I gave it everything, Andy Murray says as title defence crumbles

Champion Andy Murray crashed out of Wimbledon yesterday but while the Scot was shattered by his quarter-final defeat he insisted: 'I gave it everything I had and I'm proud of that.'

Andy Murray crumples in pain during his defeat by Sam Querrey. Picture: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

After losing in five sets to America’s Sam Querrey the No 1 seed vowed to come back stronger – and hoped Johanna Konta would now go on and claim the women’s title for Britain.

The big-serving Querrey won 3-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-1, 6-1 and although Murray was in control early on, the hip injury which had hampered his preparations in defence of his title rendered him virtually immobile by the finish.

“The whole tournament I’ve been a little bit sore,” Murray admitted. “But I tried my best right to the end. You know, I gave everything I had and I’m proud about that. But it’s obviously disappointing to lose at Wimbledon. There was an opportunity there. So I’m sad that it’s over.”

The hip problem, part of a wider picture of injury, illness and poor form which had blighted Murray’s season, was much discussed before and all the way through the tournament. He was asked if he really thought he could play seven matches all the way to the final and retain his crown, as he’d stated at the start.

“I was pretty close today,” he stressed. “ It wasn’t like I was a million miles away from winning the match. Obviously the end was a bit of a struggle. But, you know, I almost found a way to get into the semis. I got through five matches. I was close-ish.”

Murray was pressed further on the injury and, now that his Wimbledon was over, asked if he would be more specific about the problem. “I’m not going to go into all the details of exactly what my hip issues are,” he said.

“I’ve been dealing with it for a very long time during my career. Obviously as you get older things are tougher to manage than when you’re younger – there’s a bit more wear and tear. I’ve managed to deal with it for a very long time. I’m sure moving forward I’ll be able to get through it. I just need to do all of the right things and be even more diligent and professional than I have been recently.”

Murray said he’d been desperate to play Wimbledon and that “short-term solutions” to the injury had to be found. “Obviously I managed to get through a bunch of matches and did okay [but] now I’ll sit down with my team and look at the next step, a bit longer-term. The US Open is six, seven weeks away so tomorrow [we’ll] come up with a plan for what I have to do next.”

Murray congratulated Querrey on his victory. “He served great and at the end of the match when he loosened up and was going for his shots he was aceing me pretty much every time. There was nothing much I could do.”

Did Murray feel like calling for the trainer at that stage? “No, there was nothing much you could do.” Would he now be seeking fresh medical advice about the injury? “I will get the best advice possible. That’s what I have to do right now. This year has obviously been frustrating but I’ll want to come back and try and compete for majors. I feel like I’ve done all of the right stuff, but I’ll try to do more, try to get myself in better shape. Hopefully I’ll come through the other side a better player, a better athlete.”

Murray was asked if the loss was harder to take given it means Britain can’t now win both singles titles. No, he said, it stood as painful on its own, but he wished Johanna Konta success in today’s semi-final. “And I hope she goes on to win the tournament,” he added. “She’s certainly got a fantastic chance. There’s no reason why she can’t do it and hopefully she will.”

Meanwhile, one defeated champion was looking forward to catching up with his family. After all the stresses and strains, was there some kind of relief in his Wimbledon being over? “No,” he said firmly, “there’s no relief.”