Apurv Shukla – 
Andy Murray won his second Wimbledon title by beating Canadian Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) in the finals held on Sunday, July 10, 2016.
The second-seeded Murray was playing in his 11th major final, the first against someone other than Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.
In a match that pitted Raonic’s big serves against Murray’s terrific groundstrokes, it was the latter who played solid tennis throughout mixing good returns from the baseline with deft passing shots to take out the title.
Raonic became the first Canadian to ever reach a Grand Slam final.
Murray got former great Ivan Lendl back on his coaching staff before Wimbledon. The Lendl –Murray combination delivered their third Grand Slam together.
Serena sublime
American Serena Williams won her seventh Wimbledon championships by beating German Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 in the women’s finals.
This win gave Williams her 22nd Grand Slam. She now sits on top of the leader board with Steffi Graf as the players to have won the most slams in the open era (which began in 1968). In a rematch of the Australian Open Finals from earlier this year, it pitted the tenacious German left hander against Williams- whose last Grand Slam win was at Wimbledon 2015.
Williams dominated most of the match. Her serves are her strength and hit 13 aces; including at least one in each of her first eight service games of the finals.
Kerber had not lost a set en route to the summit clash (including beating Williams’ elder sister Venus in the semis) but was no match for a Serena on song in the finals. Williams’s sisters rounded off an excellent fortnight for the family in London by winning the ladies doubles championships – their sixth Wimbledon title together.
Indians disappoint
After an excellent French Open -Indian players had a disappointing Wimbledon. Indian tennis great Leander Paes lost in the second round of the men’s doubles, and top seed Sania Mirza partnering Swiss Martina Hinigs bowed out in the third round of the women’s doubles. Still both Paes and Mirza are strong medal contenders for India at the Olympics starting later this month.
Kiwis fine
New Zealand Tennis had a good run at this year’s Wimbledon.
Kiwi Women’s No 1 Marina Erakovic equalled her best showing at Wimbledon from 2008 and 2013 by reaching the third round. She beat the 24th-ranked former world No 1 from Serbia 4-6 7-6(1) 8-6 in the second round before losing to Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro.
This impressive showing should see the world ranking of Erakovic rise to around 110 from her present 149.
Erakovic has the highest profile among women tennis players in New Zealand, and her strong showing bodes well for the game here.
Michael Venus was aiming to be the first Kiwi male into a quarter-final of a Grand Slam since Brett Steven in the doubles in 1998 at Wimbledon. But his dreams and those of his Croatian Partner Mate Pavic were cut short after a close third round loss.
Tennis fans are in for a treat as the action now shifts to Rio and the Olympics. Individual goals merge with a nation’s pride at these games; bringing out the best in the players.
