andy Murray Beats Milos Raonic For Second Wimbledon Title
By Ravi Ubha
WIMBLEDON (CNN) -- Andy Murray ended 77 years of British angst when he won Wimbledon in 2013. It didn't take the Scot anywhere near as long to collect a second title at tennis' most beloved tournament.
Murray cruised past big-serving Milos Raonic 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2) in southwest London on Sunday to register a third grand slam title overall and first since downing Novak Djokovic at the All England Club three years ago.
When the aforementioned Djokovic -- the most dominant men's tennis player on the planet at the moment -- was unexpectedly sent packing in the third round by Sam Querrey, the second-ranked Murray became the prohibitive favorite.
He came through and while he didn't have to confront any of the "Big Four," it would be harsh to suggest he didn't merit the success: This was Murray's third grand slam final of the season. He has, no doubt, been men's tennis' second best performer in 2016. With his victory, the 29-year-old avoided becoming the first man in the Open Era to lose the opening three grand slam finals in a season.
His coach, Ivan Lendl, is one of only two men to have lost more grand slam finals than Murray's eight but he won a lot, too, picking up eight majors. Just how much the retired great aided his charge only Murray knows but the record will show that the habitually expressionless Lendl -- who rejoined Team Murray last month after a split in 2014 -- has been in Murray's corner for all three of his grand slam titles.
Lendl, however, had tears in his eyes when the two-hour, 48 minute tussle concluded; Murray wept into his towel. Raonic made immense strides at Wimbledon as he became the first Canadian man to make a grand slam final. The world No. 7 came from two sets down to win a match for the first time in his career -- against David Goffin in the fourth round -- and ousted the hugely popular seven-time champion Roger Federer in five sets in the semifinals.
Yet his top weapon, the serve, wasn't firing as it needed to be against Murray.
Raonic, remarkably, only produced three aces in the first 1 1/2 sets and eight overall. He'd averaged 23 prior to the final. Murray's deep return stance and the pressure he exerts by simply being one of the game's finest returners impacted Raonic, mind you.
The 25-year-old's backhand remains a work in progress and Raonic -- who added Lendl's arch-rival John McEnroe to his coaching setup last month -- was unable to capitalize on his half chances. His approaches to the net often lacked bite and the result was Murray prospering.
Raonic had extended Murray to five sets in the Australian Open semifinals and then to the maximum three sets in a Wimbledon warmup in London last month. If he was suffering from nerves at the outset, Raonic sure didn't show it in the first game, holding comfortably as The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked on. Saving a break chance at 1-1, Raonic wasn't as fortunate at 3-3. He had been lucky to get away with a poor, sliced approach at 15-40 but on the next point a similar approach was punished by Murray. Murray cleverly prompted a volley error.
Raonic would hold an opportunity at 0-15 with Murray serving for the set but in what was a sign of things to come, couldn't win the ensuing point. A charitable Murray let Raonic survive on break points to start the second and in the seventh game. Leading Murray 4-3, once again at 0-15 Raonic erred, this time on a backhand return. Raonic happily saw two break points dissipate at 4-4 -- in a game when Murray repelled a 147 mile-per-hour serve -- and he now had the chance to capture the set. But at 5-4, 0-15, a sloppy backhand slice found the net, quashing the brief momentum.
He started the 12th game with a backhand miscue and at 15-all didn't do enough with a forehand approach.
Murray proceeded to race to a 6-1 lead in the tiebreak, playing flawlessly, and Raonic was realistically finished: No man in the Open Era has ever trailed 2-0 in sets in a Wimbledon final and triumphed.
To sum up his afternoon in the sunshine, Raonic made unforced errors on his lone two break points at 2-2 in the third.
He admirably took, though, Murray to another tiebreak. However Murray once again was exquisite in storming to a 6-1 lead and clinched the championship when Raonic sent a backhand into the net.
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