Road to the final: How our home hero Andy Murray came up just short

Visibly emotional, Murray shared an embrace with his opponent following his impressive victory (Getty Images)

First round: bt N Davydenko (Rus) 6-1 6-1 6-4

Murray's campaign started in dominant fashion, as he cruised past former world No 3 Davydenko in 95 minutes. Despite pre-tournament concerns, the Scot showed no signs of a back injury, and played some stunning tennis, particularly on his forehand. "The first two sets were very good," he said. "I got off to a great start and then relaxed."

Second round: bt I Karlovic (Croa) 7-5 6-7 6-2 7-6

Next in Murray's way was a 6ft 10in Croat. The first two sets were tight, with Murray edging the opener, but losing the second on a tie-break. "Tie-breaks are a bit of a lottery with someone like Karlovic," he said after going on to navigate past the big-server. "You have to get your racket on returns and hope he makes a mistake."

Third round: bt M Baghdatis (Cyp) 7-5 3-6 7-5 6-1

With potential semi-final opponent Rafa Nadal out, the bottom half of the draw opened up for Murray after he battled past an obdurate Baghdatis. The Centre Court match became the latest-ever finish to a game at Wimbledon, the players speeding through the final set in just 28 minutes to finish at 11.02pm.

Fourth round: bt M Cilic (Croa) 7-5 6-2 6-3

Murray played the ace card to seal his place in the last eight, hitting 16, 12 more than his opponent. The organisers' decision to place the contest on Court One, open to the elements, caused the match to be spread over two days. "It's quite a tough match to analyse," Murray said. "It was very bitty."

Quarter-final: bt D Ferrer (Sp) 6-7 7-6 6-4 7-6

The Scot battled past Ferrer in four tough sets to make a fourth consecutive SW19 semi-final. He ended the match, which lasted a gruelling four hours, with a 135mph serve, his fastest of the tournament.

Semi-final: bt J-W Tsonga (Fr) 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-5

Murray was coasting until Tsonga fought back. Centre Court held its breath for Hawk-Eye to confirm Murray's last return in and then erupted as he became the first British man to reach a Wimbledon singles final in 74 years.