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| Andy Murray: a victory which is his alone | Andy Murray: a victory which is his alone |
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| The nation was agog with expectation. But an individual wins a championship, not a nation. Great sporting triumphs are the product of the coming together of brilliant talent, hard work and a fanatical desire to win. And then there is something else – the ability to succeed at the very summit, producing winning performances while inhaling air that the average competitor never gets to breathe. It was this rare combination of personal qualities that powered Roger Bannister's four-minute mile, Steve Redgrave's five Olympic golds and Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France win – and so it emphatically also was with Andy Murray's conquest of Wimbledon's centre court yesterday. | The nation was agog with expectation. But an individual wins a championship, not a nation. Great sporting triumphs are the product of the coming together of brilliant talent, hard work and a fanatical desire to win. And then there is something else – the ability to succeed at the very summit, producing winning performances while inhaling air that the average competitor never gets to breathe. It was this rare combination of personal qualities that powered Roger Bannister's four-minute mile, Steve Redgrave's five Olympic golds and Bradley Wiggins's Tour de France win – and so it emphatically also was with Andy Murray's conquest of Wimbledon's centre court yesterday. |
| Murray became the first British men's singles champion since 1936 amid huge celebrations and no little collective relief. It has long been obvious that Murray might have what it took to break the hoodoo of SW19 and become the long-craved home winner at Wimbledon. He certainly did it with some style, with three sets of blistering tennis against Novak Djokovic, who is not just one of the game's all-time special players but also a generous human being. But Murray kept his nerve and was able to achieve this year what he so narrowly failed to achieve 12 months ago. | Murray became the first British men's singles champion since 1936 amid huge celebrations and no little collective relief. It has long been obvious that Murray might have what it took to break the hoodoo of SW19 and become the long-craved home winner at Wimbledon. He certainly did it with some style, with three sets of blistering tennis against Novak Djokovic, who is not just one of the game's all-time special players but also a generous human being. But Murray kept his nerve and was able to achieve this year what he so narrowly failed to achieve 12 months ago. |
| People will doubtless attempt to spin this very human story in wider ways. David Cameron clearly wanted to be present at the creation of a British hero, the catalyst of a feelgood factor whose green shoots pollsters claimed to discern this weekend. But Alex Salmond had to be there too to also claim this as a Braveheart moment. In his young days, the new Wimbledon champion displayed Scottish antipathy towards English football until he acquired greater diplomatic finesse. Yesterday he referred to himself as a British champion while Mr Salmond rather unnecessarily waved the saltire from the royal box. Right now, though, it seems hard to imagine Murray being impressed by anything much except his own victory. The triumph of toughness is the best thing about yesterday's win. | People will doubtless attempt to spin this very human story in wider ways. David Cameron clearly wanted to be present at the creation of a British hero, the catalyst of a feelgood factor whose green shoots pollsters claimed to discern this weekend. But Alex Salmond had to be there too to also claim this as a Braveheart moment. In his young days, the new Wimbledon champion displayed Scottish antipathy towards English football until he acquired greater diplomatic finesse. Yesterday he referred to himself as a British champion while Mr Salmond rather unnecessarily waved the saltire from the royal box. Right now, though, it seems hard to imagine Murray being impressed by anything much except his own victory. The triumph of toughness is the best thing about yesterday's win. |
| Like Fred Perry, with whom Murray's name will long be bracketed now, the Scotsman is not a man cut from the All England Club turf. He is not in any way an establishment figure. Perry, who was the son of a Labour MP, offended the Wimbledon worthies by a ferocious will to win, by turning professional and, eventually, by leaving this country altogether to take US citizenship. The young Murray similarly fled to Spain to train away from the sometimes suffocating clutches of the Lawn Tennis Association and was at one stage a byword for awkwardness with authority. The simple truth about yesterday is that this is not our victory – it's Murray's. A superb achievement. | Like Fred Perry, with whom Murray's name will long be bracketed now, the Scotsman is not a man cut from the All England Club turf. He is not in any way an establishment figure. Perry, who was the son of a Labour MP, offended the Wimbledon worthies by a ferocious will to win, by turning professional and, eventually, by leaving this country altogether to take US citizenship. The young Murray similarly fled to Spain to train away from the sometimes suffocating clutches of the Lawn Tennis Association and was at one stage a byword for awkwardness with authority. The simple truth about yesterday is that this is not our victory – it's Murray's. A superb achievement. |
| • This article was amended on 8 July 2013 to correct the spelling of Novak Djokovic's name. | • This article was amended on 8 July 2013 to correct the spelling of Novak Djokovic's name. |
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