Williams was an overwhelming favourite at Melbourne Park, where she had won all six previous times she’d reached the final, and was trying to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles. But the Canadian played a strong tiebreak, hitting two return winners and he brought up two set points which he clinched with an ace to take a 2-1 sets lead in a tense match.
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The reigning Australian, Wimbledon and US Open champion also has the chance to join all-time greats Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver as an 11-times major victor.
“The most important thing for me is to sustain my level for long enough, not just for one set here or there, a few games here or there”, Murray said.
‘These are the kind of matches that you work for.
“There’s not many tennis players that come out of Scotland”, said Murray. “I will just try and learn on the way and obviously with the support of my wife we will try our best to be good parents”.
‘Fighting for a Grand Slam trophy is a pinnacle of our sport. This is exactly where you want to be. “It’s his third one in a row, so I hope he can win”. “(I’m) going to be ready for that”.
Andy Murray climbed a huge mountain in beating Milos Raonic in the Australian Open semifinals.
“I’ve played him many times and been in the situation before where I haven’t won specific tournaments”, Djokovic said. “There’s no reason it’s not possible for me to win”, Murray added.
“I need to keep to my game plan very well, not have any lapses in concentration and just play the best I can”, he said. “I’m pretty happy with what we’ve achieved so far”. They’ve grown up together, sharing a similar path to professional tennis and developing a similar style of play.
“It’s a challenge that I’m going to face, I must accept, and hopefully I’ll be able to give my best”.
Murray, meantime, reached the ninth Grand Slam final of his career. Raonic then threatened to break back immediately, but the failed attempt, in a game that lasted ten minutes, seemed to be the breaking point in the match.
Murray signed his four-year endorsement deal with Under Armour in late 2014 but continued to wear the Adidas Barricade until Under Armour designed its first men’s tennis shoe – one that was up to Murray’s specifications. I never would have expected that.
But Murray was back on court at Melbourne Park less than 18 hours later to practice with coach Amelie Mauresmo, not appearing physically hampered by the lengthy match. Lots of rallies, exchanges. “It’s no secret we know how we play against each other”, Djokovic told reporters on Saturday.
“It’s two games that are very much alike, so it’s basically who’s going to outplay who from the baseline”, Djokovic said.
Raonic left the court for treatment for a right groin injury at 1-2 in the fourth set.
“(It will be) a lot about tactics and a lot about how of course you handle your emotions of the greatness of that occasion of playing for the grand slam title”.
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The big-serving Canadian had the measure of Murray, the world number two, until the injury cruelly struck and he angrily smashed his racquet on the court floor as the match slipped away in the fifth set.
