It always ends with the most wonderful tears. And, despite his best efforts, Andy Murray can’t quite resist his tendency to tear up during his emotional career, which brought a game to a close on Center Court on Thursday night.
His brother Jamie was also in tears after the doubles match. Perhaps many people in the crowd did the same, including their parents, and Andy’s wife and children. As far as I know, the press box held on – but who knew that in the darkness that enveloped the pitch, Murray won many great fights, including two that brought him titles.
In the sometimes turbulent world of tag team, there are few certainties, no easy fortunes, and no glory. But the die-hard fans (mostly their casual shows) loved it, and few enjoyed it more than under the warm sunset glow of Center Court on the fourth day of the tournament.
While Thursday’s two-hand tie would normally be played elsewhere away from the pitch – a low-key affair watched mainly by family, friends and those who can’t get tickets to the game’s big arena – the Murray boy from Dunblane came through Sa Once again they accomplished their mission.
Rarely (never?) do you see a standing ovation (first on Center Court in nearly 30 years) during the first round of a doubles match. Thursday night we did it. Accompanied by a throaty roar of champagne known only to Wimbledon.
But this is less a Grand Slam than a celebration of a tennis dynasty. This is also a wave of farewell for brothers with 10 majors. And, before you scratch your head too much, old Murray (Jamie) has seven.
Instead of praising them, their Australian foilers – Hijikata Lynch and Jamie’s former doubles partner John Pearce – buried them with two brilliant games. From the first pitch to the last pitch, the atmosphere was tense.
On the sidelines, winners are kind to losers. “We know this is about Andy and what a great champion he is,” Murray said as he skipped back onto the court after using the toilet.
Then Sue Barker, who handed over the Wimbledon mic two years ago, kept up the abuse, seeming to say: “All I can say to mum Judy and dad Will is, congratulations on raising two A great champion.
Next, moving footage from Andy’s career was played on the big screen, along with a look back at his finest moments, which must have brought some tear ducts to the arena where he won two of his three Grand Slams.
This is a good start, enough. Jamie looked very much at home on center court for the first time since winning the mixed title with Martina Hingis seven years ago, as did Andy, who was at his favorite The lawn has squatters rights – except for a few close shots. In the third game of the first set, he reached out to touch his injured back after straining his backhand.
Overall, their response was harmonious, with the first set hanging in the balance until the Scot could do little against a Hijikata forehand that flashed between them 40 minutes later.
They broke each other’s serves early in the second set, but the Australian looked stronger, younger and more dynamic. The Murray boys relied on their ingenuity, experience and pedigree, but the melancholy was more than symbolic as they departed under dark clouds at 8pm. Now this one is almost as hard to watch as a Murray win.
Andy and Jamie played together for the 62nd time in front of an adoring crowd (which may come as a surprise to the casual observer), none more so than 82-year-old former British No. 1 Roger Taylor (whose 41 10 of the career champions are doubles champions)). He lives not far from the ground, but there is no doubt that he would have traveled further to get such a precious invitation. Many did, such as the Middletons from Bucklebury, Berkshire. Their daughter, the Princess of Wales, who was still recovering from cancer, was at home watching the game.
The Murrays, who started playing as a team on the grass in Nottingham in 2006 and last played in Washington five years ago, have won 36 games and lost 25, a respectable Return. However, it was as Davis Cup partners that they shone brightest, going unbeaten in six matches between 2011 and 2016.
While Andy has always focused on singles, doubles has long since become Jamie’s preferred route and he has been the best singles player in the world for many years, with a variety of partners, although this season he has slipped to No. 25. Still, over two decades, doubles made him a millionaire, largely because he followed his mother’s advice and kept going after a string of disappointments.
His younger brother (17 months old) needed no encouragement to overcome the pitfalls and pressures of the game. Quite the opposite. After all, he’s here because he brought his body to near collapse in a singles match and didn’t trust his injured back to survive a first-round match against Tomas Machac Having survived (and was subsequently bounced twice to the small court to defeat David Goffin), a brilliant five-set battle reappeared in the doubles on Court 15 yesterday; it could have been a A brutal performance in the spotlight).
Finally, Andy got into trouble. Pells finished the match in less than an hour and a half, and that was that… until Murray returned in Saturday’s mixed doubles match with Emma Raducanu.
The crowd stood and cheered them all, even though the empty corporate seats didn’t look good. He deserves better.
