Tennis: Heat is on for Murray but Scot stays cool

Published on Monday 22 June 2009 10:04

WIMBLEDON is set to sizzle this week – so it's a good job that Andy Murray likes it hot.

All England Club organisers will smile at the irony after investing 80 million on a new centre court roof but forecasters don't think it will be needed just yet.

But Murray though won't be too worried as he prepares for a first-round match with American Robert Kendrick, the 29-year-old world No.76 tomorrow.

"The work I've done on my fitness means I don't worry about the hot weather any more," he said. "After last year's Wimbledon I knew I needed to kick my game on and that something was missing. I went to train in Miami for three or four weeks and it's pretty fierce weather there at that time of year and fitness is vital.

"It made a massive difference to my game and it gave me the confidence and strength you need to play in the slams."

It's strange to think that it's just four years since Murray's breakthrough, when he was just five points from beating former Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian. Since then he has transformed himself from gawky teenage hopeful with questionable conditioning to one of the most powerful and fittest players on the Tour.

In the last 12 months he's not only broken into the world's top ten but also established himself as the most likely challenger to the dominance of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

But after becoming the first British player to win at Queen's in 71 years, Murray was dampening down the hype. "I've still got two of the greatest players ahead of me – in Roger and Rafa," said the world No.3.

However, the withdrawal of defending men's singles champion Nadal on Friday through injury improves the Scot's chances and a kindly draw means he's avoided a potential clash with Federer until the final.

Privately, Murray might be looking ahead of the business end of the tournament but he'd do well not to dismiss the challenge of Kendrick, who he has beaten in their three previous encounters.

All he has to do is think back to last year's Olympics, when Yen Hsun Lu bullied him off court in straight sets.

"I go into every match I play believing that I can win, although obviously some players are harder to beat than others I respect them all," he added. "In the past I've not really done that and I've lost to opponents that I shouldn't have. It's okay to think you can beat everyone but you need to know that you'll have to play great to do it.

"There are 128 players in the draw and you only have to beat seven of them. That's my goal and I'm going to give it my best shot.

"I think I've got a decent chance but it's easier said than done."

There is no doubt that Murray is the real deal, while you often watched Tim Henman more in hope than expectation.

However, the current British No.1 is quick to defend his predecessor, a four-time beaten semi-finalist on SW19's manicured lawns.

"People regard Tim as a failure because he never won Wimbledon but that's just stupid," he adds. "He was the inspiration to me when I was starting to take my tennis really seriously. He's always been fantastic to me, especially with his advice. It's hard when you first get media attention. Tim just told me to keep my head down and say as little as I could in the nicest way I could."

Murray is already accustomed to leading the British challenge at the All England Club, although he'll be joined in the main draw by fellow home hopes Alex Bogdanovic, Dan Evans, Josh Goodall and James Ward.

Bogdanovic is his closest domestic rival – and he's placed 186 places down the ATP Tour rankings and hasn't won a singles match in seven previous visits to SW19.

"It's not really good enough when you think about the investment that is put into tennis," admits Murray.

The opening of the LTA's new no-expense spared national tennis centre in Roehampton will make a long-term difference, but Murray honed his skills aboard at an academy run by former Spanish Davis Cup players Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal in Barcelona, a school of tennis hard knocks that he believes laid the firm foundations for his success.

"The national tennis centre is a great facility but I still think players should still be funded to travel aboard if that suits their game," he adds.

Murray's strength is his eye for tactics, rather than a booming serve or huge backhand, a talent he learned in Barcelona.

"I learned a lot about the tactical side of tennis in Spain," he said.

"I was 15 and playing against guys who were eight years older than me and ranked in the world's top 600. I had to learn to out-think them because I couldn't blast them off the court."

Murray spent the weekend dodging the rain showers as he practised at Wimbledon Aorangi practice courts under a flurry of flashbulbs.

The time for practising is over and, like it or not, Murray will find the weight of a nation's expectations on his shoulders.