'I had no idea!' - Andy Murray gets Father's Day surprise after Scot wins second tournament in a week at Nottingham Open
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Updated 18/06/2023 at 18:36 GMT
It was a second tournament victory in the space of a week for Andy Murray, as he overcame the spirited young Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in Nottingham. The Scot has now won 10 matches on the spin after he prevailed in straight sets. He was then given a delightful surprise by his family to mark Father's Day in the UK during his post-match courtside interview.
Sublime Struff battles past Hurkacz to set-up final against Tiafoe in Stuttgart
Andy Murray secured a first Nottingham Open title with a straight-sets 6-4 6-4 victory over Arthur Cazaux before being surprised by his family for Father's Day as his perfect preparations for Wimbledon continued.
It was the 36-year-old's second title in the space of a week after defeating Austrian Jurij Rodionov at Surbiton, and despite the dominant scoreline, Murray was given plenty to think about by the precocious 20-year-old.
Murray's start to the grass-court swing has seen him deliver 10 consecutive victories, and things got even better for him with a heart-warming moment during his on-court interview, when the Scot saw his family watching in the stands.
He said: "It was a really good week. I played better as the week went on; it was quite a physical match with lots of long rallies. I’m glad to get through it. I'll get back home tonight, see my kids for Father's Day. Hopefully I'll get in before their bed time, get a rest day in tomorrow, get pumped for Queen's.”
Upon spotting partner Kim Sears and one of his children in the stands, he added: "Oh my god, I didn't know they were here! I had no idea they were coming."
"They came last week for the final at Surbiton, they turned up and it started raining, so then they had to go home for the kids' bedtime. They missed the end of the match, so it's great that they managed to come today. I don't know how many of them are here, but thanks guys."
Cazaux started brightly and looked impressive on his serve to go 40-15 up in the first game, but Murray was equally as good on the return and utilised a second break point to move 1-0 ahead at the end of an epic 12-minute opening game.
Murray was showing fine form on his serve too as he moved 2-0 ahead with a hold to 40, as the Scot’s experience was already starting to tell.
Cazaux won the next game on serve, before Murray held his own service game despite missing an overhead shot at the net and double-faulting for the first time.
The 20-year-old was playing some fine tennis, but a wide forehand gave Murray a double break and it already looked like a mountain to climb for the World No.181.
Murray held the next service game with relative comfort, with another unforced error from Cazaux allowing the former world No. 1 to go 5-1 ahead.
Cazaux showed resilience to win the next game on his serve to 30, with Murray left to serve for the set.
This proved to anything but a straightforward task for Murray, as the Frenchman earned triple break point after executing a fine forehand winner.
He won the game on the first of those as Murray hit the net, and showed impressive maturity to ride out another long rally to reduce the arrears to 5-4 after the Scot hit a forehand long.
What had looked like a routine first set for Murray was anything but, and he would serve again to draw first blood in the contest.
It was much more straightforward on this occasion though, as an ace wrapped up a comprehensive game to love.
An important hold to love followed for the Frenchman, and despite failing to break Murray in the next game, he moved 2-1 ahead with a lovely backhand drop shot.
Murray held again to 15, but then hit the net with a simple forehand return on Cazaux’s service game to trail 3-2 in the second set.
When Cazaux hit a forehand long, Murray would hold to 15 and level up the score at 3-3, but the next would go the 20-year-old’s way again with neither player yet to face a break point at 4-3.
Murray's first-service game was gradually improving and he recovered from 15-30 down to claim a crucial hold.
He finally managed to break Cazaux for the first time in the second set after the latter netted a backhand shot, with the Scot left to serve for the match.
The World No.44 did so, winning the tenth game to love.
With Murray winning the day after a men’s doubles victory for Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday, and a British winner guaranteed in the women’s singles final, Harriet Dart and Heather Watson had the chance to make it four home champions from four in the women’s doubles final.
However, the British wild card pairing lost 6-7(6) 7-5 10-8 to Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Ingrid Neel of Estonia after a hard-fought contest.
Eikeri and Neel looked set to clinch the opener when they served for the set at 5-4, but the Brits managed to earn a stay of execution with a break-back at a crucial moment.
Watson and Dart squandered a couple of set points at 6-5 before the set went to a tie-break, and they were made to pay as their opponents triumphed 8-6 to edge ahead.
The Brits fought back in the second as they earned two breaks to Eikeri and Neel’s one to send the match into a decider.
A tie-break was required to settle the match in the third, and Eikeri and Neel edged it 10-8 to win their first doubles title as a pair.
In the Stuttgart Open final in Germany, home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff and Francis Tiafoe battled on Sunday afternoon in a tight contest won 4-6 7-6(1) 7-6(8) by the 25-year-old American.
Struff took the first set by breaking Tiafoe, but Tiafoe took the next set to a tie-break, which he confidently dominated.
Struff however regained his composure and the third set then went to a decider that, in keeping with the rest of the match, was a tight affair, ultimately decided in Tiafoe's favour.
Later in the evening, at the Rosmalen Grass Court Championships final, the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor came from a set down to beat Australia's Jordan Thompson 6-7(4-7) 7-6(7-3) 6-3.
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