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Title a springboard to more slams: Murray
Murray’s triumph had a world of difference from Fred Perry’s victory
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Mighty roar on Murray Mound
Great Scot: Three vital cogs of Murray’s wheel of success
Last chance saloon for India to make it to Tri-series final
Limited overs games before Test series in SA
Shiva’s gold among India’s 4 medals
MSD captain of Ganguly’s all-time Indian ODI XI
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Title a springboard to more slams: Murray
Andy Murray is getting a taste for grand slam titles and believes crushing Novak Djokovic to end Britain's interminable wait for a men's champion at Wimbledon will be a springboard to take his career to the next level. The 26-year-old became a national hero on Sunday when a 6-4 7-5 6-4 victory on a baking Centre Court meant the nation could finally stop talking about Fred Perry who won his third Wimbledon title in 1936. Murray's stunning performance was hailed by everyone from politicians, movie stars and fellow sportsmen, as well as the millions who watched his landmark victory, but the Scot will not be milking the plaudits for long. After attending the Wimbledon ball on Sunday he was planning to celebrate with his sizeable entourage, including coach Ivan Lendl on Monday, then, after a week of rest and relaxation it will be back to the grind. “I know what it feels like to lose in finals, in a Wimbledon final, but now I know what it feels like to win and that's certainly a lot better and it's worth putting in the hard work for," Murray told Reuters on Monday at the All England Club. “I didn't know last year that it was worth it because I had never won a grand slam before until the U.S. Open last year. "After that you realise the hours you put in training, preparing and working on the practise court, it's all worth it. “So I hope this is a springboard for me and I will use it for my advantage." Murray, who now holds two of the grand slams and Olympic gold, was already a member of the exclusive All England Club but when he walked in on Monday after "a few hours sleep" he did so with Wimbledon champion as a new title. It is quite an upgrade and the realisation of what he achieved the on a momentous Sunday for British sport was slowly sinking in, but only after watching a few TV replays. "The last game was something that stands out but I had to watch it a few times to remember what actually happened because when I came off the court I had no recollection of that game," a relaxed Murray said. “I had no recollection of the last few points in it at all. It was just a crazy way to finish the game and I didn't think it would have happened for me any other way."For everyone watching it needed to be like that to make it more special." Murray had the whole country on edge as Djokovic saved three championship points in a row before Murray kept his nerve to engineer a fourth which he converted to spark wild celebrations. His reaction to victory was a dazed walkabout on Centre Court before climbing into the stands to hug his support group, girlfriend and mother Judy. Last year's Olympic gold was memorable but Murray said winning Wimbledon was the pinnacle. “I think it's number one, it's different from the Olympics," he said. “I think winning Olympic gold within sport is a huge thing but winning Wimbledon within tennis is the pinnacle and I don't think I will ever top that." Murray beat Djokovic in the Olympic semi-finals and said that result had fuelled his belief that he could be the Serbian world number one again on the biggest day of his career. “I spoke with Ivan the night before and we spoke about tactics and I watched my match against Novak in the Olympics semi-final from last year," Murray, whose decision to hire Lendl as coach 18 months ago has proved an inspired one. HEAD BOY From a player with all the shots to win majors, Lendl has tweaked Murray's mind to that of a champion too. "We spoke again on the morning of the match and he basically said go out and work for every single point, that's your court, your fans are going to be behind you, just bring the title home, and I managed to do it." With Murray and Djokovic both aged 26 their rivalry looks set to dominate men's tennis, especially with Roger Federer showing signs of a slow decline and doubts over the durability of Rafa Nadal's knees.
