Andy Murray on Wednesday rolled back the years to stage a thrilling Wimbledon fightback as defending champion Novak Djokovic played almost flawless tennis to reach the third round for the 15th time.
Murray, the 2013 and 2016 champion, battled back to defeat German qualifier Oscar Otte 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 under the roof of Centre Court.
The British star, playing in the singles event for the first time since 2017, and ranked a lowly 118 after hip and groin injuries, avoided what would have been his earliest exit from the tournament.
Photo: Reuters
“What an atmosphere to play in at the end,” Murray said after seeing off his 151st-ranked opponent. “I needed everyone’s help tonight. I did a great job, played some top shots at the end, but it was a tough match.”
The Scot had come into the grass-court major having played only five Tour-level matches in 2021.
That lack of match-fitness caught up with Murray in the second and third sets to such an extent that not only did he struggle to move around court, some of his shots made him look like a novice rather than a player who has contested 11 Grand Slam finals.
One particular effort, when he smashed straight into the net with the entire half of Otte’s court at his disposal, left him red faced while the crowd, and his opponent, howled in laughter.
That howler midway through the second set gave little hint of what was still to come.
In the end it turned out to be a Centre Court blockbuster that featured gripping action, a mid-match twist and late-night drama.
Both men took a number of tumbles on the slippery turf, and when Murray screamed out in agony and clutched his groin after losing his footing early in the fourth set, there was a brief moment when it seemed that it was game over for the Scot.
However, he was not ready to write off his chances so easily and denied Otte his moment of glory.
“One of the reasons why I’m still playing is because of moments like that. Why would you want to give that up,” Murray said.
Murray faces Canadian 10th seed Denis Shapovalov for a place in the last 16.
World No. 1 Djokovic eased to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 win over 102nd-ranked Kevin Anderson of South Africa.
He fell on at least five occasions on Centre Court.
Djokovic cruised to victory over the man he defeated in the 2018 final without facing a single break point and committing just six unforced errors.
“I have a nice connection with the crowd,” Djokovic said. “I also seem to be having a really nice connection with the grass. I don’t recall falling so much in the first two matches at Wimbledon.”
Australian Nick Kyrgios, ranked 60, but a quarter-finalist on debut in 2014, won his first match since the Australian Open in February, defeating French 21st seed Ugo Humbert before declaring: “Not bad for a part-time player.”
Kyrgios triumphed 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 9-7 in a match held over from Tuesday, when the final set was level at 3-3.
“Ugo is an incredible kid and I knew I was a massive underdog,” Kyrgios said after firing 23 aces and 51 winners.
Kyrgios also shrugged off an ugly-looking fall in the 13th game of the final set when his right knee buckled beneath him.
In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium were to play Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko and Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan at about press time last night, while Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching are to play Cornelia Lister of Sweden and Romania’s Patricia Tig.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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