Rising star Craig Murray did it again, in the final of the FTK Championships he put aside the second seed and favourite Christian Wennberg Svendsen in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5.
The bearded Australian, who was not even a top ten player less than a year ago, was utterly relieved with the upset.
– I just went out there to play my game, trying not to let him take too much control of the points. Obviously I'm exhilarated about the way things turned out, Murray told Fagerheimen.tk after his biggest win so far.
– You came right from an equally tight match against the top seed, why do you think you keep coming out on top of those close encounters?
– Look, two years ago I made this commitment to myself never to allow fear of losing interfere with any of my strokes whatsoever. That definitely became a turning point in my career, it made my mental game so much more powerful. Secondly I have got more matches under my belt, both club level-stuff and big tournaments like this. It has given me a lot of confidence.
The 2012 champion at Fagerheimen will now enjoy a scarce break from the world of tennis as his wife is giving birth to the couple's first child next month.
Bloggers around the globe have already started debating what kind of impact this will have on the game of the new champion and ... FTK number one.
– Craig [Murray] is a truly worthy winner, his dedication for our sport really stands out, runner up Christian Svendsen emphasises in a statement made on Twitter.
Fagerheimen.tk managed to get hold og Svendsen after a late night practice session in Oslo the day after the defeat.
– Of course I hate to lose, I really felt I had my chances out there. But, listen, I urge everybody in the C-crowd, and any other fan, for that matter, not to feel sorry for me. I'm awfully grateful to be granted a part in such an event, it's a privilege I still can't fully comprehend, Svendsen said.
– You were up 5–3 in the second set, what happened?
– Well, you know, the momentum shifts ... I was trailing 2–5 in the first set after he came out hitting winners from all over the place, then I managed to come back. In the second ... I don't know what happened, really, it just slipped ...
By now Svendsen peers down at his trade mark orange racket, obviously in great discomfort, his voice hardly audible.
– I guess he [Murray] stepped it up a gear as well... No, I have no excuses, I can only congratulate Craig Murray and all who has assisted him in reaching this far, Svendsen utters, evidently eager to get back on court and leave the pains of yesterday where they belong: in the past.
Fagerheimen.tk will be back with more comments and pictures from the trophy ceremony.