As Centre Court erupted when Andy Murray took the third set against John Isner last night, a ball boy was so swept up in the action he caught the ball before it bounced. The two-time champion attempted to battle back against the big-serving American in the second round of Wimbledon after losing the first two sets 4-6, 6-7(4).
The third set also went the distance and the Brit showed why he is a great champion and claimed it 7-3 to halve the deficit. The set ended when a giant first serve from Murray, which ricocheted off Isner 's racket into the sky, before the ball boy plucked it out of the air before it hit the ground again.
A jubilant Murray threw his arms into the air after keeping his hopes of winning the match alive, little did he know the ball boy could have lost him the point, or at least have caused it to be replayed, with the rules stating that the ball must hit the ground first. However, no action was taken and Murray, who had a healthy lead in the tiebreak was in a strong position to still claim it.
Technically, the wild return from Isner was still in until it bounced down and out, meaning that the towering American could have been awarded a let. A line judge also called it out, though, with Murray's set-clinching point standing. Unfortunately for Murray and his adoring fans, he succumbed to a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 defeat in three hours and 23 minutes.
Isner absolutely pummelled the 35-year-old with the best serve in the tournament and a series of clever little volleys around the net. An astounding 36 aces in this match just proved too much for the former British number one to handle.
The tough loss marked the first time Murray has lost to Isner as well as failing to reach the third round at SW19, for the first time, in 13 previous attempts. "I was coming into Wimbledon feeling like I could have a deep run," he said. If you play against top guys right at the beginning of the event, obviously it makes it more challenging."
He added: "I really want to try and improve my ranking to a level where I'm getting seeded in Slams. If not [by] the US Open, then going into the Australian Open next year." An abdominal injury sustained in the Stuttgart Open earlier in June disrupted his preparations for the grass-court Slam, and revealed he was "not able to serve for essentially 10 days".
When asked whether he would appear again at Wimbledon, Murray added it would depend on his physical condition. "[If] physically I feel good, then we'll try to keep playing," he said.
"It's extremely difficult with the problems I've had with my body in the last few years to make long-term predictions about how I'm going to be even in a few weeks' time, never mind in a year's time. It's not easy to keep my body in optimal condition to compete at the highest level."
