Murray vs Raonic – Aegon The Queen’s Club final

L’Equipe 20/06/2016   http://bit.ly/28InNlN

Translated by Katrina Allen

katrinaallen.co.uk

@katrinaallen21

The Queen’s Club Tournament: Andy Murray wins for the 5^th time.

The Scot, Andy Murray, triumphed at Queen’s for the 5^th time in his career by beating Milos Raonic on Sunday.

Murray has now overtaken several outstanding former champions: John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt and Roy Emerson, each one a four times winner.  His previous triumphs were in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.  This time he beat Milos Raonic  (6-7, 6-4, 6-3 in 2h12) in the final.  The match didn’t start well for the Scot (a recent finalist at Roland Garros).  Everything rested on the serve in the first set and the Canadian’s was impenetrable (72% on his first serve) and Murray, although fairly strong himself in this department, lost it in the tie-break.

Lendl left before the prize-giving

Raonic was the more rested of the two players, having had quick wins in his previous two matches, whereas Murray struggled over three sets in his quarter final against Edmund and then against Cilic in the semis. Raonic forged on, going 3-0 up in the second set. And then his game started breaking down. A few moments of doubt, particularly on the volley, (3/10 in the second set),  producing just two aces, and the world no. 9 lost his way.  Murray, always solid on the serve, was rewarded each time in his six approaches to the net. As Murray started reading the ball better, the Canadian couldn’t come up with any solutions. Murray got back to 2-3 and then romped away with the match. He won 5 games in a row to go 5-3 up and pocketed the set at the first time of asking.

In a flawless display, Murray broke in the first game of the third set and closed it out on his third match point. This is the British man’s 37^th career title.  Since the beginning of this tournament, Ivan Lendl has been re-appointed as Murray’s coach while Lendl’s old rival John McEnroe was in the other player’s box, as Raonic’s new coach.  For some strange reason, as Murray lifted the trophy, Lendl disappeared from sight. No matter.  Andy Murray did what he had to and can go into Wimbledon in a week’s time with confidence.