Andy Murray v Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - as it happened

Hello. So Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are back for the final they would have played yesterday had it not decided to chuck it down . Not that I witnessed said chucking down in London because I was battling near-apocalyptic conditions at a wedding on top of a wet and wind-battered hill in Sunderland. I think it's fair to say I'm not exactly full of the joys of the British summer on this Monday morning. But anyway, I digress. The good news is that the weather is set fairer for today, and if the skies in Barons Court are anything like they are over the Guardian office in King's Cross, we should be on course for a 12.30pm BST start. Though if Tsonga's general outlook is anything to go by, this final could still end up being a bit of a damp squib. "He's better than me," conceded the Frenchman after Murray's semi-final demolition of Andy Roddick. A cunning game of reverse psychology? Let's find out. Omen time . This is the third time there's been a Monday final at Queen's, after John McEnroe beat Victor Pecci in 1979 and Boris Becker defeated Jimmy Connors in 1987. But neither went on to triumph at Wimbledon. McEnroe was knocked out in the fourth round by Tim Gullikson, while Becker was beaten in the second round by Peter Doohan. Take from that what you will. Some hardy people have apparently been queuing since 2am to get in for this, with tickets available for a tenner to gatecrash one of the poshest clubs in town, and one of those braving the line is Paul Foley. "Are there tickets still available?" he asks. "I promise I'll still read you on my mobile if I get in." Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Paul, they've just said on TV that all 7,000 tickets have now sold out. And the players are out. This has got a slightly surreal Wimbledon middle Sunday feel about it, with Tsonga coming out to a blast of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life and Murray arriving to a bit of Cee Lo Green. Most un-Queen's like. Tok, tok, tok, they're warming up. Murray has once again opted for his trusted blue and white ensemble, with Tsonga going for white and black with a flash of green. Tsonga will serve first. These two players have met five times before, by the way, with Murray leading their head-to-head 4-1, including in the Wimbledon quarter-finals last year. *Murray 0-1 Tsonga (* denotes next server) Tsonga holds to 30 courtesy of two aces, a Murray error and a booming forehand winner. And here's Gary Naylor. "Never mind all those omens about Monday finals, wasn't Fred Perry a table tennis champion as well as the last British man to etc etc etc? So all we need to know is ... did Murray win the ping pong match? If so, Danny Dyer's great grandson might be wearing "Andy Murray" branded casual tops in trashy, but strangely compelling, 22nd century British movies." He didn't Gary - apparently the showdown ended in a 2-1 defeat. Though details of any choking/missed set points and whatnot aren't too forthcoming. Murray 1-1 Tsonga* It's then Murray's turn to hold to 30, finishing things off with a fierce backhand. And there's even a bit of sun creeping through the clouds, believe it or not. Surely it won't last? *Murray 1-2 Tsonga Apart from his athleticism, Tsonga's game is about his power, a weapon which helps him get to 30-15. But a couple of unforced errors and suddenly Murray has a chance to break at 30-40. Tsonga charges into the net and gets a big slice of luck as his backhand volley clips the net and trickles over, giving Murray no chance. Deuce. And then Tsonga takes the next two points. Murray 2-2 Tsonga* Murray sprints to 40-15 with some strong serving, gets pegged back to 40-30 when he misses a volley, but then wraps up the game by putting away a short ball. This already is a far more even contest than Murray's semi-final masterclass against Andy Roddick. Tsonga is reading Murray's game well, attacking his opponent and refusing to be intimidated. *Murray 2-3 Tsonga More aggressive serving from Tsonga, a poor volley the only blot in an otherwise perfect game. Meanwhile Ben Smith mulls over Mr Murray and Mr Tsonga's oufits. "Do they text/call each other beforehand to check there won't/will be a clash of colours? Is it negotiated?" I wish they did sometimes, especially as pretty much every player during this tournament has opted for blue and white. Not easy from a commentating or spectating point of view. Tsonga has done us all a favour today. Murray 2-4 Tsonga* Though he's not doing Murray any favours on court. He races to 0-40 on Murray's serve, getting to three break points with a backhand cross-court