A long road ahead for Murray

Murray after the emotional exhaustion, cried during after-match speech.

Federer and Murray hugged after a 4-sets-match in Wimbledon

We all agree that the Wimbledon gentlemen’s singles final match between Roger Federer (Switzerland) and Andy Murray (Great Britain) was one hell of a match. The tense, pressure, expectation, roar, fall, rain that the match has, not to mention all the roaring “C’mon Murray!” ended up with a very emotional win by Roger Federer (as of now, World’s #1). The 4-sets match lasted for 3 hours and 24 minutes. 

It was a major let-down for most of the British who had been waiting for this moment since this was the first time after 74 years a British saved a place in the final of Wimbledon gentlemen's singles. But the major let-down only lasted for about 10 minutes. Andy Murray, the man of the day (who came as a Runner Up), put tears in his fans' eyes in the after-match speech right on the center court.

“I am getting closer” said Murray before breaking down in tears. Having taken a deep breath or two and rubbing his eyes, he went on, “I am going to try this and it isn’t going to be easy... I am not going to look at him (Federer) in case I start crying again.” 

To be honest, he made me cried like a baby too. I know how hard the pressure on his shoulder was, how tough the previous matches had been, how much people (Brit, mostly) expected him to win, and how tired he was (emotionally and physically, but I have to say it was mostly emotional exhaustion since people had a huge expectation on him).

It was 9.00 PM in the Central Indonesian Time (GMT +8) when I turned my TV on and changed the channel to Star Sports. I had been waiting for the final match since dinner. As the camera showed Murray and Federer was walking into the Centre Court, I couldn’t help but clapped in my bedroom, tried to keep my voice as low as possible because my mom was sleeping in her bedroom across the hallway. The five-minute warm up went by, and then the first game of the first set started, I sat on the edge of my bed holding a pillow and crossing my finger. I screamed a little bit when Murray got the first point in the first game of the first set. And many more of low-volume screams as he gained more point. I cursed when he lost a point or when Federer gained one. I jumped and danced like an idiot when he won the first set, but I throwed pillows and more pillows to the floor when he lost the second and third set. And when he lost the fourth set to Federer, I couldn’t say a damn word. My mouth was wide open and I couldn’t believe what just happened. I thought it was going to be a 5-sets match and I thought that Murray would win. But he didn’t.

The trophy presentation on the court was a tough one especially when Murray burst into tears. It was the moment when I also had tears in my eyes and cursed at the TV,”Dammit Andy! Look, you make me cry too!”

I watched every Wimbledon 2012 matches of Andy Murray since R1. How tough and amazing he was. I realized that this is his first Wimbledon final, so it’s okay for him to lost this one – this is his first Wimbledon final out of many more in the next years. 

He fought a good match yesterday. It showed from how he fell twice on the ground. First fell was in a drop-shot and then while he was trying to turn sharply on the baseline. Murray had shown a very high-quality match, a quality which could only be shown by a true champion -- a world-class tennis player.

After all, he’s only 25 years old. He still has a very long road ahead and many more of Grand Slams to come. This year he’s a runner up, but God knows in the upcoming Wimbledon or any other Grand Slams championship, he will come up as the winner. At the end of the day, he is still a winner and #1 in his fans heart.

As for me, I expect nothing from this young good-looking man but a good match and many more of it. He had put a history to bed after 74 hurtful years and came out as a finalist. So you’re nothing but a hero, Murray!
Grand slam titles may come and ago, but your fans will stay forever!

WELL DONE, MURRAY!