Andy Murray at Wimbledon 2012: Only triumph will do in Scot's annual quest He had his iPod at full volume for that encounter with Nalbandian seven years ago. He swept through the first two sets 7-6, 6-1 and British tennis had discovered its new poster boy. Just as the hysteria of the Tim Henman era was burning down to its last embers, the first flames of a Murray frenzy were flickering. Nalbandian came back to win in five sets and the man of the hour was inconsolable. Murray might still have been of schoolboy age, transformed in one afternoon from Court No2 nonentity to Centre Court heroic failure, and yet he had believed he could win. His inability to do so cut deep. Murray was a far stronger contender in 2006, fortified by the tutelage of Brad Gilbert. He dispatched Nicolas Massu and Julien Benneteau in short order, before an extraordinary, ruthless straight-sets demolition of Andy Roddick. Next in his sights was Marcos Baghdatis, that year's Australian Open finalist, who beat him in three sets. "Maybe it was a good thing," he said. I needed to learn how to pace myself. It had been a spectacular breakthrough for Murray, overshadowed only when he voiced his opinion about the World Cup in Germany by claiming that he would support whoever England were playing. Briefly he was cast as the pariah, as a tartan killjoy, and was denied the chance to restore full British honours in 2007, when he missed Wimbledon due to snapped wrist tendons. All was remedied, though, by his serene route through the draw in 2008, as he dismantled Fabrice Santoro and Xavier Malisse before an astonishing confrontation with Richard Gasquet which finished with his primal roar to the crowd, as he sealed his eventual five-set win, a gratuitous flex of the biceps proving he was not as physically flaky as some had suspected. Ultimately, he succumbed in his first Wimbledon quarter-final to Rafael Nadal, but excitement of greater progress to come could hardly have been at a higher pitch in 2009. Murray had won Queen's and barrelled through the first week before a 3hr 56 min fourthround showdown with Stanislas Wawrinka became the first match at SW19 to finish after 10.30pm. The drama did not relent in his semi-final against Roddick, as Murray lost a four-set tussle. By 2010, Murray was a two-time grand slam finalist and, as the most recent inductee to tennis's 'Big Four', confident of restoring himself to the last four. He cast aside Tsonga in the quarters to set up a semi with Nadal. But the battle was one-sided, as Nadal won within two hours. The stars aligned once more 12 months ago, as the same pair surged through to their semi-final rematch. Murray kindled fervent hope of an upset by taking the first set, before Nadal won the next three for the loss of only eight games. Another painful defeat. Victory on Friday banished much of that pain. Victory today would change things forever. Victory on Friday banished much pain. Victory today would change things forever