WIN AND MAGIC WILL
WHEN Andy Murray won his place in the men’s final, a mood of magic instantly filled the air at Wimbledon.
You could hear it in the excited buzz of conversation and delight. You could see it on thousands of smiling faces among the crowds yearning for a glimpse of Murray in the plush grounds of the All England Club.
Wherever they spotted him there were mighty cheers for the brilliant but slightly awkward tennis player who previously had been admired but never really loved.
Now, suddenly, by the wave of some invisible sporting wand, Murray had been transformed into an authentic hero. It was a special moment in the history of the Wimbledon championships, the moment a spell was broken.
It was a moment suffused with joy and relief and hope as 74 years of failure were swept away. It felt as if Murray had not just conjured a thrilling semi-final victory; he had conjured a miracle.
In some ways it was. A British player winning a Wimbledon men’s more than likely be overwhelmed by the occasion as well as by his superstar opponent.
More than 20million people are expected to watch on TV this afternoon. It will be the match that stops the nation – north and south of Hadrian’s Wall. Can Murray cope?
He has to believe so, and he has his mantra, saying: “This is just my next match, and I focus on it like any other.
“If I look upon it as the Wimbledon final, and the fact that no Brit has won in however long, and if I think about how many people will be watching, then I’m going to play rubbish.
“Yeah, for sure, it is one of the biggest matches of my life. Any Grand Slam final is, and playing in the Wimbledon final in front of a home crowd is massive.
“But I can’t think about history. I need to focus on it as a tennis match against Roger Federer – somebody I have won against before. I have to focus on how I’m going to win. That’s the plan.
“I know how tough the feeling is to lose in Grand Slam finals. I won’t get ahead of myself and ruin my chances.”
Murray has clearly toughened up in the past six months of being coached and cajoled by tennis legend Ivan Lendl, a truth evident in his ability to win the pressure points of the quarter-final against David Ferrer and the semi against Tsonga. There have been precious few examples of the negative body language and drama queen tendency that so many have criticised him for in the past.
Lendl was with Murray again on the Aorangi practice courts of Wimbledon yesterday, cheered in and out by the crowds and followed everywhere by TV cameras.
The pair kept tight-lipped about the strategy for facing Federer, but there was a relaxed air, with Lendl smiling and joking in a way he never does while watching matches from the players’ box on Centre Court.
Murray has faced Federer in two Grand Slam finals, losing both, and said: “In the first one at the US Open (2008) I definitely wasn’t ready to win a Slam. I didn’t have enough experience.
“In the other one in Australia (2010) I was ready but he played better on the day. I hope each year I’m improving and learning from losing in tough matches.
“And Centre Court at Wimbledon is a place I love playing on. The more you play there the more you know the wind, where the shadows are, where everybody is sitting. I do feel a lot more comfortable there than on all of the other courts in the Grand Slams.”
Murray also takes heart from an 8-7 career winning record against