England’s great hope vs Serbia’s Djoker
Andy Murray will on Sunday again attempt to finally rid Britain of one of its most painful sporting millstones when he bids to become his country’s first Wimbledon men’s champion since 1936.
Not since Fred Perry 77 years ago, in the days of amateurism, flannel trousers and wooden raquets and when the stormclouds of the Second World War gathered in Europe, has Britain had a men’s champion at the All England Club.
Murray’s 2012 campaign ended in a tearful final defeat to Roger Federer, a deluge of sobbing on live television which instantly won over a British public previously sceptical of the tough-as-teak Scot.
On Sunday, he takes on world number one Novak Djokovic who beat him in the Australian Open final in January although Murray won the pair’s only meeting on grass at Wimbledon at last year’s Olympics when he went on to win gold.
“I think I learnt a lot from last year’s Wimbledon,” said the 26-year-old.
“The one thing that stands out is I knew how I needed to play the sort of big matches, or try to play the big matches after Wimbledon, because I didn’t come away from that final doubting myself or the decisions I made on the court, because I went for it.
“I lost, but I didn’t have any regrets as such.”
This will be Murray’s seventh major final with his only Grand Slam title coming in New York last year when he defeated Djokovic in a five-set final.
The Serb, the Wimbledon champion in 2011, will be playing in his 11th major final and seeking a seventh title.
“I think I’ll be probably in a better place mentally. I would hope so just because I’ve been there before. I have won a Grand Slam. I would hope I would be a little bit calmer going into Sunday,” added Murray.
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