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Murray stuns 14th seed Stepanek
Andrew Murray shook off a stomach upset and 14th seed Radek Stepanek at Wimbledon on Thursday, cruising to a 6-4 6-4 6-4 second round victory.
Andrew Murray shook off a stomach upset and 14th seed Radek Stepanek at Wimbledon on Thursday, cruising to a 6-4 6-4 6-4 second round victory.
The 18-year-old Scottish wildcard is now the last home player standing after four-times semi-finalist Tim Henman's shock five-set defeat by Russia's Dmitry Tursonov.
"It is my first Wimbledon and I knew Tim had lost... I wanted to keep the Brits going," he said.
But the celebrations are still on ice.
"I am in the third round. If I get in the second week then maybe I will start to celebrate," the teenager, who now plays Argentine former runner-up David Nalbandian, said.
His assured display against the canny Czech was all the more remarkable as he woke in the morning feeling sick after eating a chicken curry the night before.
"I wasn't feeling too good towards the end of the second set," he said. "I was sick when I woke up this morning. I had a bad head and sore throat.
"Maybe it was something I ate yesterday night or, I don't know, maybe it was the heat."
Murray, ranked 312 in the world, is playing his first grand slam tournament but is yet to drop a set.
Playing fearless baseline tennis he built a commanding two-set lead on a sunlit Court One which had just witnessed the downfall of the more celebrated teenager Rafael Nadal.
STALLING TACTICS
An error-strewn Stepanek saved two match points at 5-3 down in the third set but Murray held his nerve when he served for the match despite some stalling tactics by his opponent.
After benefiting from a lucky net cord at 30-30, he clinched victory when Stepanek looped a forehand wide.
"I was a bit disappointed with him at 5-3 because he was trying to put me off...He was like staring in my face when I missed the ball," said Murray.
"Everybody told me before the match he's going to try a bit of gamesmanship and he ends up looking a bit stupid because he lost. I think I went out there and did my job.
"He didn't play well, he pretty much gave me the match."
Asked how far he could go, Murray playfully stated he would go out in the next round, something he also said before playing Stepanek.
"I'll lose my next match...Nalbandian is top 20, he's been to a Wimbledon final, I've won two matches at Queen's, two matches at Wimbledon, and I'm only 18."
Murray can say what he likes, but with Henman now departed the hopes of a nation searching for its first men's singles champion since Fred Perry 69 years ago, are now firmly on his young shoulders.
