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Andy Murray defeats Raonic for second Wimbledon title

By Jacob Akindele
11 July 2016   |   3:56 am
Andy Murray defeated Canada’s Milos Raonic in straight sets; 6/3; 7/6; 7/6, to repeat his triumph in 2013. In the end, it came down to Murray’s service return; faced with the power of his opponent’s service.
Britain's Andy Murray poses with the winner's trophy after his men's singles final victory over Canada's Milos Raonic on the last day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2016. Andrew COULDRIDGE / AFP POOL / AFP

Britain’s Andy Murray poses with the winner’s trophy after his men’s singles final victory over Canada’s Milos Raonic on the last day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2016.<br />Andrew COULDRIDGE / AFP POOL / AFP

Andy Murray defeated Canada’s Milos Raonic in straight sets; 6/3; 7/6; 7/6, to repeat his triumph in 2013. In the end, it came down to Murray’s service return; faced with the power of his opponent’s service.

Raonic’s strategy was apparent from the start. Given Murray’s retrieving ability and unyielding consistency off the ground, Raonic needed to serve effectively and back up with volleys. The result depicted how successful he was in actualizing the game plan.

After Jake Garner, the Chair Umpire, called “time” for match to commence, Raonic got up right away but Andy tarried in his seat, fiddling with his racket. He got up to serve first, missing his first delivery and losing the opening point on a second service. He leveled with an ace and won a 17-shot rally to reach game point, which he clinched with a service winner.

When Raonic dropped but one point to hold, it was obvious that the match hung on break of serve. The decisive break came in the seventh game. Raonic took the first point but a missed drop volley and a passing shot set him behind 15-30, and at 30-40, he missed a volley to hand Murray the break. When Raonic got first point of the eighth game, it gave possibility of a break back but Murray delivered an ace down the middle; lost first game point on a missed backhand, then got deuced when he netted another.

He got the advantage and took game for a -3 lead. Raonic held serve but Murray took the tenth game with an easy put-away volley; first set ended 6/4.

In the second set, the serve and hold pattern continued. Then, in that seventh game, Raonic faced the danger of losing his serve, again. He took the first point and directed a ball into the parched dry part of the opposite baseline, forcing an error from Murray. He missed a dropped approach volley, and was passed for 30-all. He hammered a 137mph ace to reach game point but was deuced on a netted drop volley. He lost the first advantage and lost the next but escaped, and then took the game on the next opportunity. The set then proceeded into a tie break.

Murray took Raonic’s first serve when the Canadian netted an approach shot close to net. He took his two service points to lead three points to zero. Raonic took the fourth. In the fifth, he allowed a high lob to bounce but smashed it straight at the hands of Murray, who got it back at his feet! He took his service points to lead 5-1 at changeover and consolidated to 6 – 1. Raonic held to reduce to 6-3.

Murray took the first of three set points to win the break seven points to three. He had the second set in one hour 47 minutes match time.

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