Andy Murray was crowned the Lexus Surbiton Trophy champion as he defeated Jurij Rodionov 6-3 6-2 in a match that was interrupted by a three-hour rain delay. With the win, the 36-year-old became the oldest man in Challenger history to win a grass-court title. And it will be a major boost to his Wimbledon hopes.
Murray was facing Rodionov for the second time – exactly 12 months after their last meeting. The Brit defeated the world No 134 6-2 6-1 in Surbiton last year but it came in the first round instead of the final.
After saving a break point in the first game, it was the second seed who drew first blood to take a 4-2 lead. And he raced through the opening set in 36 minutes for the loss of just three games.
The Brit’s first serve proved crucial as he landed 79 per cent of them and won 82 per cent of the points. And Murray looked on court for another straight-set victory against the Austrian as he broke to take a 3-1 lead in the second set.
He then set up triple break point on the Rodionov serve but the rain came at a crucial moment and play was suspended for around three hours, with both players only returning to the court after 6pm.
Murray hadn’t lost any momentum despite the lengthy break as he managed to win the first point when play resumed, taking a double-break lead. The second seed didn’t need much extra time on court as he wrapped up the match in straight sets minutes after it resumed.
It marks Murray’s second title on the ATP Challenger Tour in five weeks after he won on the clay in Aix-en-Provence last month. And the victory makes him the oldest man ever to win a grass title on the Challenger circuit.
