Andy Murray has made a perfect start to his beloved grass-court season. A two-time Wimbledon champion conquered back-to-back Challenger crowns in Surbiton and Nottingham, returning into the top-40 and gathering a boost ahead of Queen’s and Wimbledon.
Murray’s fifth Challenger title and the third within a month and a half came in Nottingham, 19 years after competing there on grass for the first time! Andy met the 20-year-old Arthur Cazaux in the title clash and scored a 6-4, 6-4 victory in an hour and 45 minutes.
The young Frenchman entered his first professional tournament on grass in a career and played well to reach the final. He gave everything against the Briton, but it was not enough to lift the trophy. Both players served at 59%, and Andy played better behind the first and second serve.
The more experienced player dropped 13 points in ten service games, losing serve once and keeping the pressure on the other side.
Andy Murray claimed the Nottingham Challenger title.
Murray turned 41% of the return points into three breaks from four opportunities, enough to control the scoreboard and sail over the top.
Cazaux made a shaky start, squandering game points in the encounter’s first game and losing serve after Murray’s volley winner at the net on the second break point. The veteran held at love after an extended rally to confirm the break and held at 30 two games later after a 24-stroke exchange to move 3-1 ahead.
The young gun sprayed a forehand crosscourt error in the fifth game to drop serve for the second time and find himself 4-1 behind. Andy served for the set at 5-2 and played the match’s only loose service game. He netted a forehand and lost serve at love to keep the rival in contention.
Cazaux held after deuce in game nine to reduce the gap to 5-4 before Murray held at love in game ten with an ace to secure the opener in 57 minutes. Both players served well at the start of the second set, with the Frenchman following the Briton’s pace to level the score at 4-4.
Returning in game nine, Andy attacked and created a break chance. The young gun netted a backhand to lose serve and push the crowd favorite 5-4 in front. Murray reached three match points with a service winner and seized the first when Cazaux placed a forehand long to start a celebration of his second Challenger title within as many weeks.
