Briton wins Wimbledon!
No Andy. No Jo. But this will be the headline later today as we’re guaranteed a mixed doubles triumph
AFTER the great expectations followed by the crushing let-downs in the men’s and ladies’ singles, today Britain is guaranteed a Wimbledon champion.
The mixed doubles final pitches two British players – Andy Murray’s older brother Jamie and British women’s No2 Heather Watson head-to-head – the first time two Brits have clashed in a Wimbledon final since 1961.
After a fortnight which has seen injured reigning men’s champion Andy Murray defeated in the quarter-final and Johanna Konta beaten in the women’s semi-final, the contest will provide sweet relief for British tennis fans.
As the top seeds, Scot Murray, 31, and his Swiss partner Martina Hingis, 36, are slight favourites but Watson, 25, and Finland’s Henri Kontinen, 27, are the reigning champions after winning the title for the first time last year. In a press conference before the match, Watson was keen to play down the British rivalry. ‘It’s just another match. It’s great two Brits are in the final but it doesn’t really make any difference – they’re both great players,’ she said of her opponents. Murray and Hingis are looking to win a second Wimbledon mixed doubles title having won it before with different partners.
It is unlikely world No1 Andy Murray, 30, will be courtside to watch his brother – he says it makes him too nervous – but Jamie is ‘excited’ by the prospect of a tight match.
‘Heather is a good double’s player, she has good feel, good timing and good awareness. It’s a tough match,’ Jamie said. ‘It’s going to be a great final.’
The last time two Brits faced each other in a Wimbledon final was in 1961 when Angela Mortimer beat Christine Truman in the women’s singles.