Grigor Dimitrov wins Aegon Championships
Grigor Dimitrov beat Feliciano Lopez 6-7(8), 7-6(1), 7-6(6) to win the Aegon Championships singles title.
The Bulgarian saved match point when serving to stay in the second set and recovered from a break down in the third to win his fourth career title.
Dimitrov, who played his first Aegon Championships in 2009 thanks to a wild card from the then tournament director Chris Kermode, showed his tenacity as he fought to create a break back point at 4-3 in the third set. A double fault from Lopez put the match back on serve and, inevitably, it needed a tiebreak in the third to separate the two.
The tiebreak remained on serve until 5-5, when Lopez netted a backhand slice approach. But at 6-5, with match point, Dimitrov framed a forehand to allow Lopez a reprieve. But the determined Bulgarian converted his second championship point to become the only player this year to have won titles on three different surfaces.
"Down match point in the second set was – I mean, that wasn’t the coolest thing, but, you know I just fought hard. I think today was – I just left everything on court," Dimitrov said after the match.
"This tournament in particular has been that tournament I always wanted to win. I remember myself playing as a teenager here, and ever since I have dreamt about that moment.
"You know, you can feel it in the spirit of the trophy itself. When you lift it, it means something."
He showed his gratitude to his girlfriend, Maria Sharapova, who was supporting him from the stands, in his victory speech: "Maria, thank you for coming to watch."
Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares win Aegon Championships doubles final
Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares have beaten Jamie Murray and John Peers 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-4 to win the Aegon Championships doubles final.
Peya and Soares turned the match around after an impressive first set from Murray and Peers.
At the start of the second set Murray and Peers maintained their momentum from the first, not dropping a point on serve until the eighth game. But Peya and Soares started to up their level half way through the second set to earn a tiebreak.
Some impressive returning from the second seeded pair in the tiebreak saw them level the match.
Peya and Soares carried their momentum from the second set into the match tiebreak, capitalising on the lack of first serves from the Briton and Australian with some more fierce returning.
An early minibreak at 1-3 put Murray and Peers on the back foot from the outset and from there Peya and Soares marched to a 10-4 match tiebreak win to secure the Aegon Championships doubles title.
"It was a very tough match, very close," said Soares after the match. "Murray and Peers were serving pretty great. They didn't give us many chances on their serve.
"At the end we played some great points in both breakers."
Despite missing out on the title, Murray and Peers were pleased with a week, in which they beat the world number ones and 98-time doubles title winners Bob and Mike Bryan and the French Open champions Julien Bennetteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Murray said: "We played a good match. We didn't lose serve. We did a lot of good things. We just obviously didn't get it done at the end."
Rally For Bally
After the singles final, a host of stars took to the court to Rally For Bally. Andy Murray, Ross Hutchins, Martina Hingis, Victoria Azarenka, Jamie Murray and Heather Watson teamed up for a special exhibition match.
The Rally for Bally is a national fundraising effort in memory of former British No.1 Elena Baltacha, known as Bally, who died of liver cancer on 4th May. All funds raised will be split equally between the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the Elena Baltacha Foundation, the charity attached to the Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis which Bally set up to help children from all backgrounds play tennis.
Highlights of the Rally for Bally match will be available soon.
To donate to Rally for Bally visit www.justgiving.com/rallyforbally