• May 15 down the years

A tennis star is born

Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic to end Britain's 77-year wait for a male singles champion at Wimbledon in 2013 © PA Photos

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1987
Andy Murray was born in Glasgow. He won an ATP singles title for the first time when he was only 18, beating Lleyton Hewitt in the final in California. Fitness problems let him down for a while - but as he grew stronger, he began to shoot up the rankings. At the US Open on September 8 2008, he became the first British player to reach a grand slam singles final since Greg Rusedski at Flushing Meadows 11 years previously. He lost to Roger Federer there, and again in the final of the Australian Open in 2010. A year later and Murray lost again in the Melbourne final, but this time to Novak Djokovic, having failed to win a single set in his three grand slam finals so far. Murray's career very much remained a work in progress.

However in July 2012 came what proved to be a pivotal moment for Murray. With Ivan Lendl on board as his coach, Murray reached the Wimbledon final where he lost in four sets to Roger Federer. Unable to deal with his latest grand slam heartbreak, Murray broke down in tears in an emotional post-match interview on court. Instead of letting the loss get to him, Murray returned to SW14 a month later to defeat Federer in the final at the London 2012 Olympics and claim a gold medal for Britain. The win was a turning point with Murray finally going on to break his grand slam duck four weeks later at the US Open, defeating Djokovic in a five-set thriller after Djokovic fought back from two sets down.

Murray admitted after his win that he had given himself a toilet pep talk after losing the fourth set. He said: "In my own mind I had bought the idea that I was not a real winner until I had won a grand slam. I was very negative in my own mind at the end of the fourth set at the US Open. My self-belief was pretty low. I could not go back on to the court feeling like that. I would have lost the deciding set before the first ball was hit.

"I never talk to myself, not out loud. Isn't that supposed to be the first sign of madness? That is why that toilet break was so unusual. I stood in front of the mirror with sweat dripping down my face and I knew I had to change what was going on inside. So I started talking. Out loud. 'You are not losing this match,' I said to myself. 'You are not losing this match.' I started out a little tentative but my voice got louder. 'You are not going to let this one slip. This is your time.'"

The wait for a second grand slam would go on after Djokovic turned the tables on Murray in the Australian Open final in 2013 before he had to pull out of the French Open with a back injury. But Murray then ended Britain's 77-year wait for a male singles champion at Wimbledon by beating Djokovic in straight sets.

Murray admitted in the aftermath of his historic triumph that he could remember nothing of the final point that etched his name further into British sporting history. "That was one of the toughest moments, today was an unbelievably tough match," said Murray. "I don't know how I came through the final three points, I'm so glad to do it. That last point, I have no idea what happened. I have no idea how long that last game went on for."

1971
The first sending-off in a rugby league Challenge Cup final since 1914 and the first at Wembley. If it was going to happen to anyone for anything, it had to be Sid Hynes for decking Alex Murphy. Hines was a rough tough forward in one of the most brutal periods in the sport; Murphy was a matchwinner who specialised in getting under opponents' skins. Near the end of this 1971 Final, they had a meeting in midfield. Both went off, Hynes when the referee consulted a linesman, Murphy on a stretcher. By the time Murphy returned a few minutes later, his team had won the game. They were already 17-2 up at the time, which was a massive shock in itself. Leigh simply weren't supposed to beat mighty Leeds. But Murphy had that effect on people. He coached and captained the team, landed two drop goals, made a try for Stan Dorrington, and generally didn't read the script. He was the only choice for man of the match as Leigh won 24-7. It was their second and last appearance in the final. They'd won the previous one exactly 50 years earlier.

1953
On September 23 1952, Rocky Marciano took the world heavyweight title from Jersey Joe Walcott in one of the sport's legendary fights. Today they had the rematch. It doesn't take long to describe. In their first fight, Walcott had decked the Rock in the first round. But he was visibly hesitant after what happened last time, and spent the first two minutes holding. When an ordinary little left hook knocked him down, he was in no hurry to get up. He went into retirement unhurt and with head held high.

2000
Australian pool shark Ian Thorpe (born October 13 1982) set his third world record in as many days. Every time, the record he broke was his own. On the 13th, he attacked the 400 metres freestyle. Yesterday he became the first swimmer to go under 1 minute 46 seconds for the 200 free. Today he shaved some more off that time. Thorpe eventually set six world records in the 200 and five at four.

Black armbands were never far away in motor racing.

1986
The death of Elio de Angelis could have been prevented. He was testing his Braham in France when the rear wing came off and sent the car cartwheeling over a barrier. It then caught fire - which is why he died. His only injury was a broken collarbone, but there were no track marshals nearby and it took half an hour for a helicopter to arrive. In that time he inhaled enough smoke to kill him the following day. Driver safety wasn't a priority at the time and De Angelis was the latest of many who paid for that attitude. He won two of his 108 starts in Formula 1.

1994
In the tragic absence of Ayrton Senna (May 1 ), Michael Schumacher won the Monaco Grand Prix. The front row was left empty as a mark of respect for the six-time winner.

1950
Renate Stecher was born Renate Meissner in East Germany - so smile knowingly as you read on. In the early Seventies, she was the scariest sprinter in the world. Hefty and hard-faced, she powered to the sprint double at the 1971 European Championships. The following year, she did the same at Olympic Games, setting world records in both events, and only a long jumper deprived her of the treble (September 10). Stecher waned after that, collecting mainly minor medals. Silver in both sprints at the 1974 Europeans, silver and bronze at the 1976 Olympics, though she won relay golds in both competitions. She set six official world records at 100 metres and two at 200. She won seven events at the European Cup and four at the European Indoors. After the collapse of East Germany, documents revealed that she asked to reduce her use of steroids in order to have children.

1999
In rugby union, Wasps won the English Cup for the first time. In their fifth final and second in a row, they beat Newcastle 29-19. When Rob Andrew decided not to pick himself after a recent shoulder injury, a 19-year-old Jonny Wilkinson played fly-half for Newcastle. He missed a first-half penalty but kicked four others and converted a try by big Va'aiga Tuigamala, who was the star of the show until he too damaged a shoulder. But Wilko's opposite number Alex King scored a try and a drop goal, and there were 16 points from the boot of Canadian full-back Gareth Rees, who'd played for Wasps in the final thirteen years earlier. Bath retained the trophy in 2000.

1978
The great Eusebio Pedroza won the WBA featherweight title with a 13th-round stoppage of Cecilio Lastra, who was making his first defence. Pedroza was undefeated as champion when he met Barry McGuigan on June 8 seven years later.

1982
Veronica Campbell was born. A chunky contributor to Jamaica's domination of world sprinting, she won three Olympic gold medals: at the 200 metres and sprint relay in 2004 and the 200 again four years later. In between, she was world champion at 100 metres in 2007.

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