It's over! The long British title drought at Wimbledon came to an end Sunday as Andy Murray defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final. Recap the match with our game-by-game blog below.
| Wimbledon gentlemen's final | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 Novak Djokovic | 4 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2 Andy Murray | 6 | 7 | 6 |
12:46 p.m. ET — That'll do it for us. Get the full story on Murray's big win right here, and check out the blow-by-blow from the match with the blog below. Thanks for joining us today.
12:39 p.m. ET — Djokovic, frustrated most of the tournament by what he perceived to be a lack of support from the English fans, handled his loss with class. A nice on-court interview and autographs for the fans on the way out.
12:34 p.m. ET — Murray says this feels "slightly different" than last year, in which he lost to Roger Federer in four sets. Indeed. The on-court interviewer comments that the final game was torturous. Murray replies, "Imagine playing it."
12:29 p.m. ET — Hilarious moment as Murray climbs up to his box, gives literally everyone a little love ... except his mother. He had climbed halfway back down before realizing and going back to give her a hug.
12:25 p.m. ET — Wow! Murray gets up 40-0, but Djokovic saves all three match points, then earns three break chances of his own. An incredible point at deuce ends with Murray winning at net to get his fourth try at championship point. And he does it! Djokovic puts a backhand into the tape and Andy Murray is your 2013 Wimbledon champion!
12:12 p.m. ET — Murray is just in the zone today. Another running pass sets up more break chances, and he secures it when Djokovic slaps into the tape. Andy Murray will serve for the Wimbledon title.
12:08 p.m. ET — Murray holds, capping it with a brilliant running pass up the line, a shot we've seen a handful of times from him in this tournament. 4-4 as Djokovic fights to stay alive.
12:02 p.m. ET — Maybe I should just stop trying to make sense of this match. Murray earns himself two break points and converts on the second. We're right back on serve.
11:56 a.m. ET — Djokovic steamrolls to his fourth straight game won. Murray getting loose and sloppy. We may be here a while yet.
11:51 a.m. ET — Routine hold for Djokovic. He has ditched the baseball cap. Perhaps that reinvigorated him.
11:48 a.m. ET — Oh my. Hold everything. Djokovic breaks and all of a sudden we're back at 2-2. Even that doesn't elicit a cheer from the crowd. They're firmly on Murray's side.
11:41 a.m. ET — Djokovic doesn't look to have the fight in him today to mount a comeback from this deficit. Murray holds at love, then Djokovic coughs up the first two points on his serve before rebounding to salvage an ounce of hope. 2-1, Murray up a break.
11:35 a.m. ET — Murray is rolling now. He breaks Djokovic to start the third and is oh so tantalizingly close now to the Wimbledon crown.
11:24 a.m. ET — Easy hold at love, and Andy Murray is one set away from ending that long-discussed British drought at Wimbledon.
11:20 a.m. ET — Djokovic has had a few issues with chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani today. The biggest incident comes here at 15-15, when a looping shot from Murray lands near the baseline. Djokovic thought it was long, but is out of challenges in the set. He approached the chair and went on a yelling tirade — "What's going on?!" Turns out the ball caught the line anyway. Murray then gets the break and will serve for a two-set lead.
We've mentioned Djokovic's trouble keeping his footing. Here's what it looks like:
(Getty Images)
11:15 a.m. ET — Murray holds for 5-5 as we pass the two-hour mark.
11:10 a.m. ET — A hold at love for Djokovic features a sprawling, full-extension winner in one of the shots of the match. It's 5-4.
11:07 a.m. ET — Djokovic gets two more break chances here in the eighth game, but Murray hits his way out of trouble, finishing with a big serve down the middle to bring us back to level terms.
10:57 a.m. ET — Murray gets a huge break at 15-30 when a hopeless passing shot attempt clips the tape enough to redirect it and force Djokovic to flub what would've been an easy putaway. Djokovic manages to save both break points, but he can't hold. Murray obliterates a second serve return on one point to get to deuce, then crushes a forehand cross-court winner to get another break chance, and he converts when Djokovic double faults. Back on serve in the second.
10:48 a.m. ET — And now Murray goes to the baseball cap! It is on. Easy hold, but he'll need a break soon to get back in the set.
10:44 a.m. ET — Another slip and fall from Djokovic, who has taken a few tumbles now. Lovely drop volley off the shoestrings from Djokovic wins him a key point at 30-30. Then a strong serve wraps up the hold. He shouts a "Come on!" toward his box in his first display of fire in a while. And why not? He's up 4-1 in the second.
10:38 a.m. ET — Sublime stuff from Djokovic. He gets every ball back and outlasts Murray to secure a break. These long rallies are starting to take a toll. Both players sucking win in the heat.
10:33 a.m. ET — Straight-up hold for Djoker. We're on serve at 2-1 early in the second.
10:29 a.m. ET — An overhead airplane briefly distracts Murray. Come on, pilots. He still manages to take care of business and secure the hold.
10:21 a.m. ET — Djokovic looks out of sorts, and possibly injured. He was flexing his wrist during the break between sets. He took a bit of a spill near the end of the first set. Perhaps that has something to do with it. Still, he holds easily to start 1-0 in the second.
10:14 a.m. ET — No problems at all for Murray. He holds. For the second straight year, he's up one set to love in the Wimbledon final.
10:11 a.m. ET — After a sluggish start to the ninth game, Djokovic bounces back to hold. He'll make Murray attempt to serve out the set.
10:05 a.m. ET — Djokovic gets a couple looks at break points — both players so sharp with the return game — but Murray steps up and fights them off and eventually holds. The lengthy eighth game featured a 26-shot rally. We're nearing the one-hour mark already. This is going to be an endurance te
9:53 a.m. ET — The seventh game starts with one of the finest rallies we've seen in a match full of them. Murray's defensive skills on full display as he wins the point despite Djokovic attacking the net. Murray wins the next two points as well for another 0-40 lead on Djokovic's serve, then secures the break when the Serb slaps a backhand into the tape. Late edge in the set to the Scot.
9:49 a.m. ET — Hold at love for Murray. Easiest hold of the match so far. Players appear to be settling in to a groove. 3-all.
9:45 a.m. ET — How quickly the momentum has shifted right back. Djokovic rolls to a relatively easy hold. On serve at 3-2 in the first.
9:41 a.m. ET — Djokovic goes to the baseball cap after the third game. Take that, Murray. Perhaps it's the spark he needs. Some of his sharpest hitting of the match helps him storm back, nab a 0-40 lead on Murray's serve and break to put us back on serve.
Meanwhile, celeb sighting! Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler in the house:
(Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
9:35 a.m. ET — No such problems from Murray in his first service game. He holds easily for 1-1. He then pops right back to get four more break point chances in the next game. He appeared to aggravate his hip while running to track down a passing shot to set up the fourth. But he secures the break on the next point after some fine hitting. That'll ease the pain.
9:19 a.m. ET — Well, Murray just served notice that he's ready to play. He jumps out 0-40 on Djokovic's serve after three errors from the Serb. But Djokovic fights right back, wins the next five points and hangs on to hold. We're off and running.
9:11 a.m. ET — Players are on court and warming up. Here's a look at the tale of the tape. Djokovic has won 11 of the 18 overall matches between the two. They have met in two of the previous three major finals, with Murray winning at the US Open in 2012 and Djokovic winning the 2013 Australian Open.
8:58 a.m. ET — We're just about to get started here on Centre Court. Stay tuned.
