LONDON -- The key to winning for Andy Murray might have been realizing that he could live with losing.Way back when, at Wimbledon in 2012, he became only the second man in tennis history to come up short in the first four Grand Slam finals of his career (the other was Murrays coach, Ivan Lendl, but more on him later).I was worried about the consequences of losing those finals, the 29-year-old Scotsman said Monday at the All England Club, sitting near the 18-inch Challenge Cup, now and forever etched twice with A. MURRAY on the side.Less than 24 hours after beating Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) for his second Wimbledon championship since 2013, Murray reflected on his setback against Roger Federer in the tournaments title match four years ago, calling it a really hard loss for me.The day or so afterwards, I was really emotional. But I sort of accepted that I might not win one of these events and that I was actually doing everything that I could to give myself a chance to do it. And that was it, he said. That was probably around the time where I started to accept that its OK to not achieve what you want, if youre doing everything you possibly can.It was important for Murray to head into big matches, as he put it, not being afraid of failing.Obviously, you dont go out on the court thinking, `Its no problem if I lose the match. But the reality is, he said, you can deal with the consequences of losing a tennis match. And Ive learned that over the years, for sure.He entered Sunday having won two of his 10 previous major finals, all of which were against Federer or Novak Djokovic. This season, Murray had been 0 for 2, finishing as the runner-up to Djokovic at the Australian Open and French Open.The No. 2-ranked Murray most certainly did not forget how to win a Grand Slam title, of course.It just took him a bit to get back on track.And now the question becomes whether his third major championship will propel to him to more -- and, if so, how many more?For him, its a big step forward. Whats next for him is up to him, said Raonic, a 25-year-old Canadian who had never before participated in a Grand Slam final.Murray spoke Monday about not feeling satisfied, about aiming to add to his collection of major titles. He said becoming a father this year provided additional incentive to put in all the necessary work to continue to excel.I still feel very motivated, he said. And having won here again, it gives me a big lift, hopefully through to the end of this year and beyond, that I can win some more Slams.He said reuniting with Lendl after the French Open was all about that desire to add to his Grand Slam resume.They split in 2014, after working together for Murrays first two major titles. Now Lendl was back for No. 3.Thats not a coincidence, said Murrays mother, Judy, the former British Fed Cup captain.The focus, and the resetting of the focus if you start to lose it a little bit, is one of the things that (Lendl) helped him enormously with the first time he worked with him, she said. And because hes worked with him before, it was easy for him to jump back in and just go, `I know exactly what you have to do to win a Slam.As a player, Lendl -- who went 8-11 in major finals -- betrayed little emotion on court. The same goes for his guest-box demeanor as a coach. On Sunday, though, his eyes welled with tears when Murray won.Yeah, he was telling everyone it was allergies. That he had hay fever, Murray said with a chuckle. No, I dont believe him.Murray knows from tears.When he lost to Federer in the 2012 final at the All England Club, agonizingly near to giving Britain its first male champion at Wimbledon since 1936 -- a drought he would end a year later -- Murrays voice cracked and he cried as he assured the Centre Court crowd, Im getting closer.And when he sat in his sideline chair after defeating Raonic on Sunday, now a two-time champion at the tournament that means so much to him, Murray covered his face with a towel as he bawled. Tears of joy, this time. Maybe, just maybe, he won because he wasnt afraid to lose.---Howard Fendrich covers tennis for The Associated Press. 