By Miner Willy,
June 25, 2007 in Sport
He revealed his colours a few years back when he made the comment about England at the World Cup.
What, that he's Scottish? An 18/19-year old Scot was asked if he'd support England at the World Cup? What answer did you honestly expect he'd give to such a question? Given that the answer was so obvious, it does give you pause to wonder if the question was asked deliberately to allow certain sections of the London media a reason to give him a good kicking...
Anyway, the match itself was brilliant to watch and Murray's recovery to win the match demonstrates that he isn't going to just lie down and give up. He gave the impression that he genuinely wants to win, wheras with Henman you always were left with the impression that he thought it might be nice to win.
Nedal is gonna be even tougher WAY tougher.
linkster
He came across as an angry young Scot with a big chip on his shoulder at first. Didn't bother my personally but I think people took exception to it. I think he's realised the PR-side of the job is also quite important since then.
Or, to put it another, less calculating way, he's growing up. His temperament is clearly important to him, give me a angry winner over a lovable loser any day.
Rodders
What answer did you honestly expect he'd give to such a question?
Ooh, i dunno, maybe the same one I'd give about Scotland? "I may not support England, but best of luck." When he said "Anyone but England" it seemed petulant, xenophobic and typical of a slightly bitter scot. Since then he said it was a joke, and you could put it down to not being used to press conferences, but I think an irritated reaction is to be expected.
EDIT: it also came when this was happening:
"There has been a series of anti-English incidents in Scotland during the tournament in Germany, including attacks on a disabled man in Aberdeen and a seven-year-old boy in Edinburgh."
Varcan
Great performance, but what a twat he is.
Oh come on, pointing at his bicep when he wins? Bellend. He revealed his colours a few years back when he made the comment about England at the World Cup. Good win though, all credit to him for a comeback like that.
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Anyone who acts like that on a court deserves a proper crushing. I'm surprised with all this support! Everyone I know, many of whom work in the same university sports department that I do and one or two who have met Murray, think he's an egotistical little tit. You wouldn't catch Federer flexing his biceps proudly on court (or cursing when he loses a point, or losing his composure in any way - its called sportsmanship), even if it does draw extra howls from a crowd of sardonically nationalistic apes.
Hopefully Nadal will give him a good slapping about. Maybe the ego will take him to the other end of the emotion scale, and reduce him to a sobbing wreck
Ooh, i dunno, maybe the same one I'd give about Scotland? "I may not support England, but best of luck."
Sounds like you don't quite understand the rivalry that the other British nations (and Ireland, thanks to that lovely proximity) have with England that simply isn't reciprocated. We all know England are a level above us, that they ought to qualify for major tournaments and that they're good enough to do well. Our rivals are each other and England. England's rivals are Germany and Argentina, other heavyweights. To you, we're just scamps who occasionally might threaten to turn up.
I do love this country sometimes - Tim nice but dim was raised up as a hero because he was very average but did his best.
We have a player now in Murray who has the personal drive and the skill to take him a lot further and people are moaning 'cos he's arrogant.
Then again maybe it's because he's not English.
Distinct muttering
Got to laugh at these people trying to make something out of his comments about England when he was 18 or whatever. Fact is every single Scottish teenager living in Scotland would say the same clichéd response "I support only two teams, Scotland and anyone who is playing England". It's how we are raised and is the tone of the Scottish tabloid newspapers. The reason you don't get it so much in England (as much) is down to exactly what you are trying to level at Murray, Arrogance! Because England look down their noses at the other home nations and don't treat any of them as a serious threat. The same way as you might think, oh, it would be nice if a team from the lower divisions done well in the FA cup, it would be quaint.
However, with 95% of the population it is all just a bit of fun, and as you get older you grasp that more and more.
As for bicep flexing? Jesus, come on, do you want some boring robot like Henman out there giving little gay fist clenches? Murray had me out my seat numerous times last night punching the air with him. I thought the bicep flex was the perfect tongue in cheek response to all those who have said he doesn't have the stamina to go through a gruelling 5 set match. He looked like he could go for another 2 sets easily last night. while gasquet was beginning to find the edge of his racquet more and more through fatigue.
