By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, September 15, 2024
Emotions have empowered Andy Murray to historic heights on court.
On the day of his grandmother's funeral, Murray delivered a moving Davis Cup victory—and tearful tribute to his beloved grandmother.
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A gallant Murray battled by Swiss Davis Cup debutant Leandro Riedi 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4 in a three hour, 10-minute marathon match at the Manchester Arena today.
Showing true champion's heart, Murray shook off a physical first-set loss and rallied for a three-set triumph.
Murray's gritty win staked Great Britain to a 1-0 lead over Switzerland in the best-of-three-match Davis Cup tie.
Afterward, the two-time Olympic gold-medal champion paid poignant tribute to his grandmother.
"Today is a tough day for me, it's actually my...sorry... it's my gran's funeral today," Murray said in his on-court interview. "I'm sorry to my family that I'm not able to be there.
"But gran, this one's for you."
An emotionally-drained Murray walked back to the court-side bench, buried his head in his towel and sobbed after that dedication.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka followed defeating Britain's Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-4 to level the tie, 1-1, heading into the decisive doubles match.
Dan Evans and Neal Skupski defeated Stan Wawrinka and Dominic Stricker 6-3, 6-3 to clinch Great Brtain's 2-1 win over Switzerland.
Photo credit: Nathan Stirk/Getty