Raonic, the world number nine, had suddenly seen his trademark serve desert him and Murray broke in the first game of the third set, holding his nerve to win the match and surpass Boris Becker, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, Roy Emerson and John McEnroe with his fifth win at the tournament.
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Andy Murray warned Novak Djokovic that he has the champagne on ice as the Queens Club history-maker plots to end the world number ones reign as Wimbledon champion.
Murray joked that his new coach must have been intent on avoiding the spotlight after he disappeared from the court before the Scot received his trophy.
“It’s obviously good preparation to win the event right beforehand, but I still have eight days until my first match at Wimbledon, so there’s time to make things better and there’s also time to mess things up”, he said.
This is a record fifth championship at Queen’s Club for Murray. I always look forward to coming back and I have actually spent more time the last few years practicing here. “A lot of great players have played here over the years, and winning any tournament a few times is hard”.
“It’s a pleasure as well to play in front of someone like John [McEnroe]”. “It’s a pleasure to play in front of someone like John McEnroe and any time you can do something a bit better than someone like him, then that’s awesome”. He managed to save two break points, but from deuce Murray quickly set up another, which he won as the Canadian netted a volley.
But a blistering cross-court service return in the fifth game allowed the Scot to finally break Raonic’s momentum and from then on the Canadian third seed, who hurled down 14 aces, was powerless to stop Murray’s victory charge.
Murray was happy with his play, he remarked, “It was frustrating to be down a set and a break but I started to return well, and my serve worked very well the last couple of sets”.
“He hasn’t changed at all”, McEnroe told the Tennis Podcast.
Raonic suddenly started to become slightly agitated as Murray became the first player to break his impressive serve over the course of the week and from then on, there was only one victor. Included is an epic five-set victory in this year’s Australian Open semi-final, and a rout on the clay at Monte Carlo this year, where the Canadian was permitted just two games.
Murray was now pumped up and the Brit started to dominate.
Murray duly served out the set to level the match and broke yet again to move 1-0 up in the decider, a delightful drop shot ending a lengthy rally.
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After dropping the first set in a hard-fought tiebreak, Murray dug himself an 0-3 hole in the second set and seemed to be heading toward an early flame-out.
