“Andy with the cup” (CC BY 2.0) by col.hou
Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic three years ago to become the first British man to taste single’s success at Wimbeldon since Fred Perry in 1936.
The Scot held his nerve under immense pressure to beat his great rival and clinch the second Grand Slam of his career, following his previous success at the US Open one year earlier.
Murray was expected to kick on and add further majors to his collection, but his quest has been halted by the brilliance of the world number one.
The duo could be on a collision course once again at the All England Club at the start of July, and you can get solid odds for the final by betting on tennis with Betway with the 29-year-old backed at 13/5 to win the title.
Murray failed to defend his title at the US Open as he exited the competition in a straight-sets defeat to Stanislas Wawrinka.
The Scot struggled with injuries and a lack of form in the 2014 season, losing once again in the quarter-finals of a slam at the Australian Open to Roger Federer.
He made the surprising decision to part company with coach Ivan Lendl before the French Open, although Murray’s displays did not seem to be affected as he marched towards the semi-finals.
However, the king of clay Rafael Nadal ended his charge with a straight sets win, with the Spaniard going on to claim the title at Roland Garros.
Murray’s most disappointing loss of 2014 would be his quarter-finals exit at Wimbledon as number 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov brushed him aside with ease on Centre Court, leading to his plummet down the world rankings.
He was seeded eighth for the US Open which led him to a collision course to Djokovic, who claimed victory to advance to the semi-finals.
The Serb would be the obstacle in Murray’s way throughout 2015 in his attempts to bolster his title collection, starting in their thrilling contest in Melbourne.
The duo enjoyed a tense battle in the opening two sets, which were decided in tie-breakers to leave the match all square before Djokovic upped the ante to secure the victory.
Another nemesis in the form of Federer was to haunt Murray’s quest at Wimbledon in 2015, defeating him in straight sets in the semis.
The Scot has been unfortunate to play in the eras of truly dominant players, with Federer, Djokovic and Nadal all standing in his way at Grand Slams.
The 29-year-old was forced to watch once again Djokovic lift the Australian Open trophy after another victory in the final earlier this year.
However, he ended the Serb’s winning streak over him in the Rome Masters with a 6-3 6-3 triumph,a much-needed confidence ahead of the French Open.
Murray was forced to battle to remain in the competition in five-set thrillers against Radek Stepanek and Mathias Borgue before cruising towards his first final at Roland Garros.
The final against Djokovic followed the similar pattern of their past duels, with the scoreline level at 1-1 after two sets, but the Serb once again found another gear to propel himself past the Scot.
The world number two has since restored Lendl to his coaching staff, as he seeks to end Djokovic’s grasp of all four Grand Slams.
Murray has had fortune on his side in the Wimbledon draw, meaning that he will not face either Djokovic or Federer until the final, leaving his path to the title game clear.
He has been in excellent form this year, but will need to raise the level of his game to secure his third major title and second crown at the All England Club.