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Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. PHILADELPHIA -- The Kansas City Royals won two straight American League pennants and captured the 2015 World Series behind a batting order whose motto was keep the line moving.The narrative went a lot more smoothly when the line wasnt frayed in so many places. Three months into the season, the Royals rank 14th in the American League in runs, and manager Ned Yosts lineup cards are a monument to improvisation. Mike Moustakas is out for the year with a torn knee ligament. Alex Gordon just returned from the disabled list. Lorenzo Cain just went on the disabled list. Kendrys Morales looked downright somnambulant in April and May before hitting .402 in June, and Alcides Escobars penchant for swinging at everything isnt quite as endearing as it was in the 2015 postseason.Given the circumstances, Eric Hosmer picked an optimal time to raise his game to the next level. Through Fridays 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, Hosmer leads Kansas City in batting average (.304), hits (93), runs (43), doubles (18), total bases (149), walks (29) and OPS. (.851), and hes tied for second on the team in home runs with 12. He even has a two-homer game against Chris Sale, a distinction that should qualify him for some kind of award.Hosmer held a lead of about 600,000 votes over Detroits Miguel Cabrera in the latest round of American League All-Star balloting, and he appears to be a lock to represent the Royals on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego. Along with Salvador Perez and Cain, he has been one of the few constants for a Kansas City team thats trying to maintain contact with the magma-hot Cleveland Indians in the AL Central.Franchise icon George Brett consistently raved about Hosmers skill set years ago, so the events of this season havent come as a great surprise to the Royals. At 26, Hosmer is at the stage of his career where his accrued knowledge is catching up to his natural gifts.Hes got a better game plan, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Every time he steps up to the batters box, you see him adjusting to situations. His experience and success have allowed him to understand the art of hitting and be better prepared.Hosmer is doing lots of damage while seeing fastballs a mere 50.4 percent of the time (through Friday) -- the 11th lowest ratio of any hitter in the majors. Thats understandable given his gaudy numbers against hard stuff on both the inner and outer halves of the plate.Hosmers success is less a product of mechanical adjustments than an ability to think along with pitchers in given situations. He has made major advances through watching video, studying scouting reports and engaging in a running give-and-take with Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum.The numbers dont lie, Hosmer said. You learn if a guy likes to throw an 0-1 fastball, or if he likes to throw it as soon as he gets behind in the count.dddddddddddd You kind of adjust to whos on the mound and have a game plan each and every day. When I was younger and I came up, it was kind of see ball, hit ball. Nowadays, especially with the bullpens that teams have, its too hard to go up there and do that.Sometimes its about taking chances and not being afraid to strike out. We played Boston, and I saw [David Ortiz] swing at a curveball that went 55 feet. When you see a guy like him do that, you realize you have to go up there with that game plan and try and take chances. You cant be afraid to look stupid on pitches.Its worth remembering that Hosmer logged only 1,016 at-bats in the minor leagues after signing with Kansas City out of high school as the No. 3 pick in the 2008 first-year player draft. Eight years later, Hosmer and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey are clearly the crown jewels of that draft.This season, Kansas Citys injury issues have created an opportunity for infielders Whit Merrifield and Cheslor Cuthbert, players who werent necessarily in the mix during spring training. While Merrifield (a .315 batting average) and Cuthbert (.274 with seven homers) have responded admirably, theyve had the luxury of breaking in with a fraction of the scrutiny that Hosmer and Moustakas encountered as perceived franchise saviors a few years ago.Its a little bit tougher when guys have no track record, Yost said. Would you rather have your core group of guys? Yeah, absolutely. But sitting in this seat, its about managing change and doing your best to find players who can cover for you. Its important to keep as much stress as you can off them and have an atmosphere where they can thrive. Our players do a great job of staying loose every day.Not that the Royals are satisfied with the current state of affairs, by any means. Theyre last in the majors with 180 walks and 27th overall with 72 home runs, and their mediocre production with runners in scoring position continues to be an issue. But when the teams best player stands in the middle of the clubhouse and insists that good things are on the horizon, how can they not believe?Listen, Hosmer said. Weve been to the World Series the last two years. Were not a joke. Were confident in what we do and we know were gonna break out of it. A lot of people dont like to give us the credit, but we know how good a team we are.Every day, in the field and at the plate, Hosmer continues to do his part for the cause. With a little luck and some better health, the Royals could have a run in them yet. ' ' '