The Petite Francaise & The Long-Awaited Brit

It's been a while since our senses were tingled the way they were over the weekend during the last two showdowns at the All-England Club. Our eyes certainly beheld sights they hadn't anticipated, by the crowning victories of two underdogs who proved themselves worthy of coronation at the final ceremony; and I can't speak on anyone else's behalf but my ears sure were surprised by the "pop!" that shot off the rackets of the female finalists in their epic confrontation on Saturday.

Marion Bartoli's very first serve in court died like a lead cannon underneath the frame of Sabine Lisicki's racket. That first game was taut with tension already, and Lisicki emerged from it with an early break. However, Bartoli did not leave her ruthlessness at home and immediately broke back, then broke again in Lisicki's next service game to go up 3-1.

Trailing 1-5, Lisicki seemed to have met her match in power and playing style in the petite Frenchwoman and was lambasting herself (rightly so) for her amassed unforced errors. Yet another netted forehand handed Marion the game and the set 6-1; she pumped her fist in determined passion and Sabine couldn't look more despondent.

She tried in earnest to clamp down on errors in the second set, did Lisicki, but Marion only exploited her resulting tenacity to go up a break and 2-1. It's been only about half an hour since the start of the match and Sabine really hasn't begun to threaten Bartoli's serve, whereas her own is under increased pressure with every service game.

The fifth game seemed to be going the way of the German, but Marion would not let up and soon forced - and captured - a break of serve. With the match slipping away, Sabine must have felt the nerves of inexperience creeping through her system, while her seasoned opponent was really finding her rhythm on the court.

Poor decisions came in torrents thenceforth, including a "drop-volley" that landed so snugly in the doubles alley, you'd think that's where she wanted it to go. Follow the ensuing break of serve with a love hold by Marion and we've got another 5-1 predicament for the young Sabine. Thankfully, she would hold. No embarrassing scoreline for the woman who beat Serena Williams -- Serena Williams!! -- to get here. And then she would break the Frenchwoman's serve - brava! - for a more manageable 4-5 trail. And to think she was in tears just three games before.

Now, the pressure rested on Bartoli's ability to draw on her years of wisdom, including her quarterfinal-or-better performance at every single Grand Slam, in order to see her through one ultimate service game.

It began with a sixteen-shot rally in which Sabine had the upper hand but choked on the gas to give Marion a short ball that was punished by a brilliantly angled cross-court backhand return.

The second point was a swinging serve near the far corner of the service box; Lisicki mis-stepped and threw the return out wide.

The next serve went down the tee and a one-two punch ground-stroke wrong-footed the German again. Wow, was she making it that easy for Bartoli? 40-0.

Out wide went the serve, up high flew the dust, and on her knees went Marion Bartoli, overcome with emotion at her first major title win.

The winning moment for Marion Bartoli

The wily Novak Djokovic commenced his Wimbledon 2013 final bid with a service hold. British would-be savior Andy Murray responded with a hold of his own. Sunday's proceedings were about to get messy and we all knew it.

Despite being both big and clean hitters of the ball, Murray would find an early break for 2-1. The sound of the ball popping off their rackets was the loudest sound in the stadium. Following suit, Djokovic broke back in the very next game to equalize at 2-2, then hold for a 3-2 lead on serve.

Game six would see Andy looking much more comfortable, serving big and handling the overhead well to grasp a love hold for 3-3. Already Novak is pulling tricks out of the bag to play in the mind of the World No. 2.

Case in point: down 0-15 in the next service game, Djokovic tested Murray's defense with a smash, a lob and a volley, all in the same point, only to find that Andy was more than capable of returning each put-away with interest. Nole would eventually miss the forehand down the line to give Murray 0-30. Slightly frustrated by this turn of events, Novak challenged a cross-court backhand of his called wide, but hawk-eye showed it was indeed out and abracadabra Muzzah had triple break point. Wouldn't you know, the Serb would miss the first serve and Murray would punish the second to break again for a 4-3 lead. Would he be able to consolidate this time though?

Could the sorrow of last year's loss have crept into Murray's mind at this point? It may well have, considering he made two double faults to open the eighth game. It turned into a long, multiple-deuce game at that, with Djokovic fighting his way to break point. Access denied! said Murray with a smashing forehand down the line. Convincing hold. 5-3.

