“He fights hard, he hates to lose and he’s always had that combination of competitiveness, professionalism and attention to detail.” “The qualities that you see in Andy now are something he's probably had since birth,” Smith said. Their paths first crossed when Murray was playing tennis at the age of 7, but even then it was obvious he was a born winner. It wasn’t until I won the US Open junior title in 2004 that I really thought I could make it.”Īs a teenager, Murray’s considerable talents were initially nurtured by the affable Leon Smith, who currently serves as British Davis Cup captain. But a lot of players have won the Orange Bowl and then not gone on to become pros, so it was far from guaranteed. “Winning big tournaments like the Orange Bowl as a junior definitely fills you with confidence that maybe one day you can compete at the highest level. “I knew for a long time that I wanted to eventually turn pro, but it’s hard to say when I first realized it would be possible,” he told me recently. Murray was determined to live his dream of competing with the very best in the Grand Slams, but the thought of a tennis career was vague. At the age of 12, the young Scot burst onto the radar by winning the prestigious Orange Bowl title, defeating players almost two years his senior In 2002, Tim Henman was the darling of the crowds, but Murray’s potential as a future successor was already well known to those involved in British tennis. As a 15-year-old wildcard dwarfed by some of his competitors, few onlookers would have even noticed as he lost in three sets in the first round of the junior tournament. This will be Murray’s ninth visit to SW 19 as a professional, but 12 years ago, his Wimbledon story began in very different circumstances.īack then, Murray was far from the 185-pound, physical specimen he is these days. The gentle yet eerie quiet is punctuated only by the murmurs of coaches, the occasional burst from the public address system and the soft thwack of racquet on ball around the back courts of the All England Club.įor Andy Murray, it’s a rare chance to collect his thoughts and absorb the unique atmosphere before the inevitable annual hysteria begins to unfold once more. There’s an almost ethereal hush around Wimbledon in the days leading up to The Championships.
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