Wimbledon 2021: Feisty Andy Murray fights back to beat Germany’s Oscar Otte in a five-set thriller

Andy Murray showed that at age 34, even after two hip operations, he can win a five-setter at Wimbledon.

Former World No 1 rallied to a 6-3 4-6 4-6 6-4 6-2 second-round win over little-known German qualifier Oscar Otte.

Murray had never lost a Grand Slam match to a player ranked as low as number 151 Otte and he had never been beaten before the third round at the All England Club.

When the match had to be briefly halted at 2-2 in the fourth set as gathering gloom meant the Centre Court roof had to be closed so that the contest could continue under floodlights, it seemed as if Murray was on the verge of losing both of those personal milestones on day three of the championships.

But that stoppage allowed 118th-ranked Murray, playing on a wildcard this year as he works his way back to full fitness following hip-resurfacing surgery in 2019, to gather his thoughts and change his tactics as he won 10 of the next 14 games to book a third-round meeting with Canadian 10th seed Denis Shapovalov.

Murray won the title in 2013, giving Britain its first male Wimbledon champion in 77 years, and again in 2016. But he has been plagued by injuries since, and is playing in the event for the first time in four years.

“I enjoyed the end, the middle part not so much. What an amazing atmosphere to play in. I needed everyone’s help tonight and they did a great job,” said Murray in the on court interview.

“I had to do something differently. I started going for my shots more, dictating more points. I was being a little bit negative and because of the lack of matches I didn’t make the right decisions.”I played the right way the last couple of sets. The first set and a half was good. It’s the bit in the middle I’d like to change,” he added.