Wimbledon 2021 LIVE: Andy Murray reaction plus Ashleigh Barty and Roger Federer latest updates – The Independent

Murray also explained how he ended up selecting a few people in the Centre Court crowd to “stare and scream at” as he mounted his comeback. The former World No 1 said there was a fan in a Scotland rugby shirt who caught his attention and was directly on the receiving end of some of his outbursts. “I hope they don’t think it’s weird,” he added – I’m sure the fan absolutely loved it.

“I picked a few people in the crowd and was basically staring at them pretty much after every point and trying to just engage with them,” Murray said. “The crowd created a great atmosphere, but I think I was also engaging them and we were feeding off each other a lot at the end.

“They were just really loud and it was quite close to where I was getting my towel and stuff, and they were always sort of standing up. Then there was the other guy that was down at near where the radio booths were. He was just standing up all the time and getting pumped and he just caught my eye.

“Each time I won a point, and even when I lost points [I] just [was] looking at him. The crowd feels that I guess and feel like you’re feeding off them and stuff. It was nice. It helps. It’s something I have done a number of times over the years in certain matches.

“I hope the fans like it and don’t think that it’s a bit weird that I’m sort of staring at them and screaming at them for like an hour, but they seem to enjoy it, as well.”

Murray thanked the Wimbledon crowd for “firing him up” as he reacted to coming through his five-set epic. The two-time Wimbledon champion said he needed “everyone’s help” to get him over the line on Centre Court.

“I enjoyed the end, the middle part not so much. What an atmosphere to play in at the end. I needed everyone’s help tonight. I played some great shots at the end to finish it but it was a tough match.

“I had to do something differently. I started going for my shots more, started dictating more of the points. I think I played the right way the last couple of sets. The first set and a half was really good, it’s just the bits in the middle I’d like to change.

“I’m obviously tired. I fell over a couple of times, pretty slick courts. Considering everything, I feel all right. Hopefully I come out on Friday and play in another atmosphere like this and hopefully perform well.”

Barty, the world No 1, had her resolve tested by Carla Suarez Navarro but passed with flying colours in a lopsided third set to secure her place in the second round. The Australian now faces Anna Blinkova, who was a finalist in the girl’s singles as a junior on Centre Court.

Elsewhere, Britons Cameron Norrie and Emma Raducanu return after their impressive victories yesterday, while teenager Coco Gauff attempts to emulate her spectacular breakthrough run on grass in 2019. Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, two faces of the men’s next generation, will try to further their claims while Angelique Kerber has a repeat of her 2016 triumph in her sights.