BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…July 7, 2013, 10 years ago today:
Andy Murray becomes the first British player since 1936 to win the men’s title at Wimbledon, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Murray’s win set off a raucous celebration inside and outside the All-England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club as British fans marked the end of 77 years of frustration (117 years for Scotland). The loss by Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player, came three months to the day after he had led Serbia to a Davis Cup quarterfinals victory over the United States at Boise’s Taco Bell Arena.
As for Murray, the stars aligned. Djokovic, newly recognized as a peer of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, was the only one of the Big 3 in men’s tennis to make it past the second round at Wimbledon. Nadal was beaten in the first round for the first time in a major when Steve Darcis eliminated him. It was the first time in 16 years that the reigning French Open champion had lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Federer was taken out in the second round by the world’s No. 116 player, Sergiy Stakhovsky. It was the first time Federer failed to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since 2004, a span of 36 major tournaments.
Murray’s battle against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final was a rematch of the Australian Open final in January of that year, when Djokovic captured the title in four sets. Murray then withdrew from the French Open draw due to injuries to his hip and his back. After a four-week break, he got back in action in the grass court run-up tournaments before Wimbledon, winning at the Queen’s Club. Murray was sharp in the Wimbledon final, beating Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in one of the finest performances of his career.
From there, some would consider Murray as part of a Big 4 with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He had taken the 2012 U.S. Open crown and would earn a second Wimbledon title in 2016. Later that year, Murray would become the first Brit ranked No. 1 in the world since the introduction of the rankings in 1973. But beginning in 2017, various injuries derailed him from his perch, and fell out of the top 100 two years later. Murray is currently No. 40 in the world as he tries to make the third round of this year’s Wimbledon. He was leading his Thursday match against Stefano Tsipsipas 2-1 when it was suspended by a curfew. The contest will wrap up today.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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