World News

Culture

 

British Queen celebrates

 

 

Andy Murray's bid for a triumphant Wimbledon victory on the 10th anniversary of his 2013 title win came to an end in the second round against fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Due to Wimbledon's 11pm curfew on Thursday, the Briton was halted in his tracks and ultimately lost 7-6 (7-3) 6-7 (2-7) 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 on Friday.

Since his memorable victory over Novak Djokovic in 2013, Murray had not defeated a Wimbledon opponent ranked as high as Tsitsipas.

In a parallel outcome, British number one Cameron Norrie also suffered a defeat, falling 3-6 6-3 2-6 6-7 (3-7) to Christopher Eubanks.

Murray, 36, and Norrie, 27, were considered the country's best hopes for success in the men's singles, and their losses cast a shadow over the spirits of the home fans at the All England Club.

With their exits, British number five Liam Broady, who is set to face Canadian 26th seed Denis Shapovalov in the third round, remains as the sole British representative in the men's singles.

On Saturday, British women's number one Katie Boulter will have the opportunity to advance to the fourth round as she takes on defending champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.

Murray Pushes Tsitsipas to the Limit

When Murray's enthralling battle with Tsitsipas under the Centre Court lights was suspended on Thursday, the Scot had just secured a two-sets-to-one advantage in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.

Debates arose as to who benefited more from the break - Murray, after a painful fall, or Tsitsipas, after the momentum had shifted away from him.

The delay provided a chance for romantics to dream. Murray returned on Friday with the goal of achieving his most significant win by ranking since the 2013 final, exactly 10 years later and at the venue that defined his career.

Realists believed the rest might favor Tsitsipas. The 24-year-old, as he had done in the first two sets on Thursday, delivered a serving masterclass and did not face a single break point as he turned the match around.

When asked if the 18-hour gap benefited him, Tsitsipas replied, "It did not help me that much. You are dealing with a lot of things. You are dealing with Andy Murray on the other side of the net. He can make it a marathon, and I had to work extra hard. My legs are sore - he made me run left and right, up and down for hours." Photo by JCtennis.com, Wikimedia commons.