TENNIS in DEPTH.

Andy Murray complained bitterly about conditions caused by Wimbledon’s new £80 million roof last night as he fought back from his biggest scare of this Wimbledon to win the most thrilling match of a tournament transformed by blazing floodlights. Murray showed a less likeable side to his nature as the enormity of the occassion is obviosly catching up to him. His facial expressions, hand wringing and temper tantrums were reminiscent of Serena the drama queen, and unless he can begin to come to grips with the pressure I’m afraid that the #1 Swiss player will have no problem  gobbling him up in straight sets.

The new Centre Court roof was fully closed for the first time for competitive action to allow Murray to complete a dramatic 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win over Stanislas Wawrinka, of Switzerland, in 3hr 56min, with the rest of Wimbledon cloaked in darkness.

But he was not happy in the immediate aftermath of success. “We were sending for towels from the locker rooms because we were sweating so much,” Murray said. “My hands were drenched as though I had been in the bath. I struggled to serve because the ball wasn’t leaving the racket very quickly. After my first service game, I thought they had turned the lights up but the umpire said they hadn’t.”

This was Wimbledon for the 21st century, the Centre Court bathed in light with Murray playing under carefully controlled conditions late into the night, the epic contest engaging not just the 15,000 spectators in the extraordinary new stadium but an entire nation. Those who saw it will talk of this night for years to come.

Murray, though, criticised the authorities for not giving the players enough time to prepare to play under the roof for the first time and complained that the atmosphere was hot and humid and the court heavy.

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