Photos: Andy Murray, Marion Bartoli celebrate titles at Wimbledon ball

WIMBLEDON, England — Just a few hours after becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon in 77 years, Andy Murray threw on a tuxedo Sunday and joined women’s winner Marion Bartoli at the champions ball at the InterContinental Park Lane Hotel in London.

Bob and Mike Bryan (who won men’s doubles), Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-wei (women’s doubles) and Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic (mixed doubles) also earned invites to the party.

The men’s and women’s champions no longer have the first dance, but Murray was still looking forward to celebrating with Bartoli.

“She’s a very, very nice girl,” Murray said beforehand. “I’ve spent little bits of time with her over the last few years. She works extremely hard. A lot of people kind of questioned her sort of methods, the ways that she plays. I was really, really happy for her that she managed to win yesterday. I’m sure she’ll be good fun tonight. She’s a funny girl.”

Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic to win Wimbledon 2013

The Scot, 26, converted his fourth championship point in a dramatic final game to win 6-4 7-5 6-4 and claim his second major title.

In an atmosphere reminiscent of his Olympic final win last summer, Murray was willed on by the majority of the 15,000 spectators on Centre Court, thousands watching on the nearby big screen and millions more around the country. 

The final game was a battle in itself, with Murray seeing three match points slip by from 40-0 and fending off three Djokovic break points with some fearless hitting, before the Serb netted a backhand to end the contest.

After a gruelling three hours 10 minutes in searing temperatures, Murray had finally followed in the footsteps of Fred Perry's 1936 win at the All England Club.

Marion bartoli with 2013 wimbledon title

Marion Bartoli might be a kooky French fruit-loop, but there could be no disputing her calibre on a grass-court on Saturday as she swept aside an emotional Sabine Lisicki to clasp the Venus Rosewater Dish and realise, in an expression of utter bewilderment, that she was the Wimbledon champion.

Seizing her first grand slam title with this dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory, and barrelling through the entire tournament without dropping a set, this oddity from the Auvergne was the worthiest of winners.

One of the toughest, too. Bartoli disclosed last night that she had spent the second set in acute pain, with a growing blister under her big toe, and that she refused even to summon the trainer for fear of showing the struggling Lisicki any weakness. "I'm a very tough person," she said, with a deceptively delicate smile. "When I took my sock off it was red with blood. But I am this kind of person.

Wimbledon 2013: Marion Bartoli powers into final with straight sets victory

 The eccentric figure of Marion Bartoli will play in the women's final on Saturday after demolishing Kirsten Flipkens 6-1, 6-2.

Women's matches of three sets can sometimes fly by and this was one of them: all over in 62 minutes.
Bartoli is noted for her double-fisted forehand, slinging serve and shadow play in between points. She is playing these days without her father, who once gave up his career as a doctor to coach her – and suffered the indignation two Wimbledons  ago of being banished from the court because he was upsetting her. He would have been proud of yesterday’s performance.

Wimbledon: Big opportunity ahead for Lisicki, Bartoli

WIMBLEDON, England — Saturday's Wimbledon final between Marion Bartoli and Sabine Lisicki will feature plenty of fist pumps, forceful returns and big serves.

It could hinge on nerves.

"It's a career-changing opportunity for both," says two-time U.S. Open winner Tracy Austin, who is calling matches for BBC TV. "There are people in the Hall of Fame that have one Grand Slam. It validates your career."

Maria Sharapova leads attack on 'dangerous' Wimbledon courts

Maria Sharapova, the No3 seed, slipped three times on the same spot before losing to Michelle Larcher de Brito. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar

Maria Sharapova has led criticism of the condition of the Wimbledon courts, after she slipped three times and then fell out of the tournament altogether on a day when a record seven players were forced to pull out through injury. The Russian, who lost in straight sets to the Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito, was one of several stricken players who cast doubt on the courts after a spree of falls, retirements and withdrawals.

By mid-afternoon on the third day of the tournament, the polite chatter and manicured lawns of the All England Club had become more of a field hospital full of anguished cries as players dropped like nine pins. Seven athletes, from the feted conqueror of Rafael Nadal, Steve Darcis, to the fancied Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the women's second seed, Victoria Azarenka, were forced to withdraw and several others suffered injuries. Caroline Wozniacki, the ninth seed and former world No1, crashed out in straight sets to Petra Cetkovska after falling and twisting her ankle on Court Two.