By Britwatch Tennis
- Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares def. Daniel Nestor & Radek Stepanek 2-6 6-4 7-5
- Murray wins a Slam on his third attempt, Soares on his second
- Andy Murray was a surprise support as the match finished after 1am
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Jamie Murray won his first men’s doubles Slam with partner Bruno Soares, coming from a set down to defeat the experienced pair of Daniel Nestor & Radek Stepanek.
Murray and new partner Soares had already got off to a blistering start in their new partnership, reaching the semi-finals in the season opener in Doha, before heading to Sydney and winning their first title together.
Earlier in the tournament, Soares admitted that their success on the tour had surprised him, but that reaching the final was not a shock to him because of the speed at which the partnership had gelled.
But the pair were undoubtedly nervous to start, with an early break by a the sharper and more experienced pair, albeit in their new pairing.
Murray and Soares started to exert a little more pressure in the second set, with Soares solid at the back of the court, and Murray loosening up a lot more at the net. It took a single break to put British and Brazilian pairing in the driving seat to level the match.
Despite all his most recent experience in critical Davis Cup ties, when Murray stepped up to serve for the Championship, with the pair having gained another break advantage, a double fault and a squandered match point showed just how tough this would be for the elder Murray to close out.
Yet the pair were resolute to break Nestor and Stepanek straight away for a second chance to close out the title. This time it was Soares who would take the honours, bringing up three match pints, again leaving Murray free to do his thing as effectively as he does at the net, winning the title on their third match point.
It was an amazing moment for Murray in particular who but a few years ago looked lost and groundless after a first round loss in Australia and on a merry-go-round of different partners.
Overwhelmed in his on court speech with his voice cracking he spied his brother and told him to go to bed (Murray minor was due to play some 18 hours later), and the enormity of the achievement hit him, as he explained.
“I think when you get up there, you realise what you’ve done, you want to thank everyone that’s been with you along in the journey. Hasn’t always been rosy for me. A lot of ups and downs in my career. Thankfully things have started to really pick up in the last year or so. I had Louis with me on and off, but for 10 years. “He’s the guy that made it happen for me to have success on the doubles court. He really believed that I could do great things. It took me a lot longer to realize it.
“As I said it out there, my wife, again, she’s the one when I’m winning matches, great, but when I’m losing matches coming home disappointed, she’s the one that’s there, kept believing in me, kept telling me I had talent, I could do great things. She’s my rock. She made me keep believing, keep wanting to do it, get to the top.
“Yeah, it’s emotional to talk about that stuff. It was funny to see Andy there at the end. He’d obviously been watching the match in the locker room. I didn’t know that. I thought he left to go back to the hotel obviously.”
What’s more, the friendship between the pair is evident, with Soares joking at the start of the interview, when Murray was asked what the difference was between his win in the Mixed Doubles with Jelena Jankovic and here, with Soares declaring he was better looking!
With regards to the appearance of the main man for tomorrow’s final, Soares said: ‘Maybe he came back when he thought we had a chance (laughter).”
Murray will hope to watch his brother but has a flight leaving at midnight on Sunday, but at least one Murray is on the board at the Australian Open.
Andy Murray will face Novak Djokovic in the men’s final on Sunday at 7:30pm (8:30am GMT).
| FOLLOW BRITWATCH – SPORTS IN GENERAL, BRITS IN PARTICULAR! | |
| Vine | |