Andy Murray imperious on unforgettable day for British tennis at Wimbledon
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Updated 11/07/2016 at 10:33 GMT
Who could have imagined that Britain – the reigning Davis Cup champions – would be celebrating four titles on a single day, but so it was as Andy Murray's spectacular triumph headlined a truly unforgettable day, writes Dan Quarrell at Wimbledon.
Wimbledon 2016: Great Britain's Andy Murray celebrates winning the mens singles final against Canada's Milos Raonic
Image credit: Reuters
It was not so long ago that Leon Smith's men triumphed in Belgium with Murray inspiring an historic victory; now, back playing on the biggest stage of all at Wimbledon, he has treated British fans to yet another stunning success.
That Heather Watson capped off a glorious day for Britain with victory in the mixed doubles alongside partner Henri Kontinen after earlier triumphs for Gordon Reid in the men's wheelchair singles and Jordanne Whiley in the women's wheelchair doubles made it all the more remarkable.
To put into context how extraordinary a day it was for British tennis, take this in: the last time two Brits won two of the five traditional titles at Wimbledon was in 1937.
When Murray looks back on his career he may not regard his 2016 Wimbledon triumph as his greatest or most significant. He may not see it as his crowning glory. But as his second title at the All England Club and third in Grand Slams, it has elevated him still further in the upper echelons of the sport.
He may not have beaten familiar and celebrated foes Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer, but this was another Wimbledon conquest - something still unfathomable in the minds of many British sports fans. It was, after all, only three years ago that Murray ended the famous wait a successor to Fred Perry.
Milos Raonic was a very worthy finalist and presented Murray with a unique and perplexing challenge, but this was not an opportunity the world number two was prepared to squander.
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Andy Murray celebrates winning his second Wimbledon title
Image credit: Reuters
'I cannot lose this match!' Murray screamed at his box in the vague vicinity of recently-reunited coach Ivan Lendl earlier in the tournament. Indeed, the same unflinching determination would not afford his intensity to abate against the doughty Canadian.
Champions are not always required to claim the largest of scalps in attaining glory; rather, they are often just ruthless opportunists unwilling to allow success to slip through their fingertips. Lendl has helped nurture and renew that unwavering determination more than any other coach could for Murray.
Murray's first Wimbledon title, fraught as it was with tension and representative of embarking on unknown territory for most fans, was something that can never be matched. But this was a further, and brilliantly emphatic, stamp of authority from the Scot on a trophy and an event which means so very much.
In having now won Wimbledon twice, Murray joins an elite group. In having won his third Grand Slam title, his status as a true champion has been further cemented in perhaps the toughest era of all.
Watson's victory was no less significant, both in the context of her burgeoning career and for British women's tennis. Her victory over Cololmbian Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Gronefeld of Germany 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to win the mixed doubles title alongside Kontinen made her the first British woman since 1987 to win a title at Wimbledon.
Watson has produced fleeting forays into Grand Slam draws as a singles player, but the significance of her victory on the biggest stage could be enormous as she attempts to elevate British women's tennis, along with Jo Konta and Laura Robson.
For British fans at Wimbledon on Sunday it was a glorious succession of triumphs; a breathless celebration of achievements, some more surprising than others, but each stunning in their own way. It will be remembered as a magical day in which everything seemed to go their way.
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