Ghost of Perry haunts Murray in Djokovic showdown
by Dave James
LONDON, July 6 (AFP) - Andy Murray will on Sunday again attempt to
finally rid Britain of one of its most painful sporting millstones when
he bids to become his country's first Wimbledon men's champion since
1936.
Not since Fred Perry 77 years ago, in the days of amateurism, flannel
trousers and wooden raquets and when the stormclouds of the Second World
War gathered in Europe, has Britain had a men's champion at the All
England Club.
Murray's 2012 campaign ended in a tearful final defeat to Roger
Federer, a deluge of sobbing on live television which instantly won over
a British public previously sceptical of the tough-as-teak Scot.
On Sunday, he takes on world number one Novak Djokovic who beat him
in the Australian Open final in January although Murray won the pair's
only meeting on grass at Wimbledon at last year's Olympics when he went
on to win gold.
"I think I learnt a lot from last year's Wimbledon," said the
26-year-old.
"The one thing that stands out is I knew how I needed to play the
sort of big matches, or try to play the big matches after Wimbledon,
because I didn't come away from that final doubting myself or the
decisions I made on the court, because I went for it. "I lost, but I
didn't have any regrets as such."
This will be Murray's seventh major final with his only Grand Slam
title coming in New York last year when he defeated Djokovic in a
five-set final.
The Serb, the Wimbledon champion in 2011, will be playing in his 11th
major final and seeking a seventh title.
Djokovic beat Murray in the title matches in Melbourne this year as
well as 2011."I think I'll be probably in a better place mentally. I
would hope so just because I've been there before. I have won a Grand
Slam. I would hope I would be a little bit calmer going into Sunday,"
added Murray, who will be playing in his fourth successive Grand Slam
final having skipped Roland Garros with a back injury.
"But you don't know. I might wake up on Sunday and be unbelievably
nervous, more nervous than I ever have been before."Murray needed five
sets to beat Fernando Verdasco in the quarter-finals and four sets to
see off giant Pole, Jerzy Janowicz in a bad-tempered semi-final.Djokovic
had cruised to the semi-finals but needed five sets to defeat Juan
Martin del Potro on Friday in the longest ever last-four clash at
Wimbledon.
Despite the four-hour, 43-minute epic, Djokovic, who spent a record
five hours and 53 minutes beating Rafael Nadal in the 2012 Australian
Open final, insists that fatigue will not be a problem.
"I'm not the first time in this situation. I was in worse situations
actually before, like in the Australian Open 2012, or several occasions
where I managed to recover, managed to win the title, managed to feel
fresh and play another six hours," he said.
"Of course, when you feel good physically, when you know you're fit
and you don't feel a huge fatigue, that gives you mental confidence and
the strength that is necessary when you're playing a top player. "
Djokovic also believes he is destined to win a second Wimbledon title
in honour of his first coach, Jelena Gencic, who passed away during the
French Open.
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