Thousands of tennis fans from all corners of the British Isles had flocked to the All England Club on Friday, in a bid to witness British sporting history. You only had to cast your eyes across the Royal Box that included tennis royalty, Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Ilie Nastase, Nicola Pietrangeli, Guillermo Vilas and celebrities from stage and screen to realise that Andy Murray’s semi-final clash against Andy Roddick was of international importance.  

Hundred of tennis fans had pitched their tents and queued in thunderous rain showers overnight in hope of gaining access to The Championships. When the Doherty Gates opened at 10:30 a.m. local time Henman Hill quickly became a sea of colour while Court 2, with its two big television screens, welcomed 4,000 fans with ground passes. For 15,000 fans, a seat on Centre Court was a golden ticket.

For British tennis fans and Murray, the match ended in disappointment. Sixth-seeded American Roddick hit 75 per cent of first serves into court to record a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(5) victory in three hours and seven minutes. The reward is a place in a fifth Grand Slam championship final (1-3 record) and a third Wimbledon final against second seed Roger Federer of Switzerland.

Roddick will attempt to capture a second Grand Slam championship title after his lone major success at the 2003 US Open – 23 majors ago. The longest gap in tennis history between American Grand Slam championship successes is the 31 majors that elapsed between Tony Trabert’s 1955 US Open win and Chuck McKinley’s victory at 1963 Wimbledon.

Murray joins Mike Sangster (1961), Roger Taylor (1967, 1970, 1973) and Tim Henman (1998-99, 2001-02) as a losing British men’s singles semi-finalist.  Henry “Bunny” Austin, the 1938 finalist, remains the last British man to reach The Championships final.

"I thought I played well," said Murray. "I mean, if you look at the stats, I hit more winners, less unforced errors, more aces. I'm sure the points that we won were very, very similar. It just came down to a few points here or there on his serve. He served really, really well. Sometimes there's not a whole lot you can do with that. But [I] definitely didn't play a bad match."

It was not a match for the faint-hearted as memories resurfaced of Henman’s annual assaults on The Championships title. In the centenary year of Perry’s birth, Roddick had not read the script at the start of the pair’s ninth meeting.

Roddick brought up set point with a delicate backhand drop shot winner that left Murray flat-footed behind the baseline. On the first break point of the match that was also Roddick’s first set point, a lengthy baseline rally ended when Murray hit a crosscourt forehand into the net. The 26 year old had stayed with Murray to win the first set 6-4 in 37 minutes, only attacking the net when he was assured of a winning stroke.

It only went to fire into life Murray and British tennis fans on Centre Court. The third seed returned from a comfort break to set up three break point opportunities in the opening game of the second set. Roddick, serving at 0/40, found himself on the receiving end of a thunderous service return. Murray rushed into the net in celebration.

Under bright skies the Centre Court surface appeared to be playing quicker than at any time during The Championships, but this did not affect Murray, who maintained the service break to clinch the 35-minute second set. He closed out the set with a good first serve on the first of two set-point opportunities. 

Murray almost broke the Roddick serve once again in the first game of the third set. Roddick hit a booming first serve down the middle to save the first of three break points. The American struck a smash winner at 15/40, while on the third break point Roddick came to the net on the back of a forehand. Murray ripped a forehand down the line, only to see Roddick lunge and hit a sliced backhand volley winner.

In a brutal fourth game, Roddick made his move as Murray fell to 15/40. On the first break point, Roddick attacked the net on a backhand approach to Murray’s backhand. Murray hits a well-timed lob off a Roddick backhand volley. At 30/40, Murray hit a strong serve and forehand to open up the court for a backhand winner down the line. Murray hit his second ace of the match on Roddick’s third break point opportunity, but Murray was unable to save his fourth break point when he hit a backhand long of the baseline.

Roddick, volleying better than at anytime in his five previous matches at The Championships, threatened to run away with third set when Murray received a code violation for an audible obscenity in the fifth game. The decision by chair umpire Pascal Maria clearly affected Murray, who lost his concentration to fall 1-4 behind.

Murray looked uncomfortable at 2-5 when Roddick hit three groundstroke winners. But the Scot held on and in the ninth game created three break point opportunities. Roddick, serving at 0/40, saved the first break point with a forehand volley winner but hit at backhand long of the baseline at 15/40. It gave Murray a new lease of life and at 5-5, Roddick looked shell-shocked. But the Texan did regain his composure to hold for a tie-break.

Both players cancelled out one another’s points against serve early in the tie-break, but it was Murray who served three straight aces to create a set point opportunity at 6-5. Roddick got lucky, hitting a mishit forehand volley to level the scoreline. A 16th ace helped the American to 7-6 and a first set point, which Murray saved with a big serve and forehand winner into the open court. At 7-7, Murray shanked a forehand long of the baseline and Roddick coolly clinched a two-sets-to-one lead as Murray hit a forehand crosscourt into the net.

For the first time, in the eighth game of the fourth set, Roddick’s volleying technique failed him as he gifted Murray a break point opportunity following a number of closely-fought service games. Roddick responded, remaining cool under pressure, with three consecutive groundstroke winners to level the scoreline at 4-4.

Roddick is a demon in tie-breaks. He had won 25 and lost four this year, prior to the inevitable fourth-set tie-break. Murray fell to 1-3 behind in the tie-break, after hitting a crosscourt backhand into the net – his 20th unforced error. Roddick maintained the two-point advantage and set-up two match point at 6-4 after Murray hit a backhand narrowly wide of the tramline. Murray saved one match point with a backhand crosscourt winner that left Roddick lunging for air. But on the second match point, Roddick sealed victory  to snap a three-match losing streak against Murray when the Scot hit a backhand into the net.