Andy Murray bests Milos Raonic to win second Wimbledon title

Andy Murray is a two-time Wimbledon champion.

The world No. 2 earned a 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) victory over sixth-seeded Milos Raonic in front of his home crowd Sunday.

Though Murray only stole one break in the match, he outplayed Raonic, his superior return game outweighing Raonic’s powerful serve and forehand.

If Murray was feeling the pressure of being the favorite for the first time in his three Wimbledon final appearances, he didn’t let it show. The 2013 Wimbledon champion stayed dedicated to his game plan, neutralizing Raonic’s serve and forcing him onto his backhand.

When Raonic hit the second-fastest serve in Wimbledon history, Murray not only absorbed it, he won the point with one of his many passing-shot winners on the afternoon.

It was that kind of day for the 25-year-old, who struggled with the nerves of being in his first major final. He hit just eight aces Sunday after smoking 137 through his first six matches and struggled to win on first serve.

Murray needed just one small opening to take the first set, converting on his third break-point opportunity at 3-3 to push ahead. Though he is most known for his return game, Murray was solid on serve, too, not letting Raonic see a break-point chance until midway through the third set.

The second set was full of strong holds, with Raonic saving four break points to send things to a tiebreak. In the breaker, though, Raonic began to falter under the pressure and a series of errors helped Murray to an easy 7-3 win.

The third set took a similar trajectory, as Raonic kept fighting to dodge an early exit. He finally earned a double break-point at 2-2, but he could not capitalize on his chances. Raonic held serve at 5-6 to stay in the match and again send it to a tiebreak. But, once again, Murray’s experience overtook Raonic’s nerves, as he jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised to his third major title.

Murray is the first British man to win multiple Wimbledon championships since Fred Perry won three from 1934 to 1936.