I just hope he can get a good percentage of his first serves in against Nadal and do better than chip the majority of his serves back to him, because when the rallies start he looks a match for anyone.
footle
I thought the bicep flex was the perfect tongue in cheek response to all those who have said he doesn't have the stamina to go through a gruelling 5 set match.
Miner Willy
Top 10 in the world for the best part of a decade (and semi finalist at three different grand slams) isn't average but doing your best, but otherwise I take your point. Murray could have the ability to win Grand Slams, where Henman was just never quite good enough.
Anyway, this whole Murray thing is ludicrous. He's not exactly overflowing with charisma in interviews, but he's a sportsman not a TV personality. He's getting better at the PR, and will improve further - people should just give the guy a bit of a break. And I'm really not sure where this accusation of arrogance comes from: he gets angry on-court (sometimes with his coaching team, but that's just a mechanism to redirect his frustration), but he's always been pretty fair in his assessment of his game in interviews. He knows he has the talent to get to the top, but that he's not the finished article yet.
The anti-England thing is bizarre too. Wasn't he sat next to Henman at the time of the comment, and therefore just winding a mate up? But anyway, who cares? It's all a load of nothing. The muscle flexing was just a message to those who said he's not strong enough; he was having a (good natured) pop at Mac on Six Love Six about it the other day too. The guy's finally feeling comfortable enough to relax and let some of his personality come out, and people just want to take it all the wrong way. Rolleyes.
Anyway, amazing performance. I give him a realistic (outside) chance to beat Nadal. He needs to play totally fearlessly off both sides, attack the net as much as possible, and serve 70% of first serves to even get in the match though. Might want to pick his drop shots a bit more carefully too.
It's just something that happens when you grow up there, shouldn't hold it against him, bet he regrets it now.
He may regret saying it out loud as it got the press on his back, but I'd put money on the fact he meant it. Most people from the other UK nations would hate to see England win the World Cup, just because we'd neverr hear the end of it from the London centric media. The question itself was a stab at him. Did they ever ask Hemnan if he'd support France or Germany in a football tournament? The simple truth is his answer was part joke, see the turning up in opposition jersey, and part truth, he's not English and would be hit with the endless re-runs, hype, BBC/ITV wankfest that would follow the victory of a team he would consider rivals.
I think Murray has a bit of a dry sense of humour anyway, which a lot of people can't take to either. The muscle man bit last night was certianly aimed at the press box who have questioned his strength and fitness.
Although with that said I think Nadal will hammer him in the quarters.
do better than chip the majority of his serves back to him
Good call. Nadal's going to have all kinds of fun if he gets into the routine of floating the forehand back. Nadal's serve has improved loads, but Murray needs to be prepared to go after it - especially the second serve. It'll be interesting to see if Murray can get his big two hander backhand onto Nadal's slider serve from the ad court, which has been a huge weapon for him here and at Queen's.
Unfortunately I also think Nadal will beat him but if he shows the determination and attitude that took him from almost losing the match to the stunning win last night then he has an outside chance.
It bodes well though that at his age he's made it this far and he can hopefully only improve.
It's worth remembering that Murray was pretty much expected to win yesterday, despite the fact that Gasquet is ranked higher and got to last year's semi. Against Nadal he's a massive underdog, which will hopefully help him to open his shoulders and go for his shots - which is exactly what he'll need to do.
Nadal & Murray played an epic 5-setter at last year's Australian Open, so he has the game to trouble him on faster surfaces. Nadal's improved since then, and is better on grass than hard courts, but Murray has come on loads too. I think he's going to give him a match at least.
To be honest I think he was only favourite because these things are based on British bookmakers and Murrays odd will be skewed due to more money going on him. I personaly had him as a slight outsider for the match.
Eh? I thought it was the other way around?
Dude Ranch
At two sets down I was laughing at his exit from Wimbledon. I've never liked him and I certainly haven't wanted him to win anything. But I have to admit that I enjoyed those last three sets immensely. His drive and desire were obvious and, for once, tennis entertained me. I'll be cheering him on now, the angry little sausage.
