Andy Murray wins Queen’s final

Andy Murray became the first British man for 71 years to win at the Queen's club as he overpowered American James Blake in the final to achieve his first ever grass courts final victory.

In beating Blake 7-5, 6-4 Murray ended the tournament not having dropped a set and scarcely having taken more than an hour or so to record each victory, although nerves ensured that this was tighter than the previous five rounds had been.

Murray now awaits the draw at Wimbledon to see where he is seeded in relation to Roger Federer, who with Rafael Nadal likely to be sidelined or hampered with injury, looks to be the largest barrier between Murray becoming the first British man in 73 years to win at the singles there.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Steve Bierley, the Guardian: "Should Murray and Federer emerge on opposite sides of the Wimbledon draw when it is made on Friday, it would present a chance for both to meet in the final, as they did at Flushing Meadow last autumn. It would be difficult to predict, though, who would be more nervous, for the Swiss would be attempting to break Pete Sampras's record of 14 grand slam titles and Murray would be striving to end 73 years of British hope and heartache, a period that includes, most recently, Henman's four attempts to get beyond the semi-finals."

Neil Harman, the Times: "The photographers were bemused that Andy Murray could not be persuaded to raise much of a smile or pitch the London Grass Court Cup above head height for as long as they were demanding. Their reaction was music to the ears. This is a nice one to win - Murray is the first Briton to triumph in the event for 71 years, he earned a decent cheque, it was on grass and only a week before Wimbledon - but that is all it amounts to."

Mark Hodgkinson, Daily Telegraph: "The sight of Murray celebrating a title has become a familiar one on the world tour, as this was the 12lfth time that he has won a title, taking him past Tim Henman's 11 career trophies. And yet there was little doubt that there was something special about this success, achieved with a straight-sets defeat of America's James Blake, as it provided the real tennis gold of a male British player standing on a grass court in London holding up a trophy. By winning the Aegon Championships, Murray gathered his first title on grass, his first in Britain, and it was the first time for 71 years that someone from this country had lifted the Queen's trophy. No longer do you have to step back into sepia for the last British king of Queen's, for the last time any home player made an impact in west Kensington." ·