Murray schools Raonic to win 2nd Wimbledon title

This drought was a lot shorter than the last one.

After ending a 77-year championship hiatus for Brits at Wimbledon in 2013, Andy Murray needed just three years to win another, dominating first-time major finalist Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) on Sunday for his third Grand Slam title.

Murray entered the match with a 2-8 record in major finals, but he'd never before faced anyone not named Djokovic or Federer. A favorite to win for the first time, Murray played up to the billing, completely neutralizing Raonic's heavy artillery with incredible court coverage and patient, opportunistic counterpunching.

When it was over, Murray was wracked with joyful tears. Even unflappable coach Ivan Lendl looked thrilled. Murray had played 11 majors since his first Wimbledon triumph, a stretch that included back surgery, two coaching changes (from Lendl to Amelie Mauresmo and back to Lendl), a marriage, the birth of a child, and three Slam finals defeats. There have been ups and downs and some trying times, but for Sunday at least, Murray found himself back at the top of the mountain.

"I feel happier this time," he said. "Last time it was just pure relief and I didn't really enjoy the moment."

Fire vs. ... more fire

In a matchup that ostensibly pitted offense against defense, Murray equaled Raonic's winner count, hit just one fewer ace, and won 87 percent of his first-serve points to Raonic's 67 percent. He dragged Raonic well outside his comfort zone, and played the match on his own terms.

Most notably, Murray turned Raonic's aggressive approach tactics against him, hitting dipping shots that made the long-limbed Canadian dig volleys from his ankles nearly every time he came forward. That's when Raonic even managed to get a racket on the ball; just as often, Murray passed him outright. And yet, Raonic continued to approach (74 times in just three sets) because he had no hope of beating his fleet-footed opponent from behind the baseline.

Meanwhile, Murray read Raonic's gargantuan serve with something like cosmic prescience. He put just about everything back in play, and turned points around in a blink with perfectly spotted cross-court backhands on the stretch. One point in the second set summed up the entire match: Raonic hammered a 147-mph body serve that was the fastest of the tournament and the second-fastest in Wimbledon history. Murray, who was moving in as Raonic delivered, deftly sidestepped the ball to knock back a clean backhand, then caught up to Raonic's inside-out forehand in the ad corner and clocked a cross-court pass on the very next shot.

Raonic may have brought the bigger weapons to the table, but Murray brought a far larger and more diverse arsenal, and it showed.

The turning point (that wasn't)

Raonic really only had one opportunity to turn the tide.

It took two sets and four games for him to even earn a break point, but after finally landing a massive return winner on a Murray second serve, he suddenly had two. Murray responded with an unreturned first serve right into the corner of the box, then initiated a side-to-side exchange in which he stretched Raonic to the breaking point and forced a lunging backhand slice into net.

Murray won those two points, but Raonic lost the next one. He had a golden opportunity to put Murray away with a volley, but thanks to a combination of nerves and the threat of Murray's retrieving, he overthought it. Instead of knocking it into the open court, he tried to hit behind Murray, and promptly got passed down the line. Murray fired a service winner to hold, and Raonic never saw another opening.

The deserving champ

If we're being honest, though, Raonic converting his one break chance would've only delayed the inevitable.

Murray was nigh perfect Sunday, and he had an answer for every question Raonic posed. The whole match was basically a free lesson; the only thing Murray charged Raonic was his pride. This had nothing to do with bad breaks or missed opportunities. The best man won.

For the first time in a long time at a major final, that man was Andy Murray.