Wimbledon: Magnificent Murray


IT’S been quite an evening.
If you were one of the watching millions on TV, you’ll have seen Andy Murray serve up a stunning comeback.
And we’ve just spoken to him in a late night press conference, as he ate sushi with chopsticks.
The flying Scotsman won a five set thriller to finally capture the hearts of both the Centre Court crowd and the nation sat at home.
The match finished in near darkness at 9.31pm and just over an hour later he walked into the press room, eating on the run.
By the time it finished at 10.45pm, he had poured some soy sauce and taken several more mouthfuls – as well as revealing his thoughts on an amazing match.
And the fact that he thinks he can win the title.


Magnificent Murray delivered a knock-out blow to blast French No 8 seed Richard Gasquet out of the tournament as darkness descended.
“It’s the best moment that I’ve ever had on a tennis court,” said Murray after the three hour 57 minute marathon.
“The end of the match was absolutely awesome. It was nearly pitch black.
“One of the best ends to a match ever, for sure, for me.”
After serving the final thundering winner in a twilight triumph, he raised his arm and flexed his muscle.
“I was doing it for my fitness trainers. I’ve been putting in so much work on the court, that it was the first time this year I’ve really had the chance to show it.
“The crowd were awesome – they got behind me more than they ever have before.
“They clearly made a big difference at the end, for sure.
“It’s the best support I’ve ever had in a match in my life.”
His prize is a mouth-watering clash on Wednesday against Rafael Nadal, with the Wimbledon final now just two matches away.

So after tonight, does he feel like he can win the whole thing?
“I felt like that since the start of the tournament.
“I felt at the start of the week I had a chance of winning.”
Having lost the first two sets, the British No 1 was heading for the exit door in the third, facing a Gasquet onslaught with his service broken.
The young Scot said he was “completely outplayed” by the Frenchman in the first two sets.
“Pretty much the first three sets.”
Once again, Murray, 21, fell flat on his face behind the baseline after losing his footing in the first set.
And it looked like hard-hitting Gasquet, 22, would keep him pinned there and on his way out of the All England Club.
I asked Andy if he ever thought his Wimbledon campaign was over.
“When he broke me in the third set, I hadn’t broken him the whole match – and he was playing like he had no pressure,” he replied.
“But he did get clearly nervous right at the end of that set and I started to feel like I could win.
“But when I got broken, I was pretty much out of the match.”
He recovered to win a tie break with an incredible shot, played from almost behind the umpire’s chair.
Murray ended up on the edge of the photographers’ pit and virtually in the front row of the crowd, as he raised his arms aloft and roared in celebration.
With a bemused Gasquet faltering fast and complaining about the fading light, Murray completed a famous victory 5-7 3-6 7-6 6-2 6-4.
Murraymania gripped the 15,000 spectators inside the stadium and thousands more watching on Henman Hill.
Mum Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears led the charge from the players’ box as Murray clawed his way back into the match.
What followed was one of the most memorable comebacks ever seen on Centre Court and the best match of the 2008 Championships so far.
Tim Henman in the TV commentary box finally had a ringside seat at the sort of late evening torment he put the nation through every summer, asking: “Is it always this nerve-wracking?”
As he served for the match, with the referee at courtside, Murray knew that this would be the last game of the evening with play set to be suspended.
But he was determined to finish Gasquet off and avoid a return tomorrow.
The showdown with No 2 seed Nadal is now the hottest ticket in town as the Murray dream lives on.
*The clock is creeping towards midnight – I’ll be back in the morning.
Wylie’s Wimbledon