missile. Tsonga then thinks he's hit a winner, it's called out, but he goes to Hawk-Eye and the ball is good. And there's the break. *Murray 2-5 Tsonga Tsonga's a bit of a showman, he is. Buoyed by the break, he dives for a volley, almost Boris Becker-like, to get to 30-0. Tsonga should take the game but allows Murray a glimmer at deuce when he fails with a drop shot. Tsonga then turns into Pete Sampras, as he slam dunks a smash, and then repeats the trick on advantage, to consolidate the break. Murray will serve with new balls to stay in the set. Murray 3-5 Tsonga* Murray makes the most of the new balls, rifling down an ace to take the first point, and finishing off with an ace to seal the game. Murray holds to 30, forcing Tsonga to serve for a set to love lead. Tsonga wins the first set 6-3 Tsonga frames an overhead but manages to get away with it, 15-0. A wild volley and it's 15-all. An excellent backhand from Murray and Tsonga can only net, 15-30. A forehand pass on the run - Murray's best shot of the match so far - and it's 15-40. Two break points. Suddenly the crowd sound rather lively. But Murray can't take either, as Tsonga powers a forehand winner and an unreturnable serve. Another vicious serve from Tsonga and a Murray forehand into the net, and from two break points down, Tsonga takes the set. Murray 3-6 1-0 Tsonga* It's not that Murray is playing particularly badly here, but he's been forced on to the back foot by an opponent who's been extremely aggressive and has taken away any time the world No4 has on his shots. Despite that, Murray holds to 15 at the start of the second set. *Murray 3-6 1-1 Tsonga Tsonga rattles through the game to love, with more aggressive serving and clever net play. "Is there a ball on that table tennis table at all or is it the biggest head wrecking spot the ball comp of all time?" asks Anthony O'Connell. "Also note how serious Andy is about the game with his left ankle heavily strapped." It must be the flash of white just at the top of Murray's bat Anthony - do I get a prize for that? Murray 3-6 2-1 Tsonga* Murray holds to 15, though I was still too busy trying to spot the table tennis ball rather than the tennis ball, so I can't tell you too much about it. But a request from one of the attendees of the aforementioned wedding I went to this weekend (see the preamble): "Could you say congratulations to Phil and Anna for battling the near-apocalyptic conditions and tying the knot despite the wind and rain. After a disappointing first set let's hope that Murray shows the same fortitude and persistence as they did!" *Murray 3-6 2-2 Tsonga Tsonga gets to 40-30, before a lengthy game of cat and mouse sees the Frenchman take the game. Meanwhile Andrew Castle reminds the BBC viewers that this is Murray's first final since the Australian Open in January. We all know what happened then. Murray 3-6 3-2 Tsonga* Murray edges through to 30, cue a yelp of "COME ON" and a sprint back to his chair. And this from a perceptive Ed Brown: "I couldn't help but notice that in the first set (game six) the word "us" was changed to the word "Murray" – was this done in order that the Guardian maintains order as a bastion of impartiality? I prefer to be more partisan and just come straight out with it, I want the British player to win, maybe tennis is just less partisan than, say, a team sport like cricket. Apologies for making such a boring point and the pompous tone of this email." No worries Ed - you're right, I thought I better cater to the non-British audience as well. Though as Murray is losing I may well revert to "the Scot" from now on, as is customary. *Murray 3-6 3-3 Tsonga Tsonga isn't showing any signs of blinking at the moment, as he holds to love. And never mind spot the ball, Lynn Milligan is having trouble spotting Tsonga's bat. "He doesn't even have a table tennis bat in his hand!" she exclaims. After a bit of Photoshop zooming in I can confirm he does, it's just in line with his hand. Which kind of makes him look like he's got a giant paddle hand or something. Murray 3-6 4-3 Tsonga* It's Murray's turn for a comfortable hold, rattling down an ace to finish the game. "Is this a best of five, or best of three?" asks Grahame Ash. It's best of three Grahame, so Murray could really do with making some inroads on Tsonga's serve fairly sharp-ish. *Murray 3-6 4-4 Tsonga That he does as he gets to 15-30, but then Tsonga whacks down a 139mph serve - apparently Murray would have had 0.5 of a second to react to that, so the BBC commentators say. From 30-all, Murray carves out a break point . He can't take it. A whipped forehand pass brings up a second break point . Again it goes begging. One advantage Tsonga later, and