Aussies salute Murray after spoiling emotional party
Source: Wimbledon
Australian doubles duo John Peers and Rinky Hijikata are set to go down in tennis annals after beating a tearful Andy Murray on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
But the pair won’t be considered party poopers after they knocked out Murray and his older brother Jamie 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in the first round of the men’s doubles – because they then offered the 37-year-old legend a fond tribute amid the emotion-soaked celebrations that followed.
“It is very special for us to come out here and play today. It is nice to get through but I think everyone here just wants to come and support Andy,” Hijikata told the cheering crowd after Thursday’s triumph.
“It was all about Andy and the great champion he is. It was an absolute honour to step on the court with him before he finishes playing.”
Peers, a previous doubles partner of Jamie Murray, echoed the sentiments.
“It is an absolute honour to be out here with Andy. Our words don’t do it justice how good he is,” he said.
Greats of the game, including John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Murray’s great rival Novak Djokovic and Australia’s most-recent men’s champion Lleyton Hewitt, were on hand at courtside to salute him.
Sue Barker, the long-time master of ceremonies at Wimbledon, came out of retirement too.
Murray revealed on Tuesday that the Wimbledon doubles would be his farewell to the London tournament – he withdrew from the singles after failing to regain fitness following spinal cyst surgery.
He still has the mixed doubles to come with former US Open champion Emma Raducanu. But Thursday was the night the All England Club grasped the opportunity to mark the Scot’s ground-breaking 19 years there when he became the king of Wimbledon.
As he winced and looked awkward in his movement, clearly still uncomfortable following last week’s surgery, it did feel as if this really ought to be his last match at Wimbledon.
If so, it was a near-perfect farewell – except for the result.
Hijikata had revealed beforehand how keen he and Peers were to spoil the party, and they proved true to his words by saving a set point in the first before going on to grasp the tiebreak.
But after an early break in the second set, the Murray boys – unbeaten together in Davis Cup ties – didn’t have the cohesion of their rivals.
There was hardly a dry eye in the house as Murray told Barker post-match: “The last few years have been hard for me.
“It is hard because I would love to keep playing, but I can’t. Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant.
“I want to play forever, I love the sport and it’s given me so much.
“It’s taught me loads of lessons over the years I can use for the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop, so it is hard.”
– with AAP
