Andy Murray gets rankings boost ahead of Wimbledon with Surbiton title

Tennis365
Andy Murray Surbiton Trophy champion
Andy Murray Surbiton Trophy champion

Andy Murray stepped up his preparation for Wimbledon in style with a straight-sets victory against Jurij Rodionov in the men’s final of the Lexus Surbiton Trophy.

Murray continued his fine form at the tournament as he beat Austrian Rodionov 6-3, 6-2 with the victory keeping his hopes alive of earning a seeded position for Wimbledon next month, with the 36-year-old now eyeing a third title at his home Grand Slam.

He now sits at No 44 in the ATP Rankings and good runs at Nottingham and Queen’s Club could see him sneak into the top 32.

Having seen off Australia’s Jordan Thompson in Saturday’s semi-finals of the ATP Challenger Tour event, Murray showcased a powerful shot collection which dismantled Rodionov in just over an hour.

The pair were subjected to Surbiton’s soaring temperatures but maintained a high level of energy as they jostled for the lead in a competitive opening set on centre court.

Murray’s serve was a vital weapon on the day and he picked up crucial aces in the early stages to punish Rodionov, who trailed 5-3 as his opponent looked to take a one-set lead.

Murray rounded off the first set and showed signs of his best through his intricate shot selection which caused his opponent to scramble across the turf and pay an exhaustive price in sweltering conditions.

And the former world No 1, who was backed by a fervent Surbiton crowd, began to punish the Austrian with classy forehands which forced errors from his opponent as he took a firmer grip on the tie.

Murray led the second set 3-1 but Rodionov’s persistence came to the fore as Murray began to let out frustrated groans as the visitor looked for a way back into the final.

But the No 2 seed continued to bombard Rodionov with a series of quality serves just before a heavy downpour suspended play, which offered some much-needed respite to both players after temperatures reached 29 degrees.

Play resumed nearly three hours later and Murray quickly reasserted himself on the unseeded Rodionov, taking a fourth game which put him within touching distance of the trophy.

The rain failed to dampen the Surbiton crowd’s spirit and excitement began to grow as they witnessed Murray in top gear on grass just weeks away from Wimbledon.

Murray sent down more punishing serves which further highlighted the gulf between himself and Rodionov as the Scot claimed a well-deserved victory.

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