Home fans still get a reason to celebrate on Centre Court8230; for Marray

Jonathan Marray of Britain and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark won the Wimbledon mens doubles championship 4-6 6-4 7-6 5 6-7 5 6-3

John Martin

Jonathan Marray of Britain and Frederik Nielsen of Denmark won the Wimbledon mens doubles championship 4-6 6-4 7-6 5 6-7 5 6-3 over Horia Tecau of Romania and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden. Marray ended a 76-year drought for British tennis. A British player had not won the doubles title at the All England Club since 1936,the same year Fred Perry became the last British holder of the singles title.

In the process,Nielsen too created history of his own the only Danish man to reach a Wimbledon final previously was Nielsens grandfather,Kurt,who was the runner-up in singles in 1953 and 1955. Its just like winning another tennis match, Marray said. I suppose it will take time to sink in. He said he hoped the victory would spur Murray,his countryman,to win the singles title. If it gives him any kind of inspiration,Im sure it would be good.

Wild-card entrants with no previous experience of playing together at any of the four major international championships,both members of the winning team insisted they had not considered the historic nature of what they were accomplishing. In the final game,both teams scrambled and slapped ground strokes and volleys. On match point,Marray stepped to the line,served deep to Tecau,and Nielsen stepped in with a backhand volley that sent the ball bouncing high and wide for a winner.

The struggle resembled a Shakespearean drama,with the interplay of four nationalities,including a smiling Englishman and a scowling Dane who grew melancholy at times with a painful wrist and unforced errors.

In a five-shot exchange in the fifth set,Nielsen grinned when he blocked an overhead smash back over the net for a winner. Moments later,he and Marray broke Tecaus serve,only the third service break in a match that was nearly three hours old. After the final point,the Centre Court crowd of 15,000 rose to their feet,breaking into cheers and wild applause.

Williams sisters take doubles

Five hours after she won the singles title,Serena Williams and sister Venus scrambled,served and volleyed their way to a fifth doubles crown. Their 7-5 6-4 victory over Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic extended the sisters unbeaten streak in doubles finals at the four championships,dating to 1999,when they won the French and US Open titles.