TENNIS:THE WORDS flowed a little more easily than the sweat-drenched shots when Andy Murray spoke later about his extraordinary win over Novak Djokovic in the US Open final at Flushing Meadows on Monday night..
Murray won 7-6, 7-5, 2-6, 3-6, 6-2 in four hours 54 minutes in eddying winds on the Arthur Ashe Court, equalling the longest final in these championships – the win by Mats Wilander over Ivan Lendl, Murray’s coach, in 1988.
“You’re feeling a lot of things,” Murray said of his reaction, having been to four slam finals without a win, and now having delivered a Major for Britain after 76 barren years since Fred Perry last won here in 1936.
“I was obviously very emotional. I cried a little bit on the court. You’re not sad; you’re incredibly happy. You have a bit of disbelief because when I have been in that position many times before and not won, you do think, is it ever going to happen?
“It was an incredibly tough match. Relief is probably the word I would use describe how I’m feeling just now. Mentally, the last three, four days have been pretty tiring. When the conditions have been like they have been, you need to focus so hard on almost every shot because the ball is very hard to control.”
He said he did not think about Fred Perry on match point, but he was aware of the significance of his achievement. “When I was serving for the match, there was a sense of how big a moment that is in British tennis history,” he said. “More than most British players, I have been asked about it many times when I got close to winning Grand Slams before.
“It’s great to have finally done it. I hope it inspires some kids to play tennis and also that it takes away the notion that British tennis players choke or don’t win.”
He admitted he was worried before the match whether he could deliver on his own and the nation’s expectations.
“I was still doubting myself right up to a few minutes before I went on to play the match. You’re thinking, are you going to be able to do this? This is going to be tough. I have been in this position many times and not managed to get through.”
Murray said he struggled also with his response to victory. “I’m thinking a lot just now,” he said. “I’m thinking a lot about a lot of different things. It’s hard to explain. It’s been a long, long journey. I don’t know if it’s disbelief or whatever. I’m very, very happy on the inside; I’m sorry if I’m not showing it as you would like.”
As for the ghost he had just laid, Murray said he had never met Perry but, “It would have been nice to have spoken to someone from Britain who had won majors before. I used to wear his clothing line when I was growing up. I’m sure he’s smiling from up there that someone has finally managed to do it from Britain. I’m very, very happy, and I just hope I hope I can see another British player in my lifetime win a Grand Slam.”
He revealed his taciturn coach Ivan Lendl had given him a hug later. “I saw the guys in the lockerroom afterwards, and I saw him. He just said ‘I’m proud of you; well done’. We had a hug. Then someone sprayed champagne all down my back and over him. That kind of ended that. He started swearing.”
As for his legacy, he said: “I’m very happy to be part of this era in tennis. I think everyone here would agree it’s one of the best ever. Playing against has made me improve so much. I always said that maybe if I played another era I would have won more, but I wouldn’t have been as good a tennis player.
“That’s how you should be judged at the end of your career, not just on how much you’re winning but on the people you’re competing against. Those guys are some of the best of all time.”
He admitted he “didn’t always listen to all my coaches”, when he was coming up.
“I was very immature some times on the court. I have tried to improve that side of things. Proving that to myself is probably the most pleasing part about tonight, because there are times when I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it.”
Guardian Service
