Wimbledon: Murray makes sure Britain doesn’t go through another endless wait

Ever since he made his first foray to the All England Club in 2005, Andy Murray had been shouldering the burden of the expectations of an entire nation.

It wasn’t just any nation.

It was the nation that hadn’t seen a homegrown champion since 1936 — when tennis was still an amateur sport.

It was the nation more than half the world wants to lose, no matter what the sport is (let’s not get into the reasons here).

It was the nation whose media is always guilty of building up the hype only for its players/teams to disappoint on the big occasions.

It was Great Britain, the nation that gave birth to most of the modern sports and yet is not as successful as it should have been, flattering to deceive more often than not.

While Murray first two visits ended in early exits, he did make it to the quarter-finals in 2008, and went a step further in each of the following three years.

At that point Murray’s Wimbledon trajectory resembled Tim Henman — another British hope who had made it to the last four stage on four occasions, but never got past it.

Henman was a product of hype, not quality. At Wimbledon, he managed to punch above his weight on the occasions mentioned. But to expect him to win the coveted trophy was akin to living in fool’s paradise. The man never even won a smaller ATP tournament on grass.

Murray, however, is a much better player. In 2012, he managed to get past the semi-final hurdle, in the process becoming the first Briton since Bunny Austin in 1938 to reach the final.

But that year was Roger Federer’s turn to equal American Pete Sampras’ Open Era (since 1968) record of most Wimbledon titles (seven apiece). The Swiss won in four sets. Or do we say Murray succumbed to the pressure?

The next year Murray came into the tournament as a Grand Slam winner — the Scot had finally managed to win a major (the 2012 US Open) at his fifth attempt.

And he faced the player he beat to the title at New York. Murray’s confidence was on full display as he won in straight sets against Novak Djokovic. Not since Fred Perry in 1936 had a British man won at the All England Club.

It had been an agonizingly long wait for a homegrown champion. And the man who ended that has now ensured his country doesn’t have to face another endless wait.

With Djokovic — who had won the four previous Grand Slam tournaments — making an early exit — beaten by American Sam Querrey in the third round, Federer was the only real threat. With Raonic taking care of that, it became even more easier for Murray.

The Scot was always the favorite against the Canadian, having won their last five meetings, three this year — including the final at Queen’s Club a few weeks back.

Murray ensured the final went as per the script, winning in straight sets 6–4, 7–6(3), 7–6(2). The man who ended Britain’s 77-year wait took only three more years to add to that glorious chapter.