"Mr. Resilient" is an alias of Novak Djokovic: he battled back from 0-30 down in the next game to hold for 4-5.

But the ghost of Fred Perry guided Murray's serving arm through four huge serves for a love hold and ownership of the first set, 6-4.

Service games began long and tight in the second set. The commentators were implying that Djokovic was approaching the net far too often to stop from extending the rallies after his marathon semifinal against Del Potro; however, Djokovic came out on top in back-to-back 20+ rallies and fought without face and through slips and falls to hold for 4-1.

Game six was a strange one. When Murray hit a close shot at the baseline, Djokovic hit the return well wide......then tried to challenge Murray's shot? Of course, the umpire refused to comply and we in the audience could tell from hawk-eye (and intuition) that the shot in question was indeed in bounds. In the next point, Djokovic missed an easy forehand so that Murray was able to hold for 4-2. Oh dear, are we seeing signs of mental weakness from the Serbian legend?

He would double-fault himself out of rhythm for a 15-40 deficit in the following game. But it's been "only" an hour and thirty-nine minutes. Much, much more tennis to be had. Nole erased both break points to make it deuce. Andy had different plans, however, and would laser an 86 mph forehand across the court to gain the advantage. Soon thereafter, Djokovic lamely surrendered the break with another double fault.

This 4-3 lead will be worthless if Andy doesn't consolidate, say the mumbles of every Brit fan crowding Center Court and its surroundings.

With things getting tougher on serve, Murray was ballsy to plant an ace out wide on the line, then play a risky drop-shot to prevent a break chance and hold for 4-all.

5-5. Djokovic had been out of challenges for a while now but starting yelling to the umpire about another questionable baseline shot from Murray, and again he's wrong. Andy then conjured up two break points and took the second for a 6-5 lead. He would serve out the second set to love, 7-5.

It must have been the gods of tennis looking down upon Andy Murray that day; it was the hottest day at Wimbledon over the entire fortnight and Djokovic was a world above Murray......in unforced errors, 21-11; the one which sealed the opening game for Murray was a wide backhand.

Successive love holds from both players set the tone at 2-1, favour of Murray. He'd be soon on the back pedal at 2-4.

But the US Open reigning champ reappeared right away with break opportunities on the Serb's serve. Breathing hard after saving the first, Novak would give up the second chance and the break lead.

Spiral/helical blue and green lights above the stands flashed silently as Nole tripped and fell for a second time to ruin blinding forehand point for 15-15.

The likes of Bradley Cooper, Gerard Butler and Wayne Rooney were all in the audience, hoping, like any other, that Great Britain has a long-awaited champion in the dude from Dunblane.

He (Novak) would hold for 4-4, but must have felt it was getting rather ridiculous: Andy had come back from every break down to level things out against the odds. Errors were piling up for the World No. 1 and he was trying out EVERYTHING in his arsenal but Murray had the solution for each weapon. Sign of the times when Djokovic netted the forehand to hand Murray a 5-4 lead and chance to serve for the championship.

Andy's girlfriend Kim Sears looked pumped up as ever. She had good reason to be. Her guy was on the verge of an historical turning point.

One backhand wide from Novak: 15-0.

Andy then put away a clever drop-shot: 30-0.

Big serve. Return long. 40-0. Triple championship point!

Nole was too good at the net: 40-15.

Novak blasted the nervous second serve: 40-30.

Andy's turn to be nervous, he pushed the backhand long: deuce.

Then he netted an inside-out forehand to give Nole the advantage.

A good body serve followed and we were back to deuce.

The net cord found favour with Novak at an opportune time: advantage Djokovic.

Luckily, Murray would remember his ranking and his nerve to recover for deuce #3.

But he was underestimating the Serb - Novak will never just 'go away'. It's break point Djokovic again.

But again, Andy found a way to shut him out. What's that we were saying about Nadal the Great Counter-Puncher? Oh never mind? Okay then. Deuce #4.

The first serve had completely gone away in this unforgettable game. But Murray would find a fifth chance to close it out at home.

And he did it.

His mum was in tears......he had won. Kim oh-emm-gee'd almost in slo-mo. Butler's mouth was agape.

Forget bringing the trophy home after how many decades - this is what it takes to make Ivan Lendl smile.

Andy Murray, two-time Grand Slam champion

Breathe tennis!!