Others like Juan Martin del Potro and Tomas Berdych are also threats but Murray is predicting plenty of exhausting battles ahead with sparring partner Djokovic. —
Reuters
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Murray’s triumph had a world of difference from Fred Perry’s victory
London, July 8 Fit for the challenge Perry trained with the Arsenal football team to gain match fitness. He reckoned he lapped the Highbury pitch “hundreds of thousands of times”. Murray spends several weeks at the end of the year in Florida as part of a demanding fitness regime – when it is supposed to be the tennis off-season. Get your kit sorted Perry believed that being immaculately turned out on court instilled a sense of purpose. Murray was asked recently what Fred Perry might say to him if he were alive today. He suggested Perry might remark: “Why are you not wearing my kit?” Fanzone Perry said: “Shaking hands made me lose the feeling in my fingers.” Murray makes a lot of time for his fans, most of whom want autographs from him or a photograph taken with him. Watch and learn Perry said: “Watching a match before going on court is always distracting.” Even though Murray knows Novak Djokovic’s game inside out – they were on the juniors tour together and have been friendly rivals for years – he will have carefully studied his game before yesterday’s match. There’s the rub Perry said: “If you need a massage you are already clapped out.” Massage is an important part of the modern game – Murray sometimes has one mid-match if there is a rain delay. Teeing off Perry said: “I relaxed before matches by pottering round a putting green.” Murray – and brother Jamie – could have been professional golfers, according to their golf-mad dad, Willie. Eyeing up opponent Perry said: “I got hotel staff at the Savoy to tell me what my opponent [Gottfried von Cramm] ate and how he slept.” Murray probably knows everything there is to know about Djokovic. Royal male Perry said: “I doffed my cap when I met their majesties” [King George V and Queen Mary at Wimbledon in 1934], when they invited him into the royal box to watch the women’s final with them. Murray has keen fans in the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – who would surely have been in the royal box yesterday had they not had another big event on their minds. Peel me a cucumber Perry said: “The best way to eat a cucumber is peel it, pour vinegar, salt and pepper over it, and throw it out of a window.” Murray’s diet is rich in sushi, steak and greens, and he does not like alcohol. However, he reportedly got rather drunk on Champagne after he won the US Open last September and ended up mistakenly using face cream to brush his teeth, so who knows what happened last night. — The Independent
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London, July 8 “He put us through the mangle again,” said a very relaxed or possibly very relieved Dominic Kelly, 52, clutching a half-empty bottle of champagne. “I didn’t think he was going to win because we’ve been here so many times before. But there was something different in the way he played today. That last year made all the difference. But I didn’t think he was going to win because we’ve been here so many times before.” Despite the bottle of bubbly, Mr Kelly’s day had not been all that glamorous – he was, after all, standing by a recycling bin. A wine merchant from Southfields, just a stones-throw away from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Mr Kelly said he had found the perfect spot on an overcrowded Murray Mound to stand. “We had a BBQ here on Wednesday. It’s perfect because no one wants to stand here because it’s by a bin. It’s perfect too because you got the breeze up here and later in the day, the clouds came over.” As Murray lifted the trophy on the big screen, chants of “Andy! Andy! Andy!” broke out throughout the 4,500 or so fans. — The Independent
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Great Scot: Three vital cogs of Murray’s wheel of success THEY are the three most important people in Andy Murray’s tennis life: his coach, his girlfriend, and of course his mum (even though he did forget to hug her). Without their very different forms of support it’s questionable whether the Scot would finally have broken the 77-year hoodoo. They are always there, at every Wimbledon match. kim sears There was no doubt who was the queen of Centre Court on Sunday after another fist-pumping show of support from Andy Murray’s girlfriend. The aspiring artist was second in line for a hug from the Wimbledon champion after he triumphantly clambered into the box. Ms Sears, described by Murray’s mother as “the best thing to happen to Andy”, placed her hands on her head in astonishment after he took the title that has eluded him for so long. As he arrived in the player’s box, she threw her arms around her boyfriend in sheer joy, the nervous look finally wiped from her face. The 25-year-old has travelled the globe with Team Murray and has been a constant source of motivation and inspiration since the couple started dating back in 2006. They met on the tennis circuit in South Africa while Kim, aged 17, was travelling with her tennis coach father Nigel, who was at the time head of the women’s section of the Lawn Tennis Association. They split briefly in 2009. ivan lendl Murray’s coach Ivan Lendl sat and stared unblinking, as still as stone – or the unyielding tennis machine he once was. One of Lendl’s great attributes from Murray’s point of view is that he had been there and done it before. Murray believed Lendl had found the key to finally stepping up to that last highest level. Lendl became Murray’s coach in 2011. It was his first coaching job after barely picking up a racquet in the 19 years. Lendl was initially dubious. His reputation was also at stake. But at the same time, he recognised Murray’s problem – that, despite his talent, when he was up against it in a high pressure game with Federer or Djokovic opposite him, his body language – and his lungs – would scream defeat. judy murray Murray had many to hug and thank when he leapt onto the players box moments after winning. He hugged everyone. Just one person was overlooked: his mother. That won’t have worried Judy Murray, who first introduced Andy to the game on a kitchen table using cereal packets, tin lids and a table tennis ball. Since then the 53-year-old’s resolute focus, often manifested in courtside air punch, has been as much a contribution to his game as it has fuelled claims she is too overbearing. In 2011 Boris Becker implied that he would have to cut the apron strings if he was into winning Slams. — The Independent
