Wimbledon is three weeks away and the grass court season on the ATP Tour has begun with events in the Netherlands and Germany. On Sunday, as most of the tennis world’s attention was on Novak Djokovic of Serbia winning the French Open, three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray of Glasgow, Scotland was making history of his own. At the age of 36 years, Murray became the oldest grass court champion of a challenger event. In the final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy in London, England, Murray defeated Austrian Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 6-2.
Murray withdrew from the French Open last month to focus on the grass court season. He made the decision even though he has performed well on clay in the past. Murray actually reached the 2016 French Open final, before losing to Djokovic, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Murray also beat 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-3, 6-2 in the 2015 final of Madrid, and Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, in the 2016 final in Rome.
There is no doubt Murray feels more comfortable on grass. It is at Wimbledon where he has won two grand slam titles as he defeated Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 in the 2013 final and Milos Raonic of Canada, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 in the 2016 Wimbledon final.
In England this past week, Murray was seeded second behind countryman Dan Evans. One of his most recognizable wins along the way came in the semifinals, where he beat 2022 Lexus Surbiton Trophy champion Jordan Thompson of Sydney, Australia 7-6, 6-3. Thompson beat Denis Kudla of the United States 7-5, 6-3 in the final last year.
The 2023 Lexus Surbiton Trophy champion was Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, who defeated Katie Swan of Great Britain in the final, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6. Wickmayer is a grand slam semifinalist as she made the final four of the 2009 United States Open.
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