Murray gets a third break point . Again it's saved. And another break point . And you know what happens next. And then Tsonga holds after an 11-minute game. Murray didn't play the break points badly there - Tsonga didn't really give him a look in on any of them. Tremendous play under pressure. Murray 3-6 5-4 Tsonga* Murray recovers from the frustration of the previous game to hold to 15, as Gary Naylor ponders where it all went wrong for him (for Gary I should stress, not Murray): "I reckon I would do well as a tennis pro, as I hardly ever make an unforced error. All mine are due to being fat, uncoordinated and short of the dedication needed to practise a difficult game properly when young." So not too much to work on then. *Murray 3-6 5-5 Tsonga What a hold from Tsonga at the business end of the set, to love. "Tsonga looks like a cardboard cutout in that picture, too static, rigid and smiley," analyses Martin McCabe. "But he still managed to beat Murray at ping pong. No wonder he is doing so well today." And this from Neil Rigby: "The grinning Tsonga enjoying himself in the background is a stark counterpoint to the serious, my-world-is-this-court Murray. It seems to be playing out today. Life imitating AP libraries?" Murray 3-6 6-5 Tsonga* Two tired looking forehands from Murray and suddenly Tsonga has two break points at 15-40. Murray saves the first as he draws Tsonga in with a drop shot, and the Frenchman can only net. And Tsonga nets on the second too - after it looked for a brief moment like the ball might just trickle over. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Deuce. Advantage Murray. Game. Murray drags himself back from the brink. Murray 3-6 6-6 Tsonga Murray just misses out in the opening exchange, which leads to what is surprisingly the BBC's first apology of the day for Murray's "colourful language". A few diving volleys (one after an acrobatic through-the-legs return from Murray), fist pumps and bludgeoning ground strokes later from Tsonga and we're into a second-set tie-break, one which Murray must win to stay in this final. Murray 3-6 6-6 (4-2) Tsonga Murray opens up with an ace, 1-0. Tsonga returns the favour, 1-1. A Tsonga backhand into the tramlines, 2-1. An attempted Murray pass goes long, 2-2. Murray puts away a volley, 3-2. Tsonga snatches at a volley, 4-2. The players change ends ... Murray wins the second set 7-6 ... an unforced error from Tsonga, 5-2. Another mistake, 6-2. Four set points. And Murray takes it on the first as Tsonga goes wide with the return, as the Frenchman's high-risk strategy fails to come off for the first time in this match. Murray pumps his fists and charges to his chair. Which will hopefully give me enough time to eat my sandwich and you enough time to ponder this from a confused American in London: "I live next door to Queen's," says Julien Cornebise. "One man in a suit with an official Queen's badge tried to stop me from taking pictures/video of the line on the sidewalk in the street, saying I wasn't allowed to, and threatening to call the security staff. I sent him off saying that the street is public place - but I wonder why he actually tried to intimidate me into stopping: do UK law forbid taking pictures in the street?" I would hazard a guess that said official was just being stuffy in a way, well, only Queen's officials can be. But I may be wrong. *Murray 3-6 7-6 0-1 Tsonga A sniff of danger for Tsonga at 0-30, but he plays three excellent points to get to 40-30. The Frenchman then undoes all his good work by blazing wide, but claims the next two points – the second after some amazing play at the net - to hold. Cue Guy Hornsby. "Tsonga's diving volleys are Beckeresque. I sneaked down to our cafe at work to watch the last couple of games, and was lucky enough to witness him fully horizontal. For a big guy that's been beset with injuries throughout his career they were seriously impressive. Murray's not playing badly, but Tsonga was in the zone. Which is odd, given how he gave away the tie-break. Maybe Murray's going to come back into it now? Nothing like a win here to raise the already ridiculous expectation placed on his shoulders, eh?" I still fear this final set could come down to Tsonga more than Murray - if he rattles off winners the way he did for the best part of the first two sets, Murray is going to find it very, very tough. But Tsonga could just as easily misaim and throw in some errors, as he did in the breaker. Murray 3-6 7-6 1-1 Tsonga* Murray also gets into a bit of trouble on his serve, but from 30-all he fires down his eighth and ninth aces of the day. And this from Alan: "Our American friend should be told that if it was a policeman, and one may