Andy Murray proved his decision to skip the French Open was justified as he kicked off his grass-court season with a remarkable triumph, securing his first title on the surface in seven years at the Surbiton Trophy.
Despite rain causing a three-hour delay during the final match, Murray remained undeterred and defeated Jurij Rodionov 6-3, 6-2. This victory marks Murray’s first singles title on grass since his memorable Wimbledon win in 2016.
The 36-year-old tennis star dedicated the trophy to his four children, expressing how they always encourage him to bring home a title. Opting out of Roland Garros, Murray focused on the grass-court campaign with the aim of improving his world ranking of 43 and securing a seeding at Wimbledon.
His decision has yielded positive results, as this win follows his earlier triumph at the Aix-en-Provence ATP Challenger in May, marking his second title in as many months.
Murray commented on his strategic approach, saying, “I’ve chosen to come and play here and in Nottingham [next week] to hopefully get lots of matches under my belt, so this week has been the perfect start.”
In the women’s final, Britain’s Katie Swan faced Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, but unfortunately lost a hard-fought battle 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) after two hours and 38 minutes. Swan, aiming to surpass the injured Emma Raducanu and become the British number one, narrowly missed her chance.
Murray’s victory ends a drought of any kind of grass-court title since his doubles win at Queen’s alongside Feliciano Lopez in 2019. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Murray mentioned his disappointment that his children missed the opportunity to witness him lift the trophy due to the rain delay.
He said, “My kids are always asking me when I go away if I am going to come home with a trophy – and it’s been rare over the last few years. They actually came two minutes before the rain started and my wife had to take them back home so they missed the end of the match. But I think they watched it on TV – so Sophia, Edie, Teddy, and Lola, I’ll bring you all a trophy tonight.”
Murray showcased his dominance on the court, delivering powerful serves and returns to overpower his Austrian opponent. He faced only one break point throughout the match, which he saved in the opening game. With eight aces and a series of unreturnable serves, Murray’s victory was nothing short of commanding.
During the second set, when Murray was leading by a break and 0-40 against Rodionov’s serve, rain interrupted play at approximately 15:20 BST. However, when the match finally resumed, Murray needed only 12 points to secure his well-deserved win.
In the women’s final, Swan displayed her skills and momentarily held the advantage, appearing poised to claim the title and the British number one spot against 33-year-old Wickmayer. After breaking serve twice in the opening set and saving multiple break points on her own serve, Swan won five consecutive games from a 2-1 deficit.
Despite securing early breaks in both the second and third sets, Swan was unable to maintain her lead as errors crept into her game. Although she saved two match points in the deciding set, Wickmayer dominated the tie-break, ultimately securing her 20th career title and her first on grass.
While Swan had an impeccable record in finals, winning all 12 she had reached, her defeat means Katie Boulter, who lost in the Surbiton semi-finals to Wickmayer, now takes over the top spot in the British rankings from Raducanu.
Expressing her sentiments after the match, Swan said in her on-court interview, “It’s been an amazing week for me; it’s been such a good event, and it’s been really fun for me because I’ve had a lot of friends and family with me this week. My mom was meant to fly home on Thursday and then again on Saturday, but I kept winning, so she decided to stay. I’m just sorry I couldn’t get the win.”
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8 comments
Wow! Murray’s back in action and clinched the Surbiton Trophy after 7 years! Skipped French Open, but no regrets. His decision to focus on grass-court paid off big time. Good move, mate!
Murray’s unstoppable on the grass! He crushed Rodionov in the final, rain or no rain. Haven’t seen him lift a singles trophy on grass since his epic Wimbledon win. Congrats, Andy!
Tough break for Katie Swan in the women’s final. Looked like she had it, but Wickmayer snatched the victory. It happens, Katie. Keep your head up, you’ll bounce back stronger!
Murray’s serving and returns were on fire! No breaks against him except for rain breaks. Dominated Rodionov with aces and unreturnable serves. Vintage Murray at his best!
Aww, Murray’s kids missed the trophy moment due to the rain delay. But they watched it on TV, so all good. Proud of you, Andy! Your little ones will get their trophies tonight!
Swan put up a fight, but Wickmayer turned the tide. Unfortunate loss, but Katie Boulter takes over as British number one. Keep striving, Swan, your time will come!
Surbiton Trophy brought some thrilling matches! Murray and Swan gave it their all, showcasing their skills. Congrats to the winners and kudos to all the players who competed!
Murray’s grass-court title drought is over! Since 2016, he’s been chasing that trophy, and now he’s brought it home. Grass is definitely his domain. Bravo, Andy!