I can't believe how much energy he must waste with all the gesturing and shouting . I was thinking he'd fade and was really surprised when the opposite happened.
Well, I had him as a slight favourite - as did most pundits I think. Gasquet's a brilliant player, but he's had a shocking year to date. Perhaps more relevant is the fact that Murray himself expected to win. I get the impression he knows Nadal is the favourite, but that if he goes out and plays amazing he might have a chance. Which is a nice position to be in, in a way.
Nadal's been pretty average on hard courts to date. Before this year's Aus Open he'd never been past the quarter finals at the US or Aus Open... and even this year he got totally beasted by Tsonga in the semis. Add in total drubbings by Djokovic and Youzhny (who he demolished on grass yesterday) at hard court masters events this year... it's his worst surface by far.
Edit - I'm guessing you're confusing hard with clay. He's unbeatable on clay; amazing on grass; and average on hard.
JubJubBird
The anti-England thing is bizarre too. Wasn't he sat next to Henman at the time of the comment, and therefore just winding a mate up?
Exactly true. The interviewer was trying to stir things up, and Murray joked (that's joked) to Henman that he was supporting anyone but England. In the same way that anyone would take the piss out of a mate, it didn't mean anything and predictably the daily mail and all their wooly headed readership jumped on it.
The man is a star, he clearly passionate about what he does and he has the game to trouble Nadal. If he gets through he'll have an easier match in the semis and will have a very good chance of reaching the final. If he gets through Nadal.
I'll happily admit that it slightly annoyed me at the time but really, these things are quoted out of context so often that we should all know better. And, even if he meant it it's hardly a SHOCKER.
Thanks, I was sure that's how it happened but couldn't be bothered to trawl the internet to check.
If he gets through he'll have an easier match in the semis and will have a very good chance of reaching the final. If he gets through Nadal.
Absolutely, the other quarter has always been light from the start (even more so with no Roddick) - that was my thinking when I put a bet on Murray to reach the final early on. I know beating Nadal is a big ask, but he definitely has the game to trouble him on grass.
Nadal/Murray is either going to be an epic or a bit of a damp squid with Nadal taking it easily I think, it really depends on whether Murray recovers from yesterday and gets his first serve working like it can. Somebody needs to tell him to stop using the drop shot all the sodding time as well, it's becoming a running joke between the commentators on 5live and bbc tv. Either way, I've got a couple of days off to use up so I'm going to be glued to the box. How I miss the days of being able to watch the whole 2 weeks in it's entirety.
I've got a whole £3 on Murray winning the championship at 33/1 as well... come on lad!
Either way, I've got a couple of days off to use up so I'm going to be glued to the box.
This is the point where I'd gloat about having centre court tickets for tomorrow... if it wasn't forecast to rain all fucking day. Nadal Vs Murry and Federer Vs Ancic would have been immense - but it's looking like I'll be lucky to see one. Gutted.
But yeah, it could be a damp squib if he's not totally on top of his game. I just think the fact that he's such an underdog will help him play freely.
Landshead
What time is the murray game predicted to start tomorrow. I don't want to be at work!
They won't announce order of play till tonight. Ordinarily they'd have put him on lateish, but if they're not confident of much play who knows?
That's really unfortunate, I hadn't thought to check the weather. Really hope it gets played tomorrow, I'm watching Scotland get humped by NZ on thursday at cricket.
Velse
I thought centre court had a roof? Or is it not finished yet?
Maybe I have Murray wrong, I'm just not a fan (yet). Still doubt anyone will beat Federer. Even if he does wear a cardigan.
utopastac
Lots of people in here must be forgetting Murray's tireless whining, moaning and rubbish excuses that he's pulled out throughout the last couple of tennis seasons. One gutsy performance won't change my mind permanently.
Plus, his mother in interviews is one of the most insufferably smug people i've ever watched on TV.
It's there - you can see the rollers it'll move on and everything. Due to be working next year.