Former Wimbledon champion’s performance in defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas shows that his strength and desire remainIs he done? The headlines say, maybe; history and sentiment say, don’t bet on it. From this keyboard, however, It is inconceivable that Andy Murray will walk away from tennis while there is strength in his 36-year-old legs, power in his whirring racket and the odd tear in his reddened eyes.If there is a single compelling argument for the best player these islands have produced since Fred Perry to continue into the gloaming of his illustrious career it surely lies in Murray’s almost perverse compulsion to defy all odds, predictions and whispers in tournament watering holes. He has been doing it at least since 2019,...
The Australian matched the former Wimbledon champion for tenacity, but not for experience and match managementSometimes chants work, sometimes they do not. And the great minds in the gallery who endeavoured to stretch the word “Kokkinakis” across the breadth of the Seven Nation Army riff had been too ambitious with their syllables. It was a bit Billy Mack, except that Christmas is All Around topped the charts – this lot had no excuse. At least back in the Lleyton era we got “Walking in a Hewitt wonderland”. Now we must endure “Let’s go, Kokky, let’s go”.Granted, it was after 10pm by the time Margaret Court Arena welcomed Thanasi Kokkinakis and Andy Murray, and with late nights come the inevitable late-night...
The fierce desire that has been the driving force behind a brilliant career is fading and it is best to accept that realityHe looks tired. But then he always looks tired. Those slumped shoulders, the pained grimace, the pallor of cold, hours-old sweat on his furrowed brow: this is Andy Murray whether he is winning or losing, whether he is surfing the crest of a wave or getting thrashed by a 22-year-old on live television in front of his loved ones. Even in his finest moments, Murray always had the habit of making tennis look like the hardest sport in the world. Related: Is the sun finally setting on Andy Murray’s brilliant, battling career? | Andy Bull Related: Andy Murray’s...
The Scot has made a heroic comeback from injury but he was outclassed by the young Canadian Denis Shapovalov and will surely ask himself if all the hard work is worth itIt was late when Andy Murray finally made it out on to Centre Court for his match against Denis Shapovalov, and the clouds were just closing in over the last little patch of blue sky left over Wimbledon.There were two lads out in the crowd on Henman Hill who were weighing up their options. It was a hard-won spot, the hill was so busy they’d closed it off, but they were thinking of giving it up. They’d had a good day of it, done a little too much drinking,...
The US golfer hits the ball further than ever did but he needs to realise that experience is the ultimate teacherWhen Bryson DeChambeau exploded through his tight‑fitting shirt all over Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, he went from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk in 10 card-wrecking shots. The 17-stone Californian was crushing the course underfoot when he tumbled to five over, and out of Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial tournament.It took DeChambeau months to pack on 40 pounds of gym-bought muscle and moments for those pumped levers to disconnect from his brain on Friday as his helicopter swing hooked the ball at nearly 200mph into a creek on the 15th. His quintuple-bogey 10 was the worst score of his career. Jack...