turn up quickly, if the Queen's jobsworth calls one, they will find some excuse to not only stop but also confiscate the camera and/or delete the pictures. If he tries to argue or resist he will be arrested as well." So now you know. *Murray 3-6 7-6 1-2 Tsonga These service games are getting tight. From 30-all, Tsonga dumps a sloppy shot into the net and it's break point to Murray. His eighth of the match, and he's yet to take any of them. And he doesn't take this one either. Though he does manage a wry smile. And here comes break point number nine. And Tsonga smacks away the danger. This time there's a bit of muttering from Murray - and Tsonga goes on to hold. Again, Murray didn't play those points badly - Tsonga served excellently and upped the intensity when he needed to. Murray 3-6 7-6 2-2 Tsonga* Murray holds to 15. And Paul Foley emails to confirm he wasn't one of the lucky 7,000 to get a ticket. "But at least I turned up for the start. Unlike Andy Murray. Still, he arrived eventually ..." *Murray 3-6 7-6 3-2 Tsonga From 30-15, a Murray passing winner and a Tsonga unforced error bring up break point number 10. And this time he does break, with a vicious forehand cross-court strike which his opponent can only hit wide. At which point the BBC jump the gun by putting up a graphic of Queen's champions who have gone on to win Wimbledon. Steady on. Murray 3-6 7-6 4-2 Tsonga* Murray consolidates the break by holding to 15. "Like a knife through butter," declares Andrew Castle. Which reminds me I never did get a chance to eat that sandwich, so here's hoping Murray can serve this one out now and I can go and get some lunch. *Murray 3-6 7-6 4-3 Tsonga Tsonga looks a bit wobbly at 15-30, but then reels off the next three points. And here's Mike Williams: "Regarding the photo incident outside Queen's involving our American friend Julien Cornebise - clearly the official (presumably Colonel Rodney Knatchbull Kneecap - retired) was in his rights. The strategic importance of this tournament cannot be underestimated and any kind of photographic intelligence that might reveal the number of strawberries being brought into the stadium cannot be tolerated." Murray 3-6 7-6 5-3 Tsonga* Murray fires down some strong first serves to take the game to love, finishing off with a ridiculous half-volley which he flicks between his legs at an acute angle. He's showing off now. "I live in the US," reveals Jon Willatt. "And let's be clear about this. The jobsworth at Queen's was out of order. An English policeman would not have been interested. A gun-toting pumped-up cop in the US (and there are a lot of them) would have had your hands up against the wall and your camera smashed within a jiffy." *Murray 3-6 7-6 5-4 Tsonga It's Tsonga's turn to rattle through his service game, forcing Murray to serve for the title. Meanwhile the BBC are still showing replays of that shot in the previous game. Well worth watching on YouTube later when it no doubt springs up. Murray wins 3-6 7-6 6-4 Tsonga attempts another diving volley at 15-0, but this time he shanks it long. Murray fires down an ace to bring up three championship points at 40-0 . And just the one will do as he puts away a straightforward smash. Murray lifts his arms in the air to celebrate his second title at Queen's and his first of the year, before scampering up to the net to congratulate his opponent. A tremendous response from Murray in the second-set tie-break and the third set, surviving the Tsonga onslaught, before unleashing one of his own. And don't forget it was Tsonga who managed to beat Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. Presentation time. First Tsonga, described as the "gallant" runner-up by the very posh man on the microphone, trudges up. "Thanks for your support this week," the Frenchman says. "Andy was just too good. I will try to beat him next time." Then Murray, described as "magnificent" by the very posh man on the microphone, somehow manages to hoist aloft what has to be the most ridiculously oversized trophy in men's tennis. "He was playing a different sport to me in the first few sets," Murray tells Sue Barker. "I've never seen anyone dive so much. He's so fun to watch. For those who skipped work to come today, I hope your bosses didn't catch you on the TV. Thanks for your support." So that's it from me. Last time Murray won the Queen's title in 2009 he went on to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon. Can he go one or even two better this time? I'd still put him behind Nadal, Federer and Djokovic, but there's no doubt today's win will crank up the expectation just that little bit more. Thanks for all your emails, sorry I couldn't use them all. Bye.