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..:: Deficiente-Forum - Internacional ::.. => English => Noticias Internacionais => Sport => Tópico iniciado por: RoterTeufel em 15/10/2012, 16:33
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HEAVEN FOR HEATHER WATSON BUT AGONY FOR ANDY MURRAY
GUTTED Andy Murray threw away five match points to surrender the Shanghai Masters title to Novak Djokovic.
It was the US Open and Olympic champion’s first defeat in 13 matches in the event as he wasted the chance to win a hat-trick of titles in China.
Instead Djokovic triumphed 5-7 7-6 6-3 after winning a second set tie-break 13-11 in a match which lasted more than three hours. “It was a disappointing one to lose,” said Murray, who beat Djokovic in the US Open final.
“I’ve lost tougher matches than that before in the biggest events, so I’m sure I’ll recover from it.
“The second set, I probably played a little bit better. But he came up and served very well on the match points.
“The one match point I had on my serve, he hit the forehand on to the edge of the line.
“On the game where I served for the match, he also came up with some good shots.
“It’s not like I threw the match away. I didn’t make any real glaring errors or anything.
“When I had my chances, he just served very well and hit a couple of lines when he needed to.”
The Scot headed into the match boosted by a semi-final triumph over world No.1 Roger Federer and, after losing his serve early on, he recovered to win an opening set which saw seven breaks of serve.
Murray first served for the match at 5-4 in the second but the Serbian world No.2 won the game and went on to take the set to a tie-break.
And the Brit fell 3-1 behind in the breaker before getting back on terms and carving out two more championship points at 6-4.
However, Djokovic upped his game to save both and then two more at 8-7 and 10-9 before finally levelling the tie on his fourth set point.
That epic tie-break saw the momentum swing fully Djokovic’s way.
And a break in the decider saw him go 4-3 up before he sealed the win on Murray’s serve.
The champion said: “It’s difficult to judge who was better because it was so close throughout the match.
“We had so many rallies in three-and-a-half hours. For a best-of-three-set match it is a very long time.
“It could have easily gone the other way. He was five match points up. When I faced those match points I tried to focus on each individually.
“He was so close to the victory that I cannot say I was the better player.”
Look Wat Heather won
Heather Watson became the first Briton to win a WTA Tour singles title in 24 years at the Japan Open.
The 20-year-old from Guernsey saved four match points in a marathon clash against Taiwanese star Chang Kai-chen in Osaka to rescue a match she looked to have thrown away.
Watson served for the win at 5-3 in the second set but double-faulted on match point.
And it appeared she was on the brink of defeat in the deciding set before fighting back to win 7-5 5-7 7-6 in three hours and 11 minutes.
Sara Gomer was the last British winner of a women’s singles title on the WTA Tour in California in 1988.
And Watson admitted: “I was in the changing room afterwards, changing my clothes, and I thought to myself, ‘Did I really win?’ It’s just starting to settle in.
“I’ve worked so hard for this moment during my whole career – that’s why I practised so hard, ran all those miles and lifted all those weights, for moments like this.
“Britain has been breaking quite a few records recently, so I’m happy I could break another one today. I’m proud to do this for my country.”
Chang served for the title at 5-4 in the final set but despite four match points she could not see off the battling Brit, who broke back before holding her nerve in the tie-break.
“She’s an amazing returner, so I wanted to go for it,” added Watson.
“As you get better and play the top girls, you’ve got to go for it because they won’t give it to you.”
And after surviving the close call, Watson joked: “I was already thinking about how I was going to cry in the locker room.
“I’ve been working to be more aggressive lately. When I got to the point when I was three match points down and she was serving for the match I just thought, ‘Oh no, I had this, I was so close’.
“But after I saved the first one, I just took it point by point.
“I’m really proud of myself for getting through that.
“Now I’ve got the title and I am so happy, this ranks as one of the best days of my life.”
Watson’s win will also move her back above Laura Robson in the world rankings, making her British No.1 again.
Watson was on court again for the doubles final alongside Kimiko Date-Krummbut lost 6-1 6-4 to Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears.