Andy Murray looked down and out on Wednesday evening. However, he was back doing what he loves most at Wimbledon, lifting himself up and dusting himself off as he claimed a 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second-round against Oscar Otte, a little-known qualifier from Germany.
Prior to Wednesday evening, Andy Murray had never lost a match during a Grand Slam tournament to a player ranked number 151 and had never been defeated before the third round of Wimbledon.
When the second-round match had to be briefly stopped at 2-2 during the fourth set, due to gathering gloom that saw the Centre Court roof close so that the match could continue until floodlights, it seemed as though Andy Murray was on the brink of losing both milestones on day 3 at the All England Club.
However, the 15-minute stoppage time allowed the two-time Wimbledon champion to gather his thoughts and improve on his tactics. Playing as a wildcard this year as he attempts to work his way back after a 2019 hip-resurfacing surgery, he claimed 10 of the next 14 games to eventually book his third-round meeting with Denis Shapovalov.
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The Crowd’s Support was Essential
Andy Murray informed BettingPro reporters that he enjoyed the end but struggled in the middle part of the match. He needed everyone’s help and the amazing atmosphere assisted him to play better and get the job done. After the match, he thanked the 7,500 spectators who were allowed into the stands on Day 3 of the Wimbledon Championship.
The Scot had to do something different towards the tail end of the match and decided to go for more of his own shots while dictating most of the points as well. He was a little bit negative throughout the second-round tie with Oscar Otte and didn’t make the right decisions due to a lack of matches in 2021.
During the last few sets, Murray played the right game. He stated that the first set and a half was great. However, he would like to change how he performed during the middle part of the match going forward.
The 34-year old, who ended the 77-year long wait for a Britain Wimbledon champion in 2013, entered the grass court major having played only 5 matches at Tour-level in 2021. During the second and third set, the lack of fitness caught up with the Scot to such an extent that he struggled to move around.
Some of his shots also made him look like a novice player as opposed to the champion who made it to 11 Grand Slam finals during the greatest era of men’s tennis.
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A Center Court Blockbuster
In the end, the two tennis players provided a Center Court blockbuster, filled with captivating action, a mid-match drama, and a late-night twist that was enjoyed by 7,500 spectators on the most famous tennis arena in the world.
Both men endured a handful of tumbles on the slippery grass court. There was also a brief moment when Murray screamed in agony while clutching his groin after he lost his footing in the fourth set. Everyone was under the impression that the game was over for the Wimbledon champion.
However, Murray wasn’t ready to give up so easily and provided a wonderful performance for the rest of the match to claim his moment of glory. Murray’s triumph on Center Court made it a hat-trick of victories for British men, with Cameron Norrie reaching the second round while Dan Evans will face Sebastien Korda in the third.