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Last chance saloon for India to make it to Tri-series final
New Delhi, July 8 The Indians, who rediscovered their spark courtesy the crushing victory over the West Indies, will seek to keep the momentum going in the crucial game against the Lankans, who will be equally determined to secure a berth in the final.It is a must-win situation for the Indians but they may have a slight edge over Sri Lanka as the Islanders would not get any rest due to the rain-forced postponement of their game against the West Indies to be completed today. On the flip side, the Indians will have to wait until at least till Tuesday morning to know the mathematical calculations with regards to the finals berth given that all three teams are in with a chance. The West Indies-Sri Lanka match, which was into its 20th over, had to be postponed to the reserve day today after rain halted play. The Indians have no option but to wait for the result of this game to know exactly what they need to do to enter the final. After losing two of the three matches they have played so far, Virat Kohli's men would need to be clear about the maths during the final league clash against the familiar foes. The last time India and Sri Lanka came face to face, the islanders sailed past their neighbours with enormous ease. — PTI
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Limited overs games before Test series in SA
Mumbai, July 8 The visitors will then plunge into the best-of-seven ODI rubber, to be held between November 27 and December 15, prior to engaging in a three-Test rubber from Dec26 this year to Jan 19, 2014. The three Tests will be at Kingsmead (Durban), Sahara Park Newlands (Capetown) and the Wanderers (Johannesburg). —
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Shiva’s gold among India’s 4 medals
Chandigarh, July 8 Thapa beat crowd favourite Obada Alkabeh of Jordan on a split decision of 2-1, becoming only the third Indian to win a gold in the event, after Rajkumar Sangwan (1994) and Suranjoy Singh (2009). While Thapa has been around for a while, it was the first big international event for Jangra, 20. The Hisar boxer, mentored by Akhil Kumar, won a gold in a tournament in Cyprus last month. He had to settle for a silver in Amman when he lost to Daniyar Yeleussinov, an Asian Games gold medallist from Kazakhstan. “He’s a very good boxer,” Jangra told The Tribune from Amman. “But this is just the beginning for me…” “Haar ke baad hi jeet hai — victory follows defeat,” added Jangra, who was initiated into the sport by “I tried my best, and am confident I’d do better in the future,” he added. “I want to credit coach GS Sandhu and Akhil for this medal.” Sandhu said Jangra is a good prospect. “Mandeep did very well in the final,” Sandhu said. “The Kazakh boxer was superior, and everyone was saying he’d knock out Mandeep… But Mandeep fought very well and lost each round by only one point.” “Manoj gave a good account of himself, but we expect better from him,” Sandhu added. “It’s a really good performance as 28 countries participated in the event,” he added. “Everyone is preparing for the World Championship, so it was a tough challenge. Apart from the medal-winners, the others have done well too.” Thapa, who became the youngest Indian to win a gold in the event, said: “I had to shut my mind to the noise outside. Being the local boy, he was favourite and everybody was rooting for him. I had to stay focused and not get distracted.” “It was a good fight and I enjoyed because it’s fun to fight in front of a partisan crowd. The kind that motivates you to fight even harder,” he added. He was disappointed that, because of India’s suspension from the international boxing association, the Indian national anthem was not played after his victory. “It was a bit strange but that’s how it is. It doesn’t matter though because at heart we know who we are and can be proud of it,” he said. Asked if he was expecting a gold medal, Thapa said yes. “I hope for a gold always because it is about how badly you want success,” he said. “I try to stay motivated all the time; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but I can’t really think about the disappointments because I believe in looking ahead.” — With PTI inputs
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MSD captain of Ganguly’s all-time Indian ODI XI
Kolkata, July 8 “I’ve not seen any wicket-keeper with the batting prowess of Dhoni. I may give it a thought for a Test side, but Dhoni is an obvious choice for one-dayers,” he added. Ganguly, however, clarified that he would not figure in the XI as he was picking the side. Refusing to compare himself with Dhoni, who has become the most successful Indian skipper, Ganguly said: “I don’t believe in comparisons. You can’t compare eras, players, opposition etc. It isn’t possible.” Free from cricket, Ganguly is now contemplating writing his autobiography. “I was waiting for the right time. I continued to be really busy after giving up international cricket. There was IPL. But now, I will (write) for sure. It is difficult to say at this point whether it will be a ‘tell all’ but there’s no doubt I will write and speak the truth,” said Ganguly, who retired from international cricket in November 2008. Asked whether Virat Kohli has the flair for captaincy in future, Ganguly said, “I’m not looking him as a captain yet. I’m more impressed of him as a batsman; whenever he scores India wins.” — PTI
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Andy Murray is getting a taste for grand slam titles and believes crushing Novak Djokovic to end Britain's interminable wait for a men's champion at Wimbledon will be a springboard to take his career to the next level.
London, July 8
Teenager Shiva Thapa was the star, winning the sole gold as Indian boxers put up an impressive show in the Asian Championship in Amman, winning four medals today.
Thapa won the gold medal in the 56kg category, while Devendro Singh (49kg) and Mandeep Jangra (69kg) won a silver each. Manoj Kumar (64kg) rounded up the haul with a bronze.
