History Was Made: Andy Murray Won Wimbledon

Many of you know I attended Wimbledon and wrote the article for The Virginian Review.  For those of you who have not seen it, I hope you enjoy it!  The article is one of my top two favorites I've written to date.

Photo of the article in the paper!

7/12/2013 2:24:00 PM
Richardson Enjoys Wimbledon History

Editor's Note:
Virginian Review writer Kirsten Richardson witnessed tennis history when she attended Sunday's Wimbledon championship during her recent trip to England.

BY KIRSTEN
RICHARDSON
Staff Writer

LONDON, England - After a 77-year drought, a British man won the Wimbledon Championship Sunday afternoon.

Scotsman Andy Murray fought physically and mentally to trump number one player Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Crowds swarmed around The All England Club, waiting for the start of the most anticipated match, possibly of the season. Fans joined in the traditional consumption of Kentish strawberries with cream, Pimms and lemonade, and champagne with gusto, whether sitting on Henman Hill (unofficially named "Murray Mound") or inside Centre Court.

"Novak Djokovic to serve. Ready. Play." Chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani announced the commencement of the 2013 Gentlemen's Singles Final at the Wimbledon Championship.

Murray's frequently used slice, barely passing over the net tape, caused gasps to echo around Centre Court, as well as sighs of disappointment when the ball failed to catch quite enough air.

Game one of the first set of the match seemed an easy win for Murray, but at its completion, Djokovic was ahead.

Neither player lessening their fight, they battled to break each other. Murray finally passed Djokovic, winning the first set 6-4.

Djokovic, despite several tumbles, did not take runner up for lack of ability. During the second set, he fell immediately after returning a shot from Murray. Murray strained to reach the ball after the first bounce, but the placement was too well executed, pushing the score to 5-4.

Murray continued to fight, taking the second set 7-5.

Each finalist had supporters in the crowd. However, after a yell of encouragement for Djokovic, a British accent was always ready to cry, "Let's go, Andy!" The tit-for-tat banter continued through all three sets, causing ripples of laughter.

As the sets wore on, the excitement and tension levels rose. During breaks in play, tennis etiquette was replaced with deafening cheering and chanting, rivalling that of a soccer match.

The final game of the third set was excruciating. One end of the stadium started to cheer, thinking Murray had won, only to hush quickly when it was obvious he had not. Deuce, ad, deuce, ad, but it finally came to an end with Andy Murray beating Novak Djokovic in the third set 6-4.

Centre Court cheered thunderously, waving flags, pumping fists, and soaking in the emotional moment of Britain winning their own championship.

Walking toward the score board, Murray responded with an awed shock. Novak Djokovic, always a gentleman and good sportsman, walked around the net to congratulate Murray with a hug.

Crouching on the court, Murray soaked in the win before rising, crawling through fans, and standing on one of the boxes to hug his team, kiss his girlfriend and receive an emotional embrace from his mother, who he nearly passed over.

The court quickly transformed into a stage. Ball girls and boys lined the carpet where each player was interviewed. The Duke of Kent, president of The All England Club, awarded the trophies.

Sue Barker opened her interview with Djokovic saying, "Novak, you threw everything at him." His tired, but good natured, response was, "But it wasn't enough." He went on to congratulate Murray, his team, and the entire country, acknowledging how much it meant to everyone.

When the grand slam champion came up, Barker asked him, "I don't know if you realize what you've done, but how does it feel to hold that trophy now?" Murray's response caused laughter in the arena. "It feels slightly different to last year."

Barker described the last game and match point as being "tortuous to watch." Murray quipped, "Imagine playing it."

Murray congratulated Djokovic on his excellent game, saying he would go down in history as one of the great players.

He also added, regarding nearly forgetting to hug his mother, "I did forget her. I just heard her squealing when I went to get down."

The Wimbledon Men's Championship Final was attended by thousands. The stands held Prime Minister David Cameron, British sports players and celebrities, as well as loyal British fans. All shared a joy in seeing a citizen of Great Britain win the Wimbledon title.

Now, everyone awaits Andy Murray's next goal: to defend his U.S. Open title.