This time, the heroic comeback would be cut short. Andy Murray contorted through all the roars and grimaces, the angry monologues and chest-beating he’s made so torturously iconic, but there would be no glory to make good of the pain. The 35-year-old’s spirit was as indomitable as ever, rallying from two sets down against John Isner as the light faded and the roof closed over Centre Court, but the American harnessed the hostile atmosphere and weathered a momentous fightback to close out a 6-4 7-6 6-7 6-4 victory that lasted almost three and a half hours.
This was a different and perhaps a more depressing kind of defeat than what Murray endured last year. Then, it was the fearless youth and aggression of Denis Shapovalov that put into sharp relief the years and strength lost to injury. But Isner is an old foe, one who Murray had found a way to subdue and defeat in all of their eight previous meetings, a record stretching back as far as 2010. It felt almost assured that Murray’s variety, invention and iron will would eventually outlast a player who can throw a ball up to the gods and return Thor’s Hammer like no other.
