Andy Murray completed a dream comeback by winning the doubles at Queen's alongside Feliciano Lopez with victory over fellow Brit Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram 7-6 (8-6) 5-7 10-5.
The victory caps a remarkable turnaround coming just five months after the Scot had career-saving hip surgery, with doubts over whether he would ever return to a tennis court again.
Murray glided around the Queen’s Club court with his trademark ferocious intensity, doing so alongside a partner in Lopez who simply would not tire after the 37-year-old Spaniard earlier beat Gilles Simon 6-2 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-2) to win the single’s title.
“It’s been brilliant, I’ve really enjoyed it,” Murray said after winning.
“I felt very relaxed at the beginning of the week and then as it went on I was getting more and more nervous and I think my competitive instincts were kicking in with each match.
“My hip felt great – no pain – and obviously I’ll try to keep progressing from here, but I’m just happy being back on the court.
“He [Lopez] was brilliant, there’s nothing else to say. He had a brilliant win in the singles and even at the end of the match he came up with some brilliant serves, brilliant returns. He did so good, I’m very happy for him.”
The match went on serve for the first six games with Murray looking sharp in his movement, a day after he said there was “no pain at all” in his hip following his semi-final win with Lopez.
Salisbury and Ram must not have read the fairytale script, however, as they secured the first break of the match in the very next game with a couple of powerful forehand winners from Salisbury proving too good before they held their own serve to take a 5-3 lead.
After holding their own service game, Murray and Lopez then broke back as a very stiff looking Lopez hit several beautiful winners with the first set bound for a tie-break.
The tie-break ebbed and flowed with Salisbury and Ram gaining but failing to take a set point and, when Murray and Lopez were met with their first set point they made no mistake, sealing the first set as Ram hit the ball long.
In the second set, Murray and Lopez failed to take a chance in the third game to break the Salisbury and Ram serve as 11 straight holds of serve took place, both pairs saving further break point attempts on their own serve.
The 12th game proved pivotal as a brilliant Ram backhand set up three set points which the American and his partner Salisbury claimed at the second time of asking to take the match into a champions tie-break.
In the deciding tie-break, Murray and Lopez proved too hot to handle and the win, sealed when Salisbury skewed a forehand wide, was met with jubilation by the entire crowd in attendance. Sportsbeat 2019