Mint Murray?

I don’t care much for Any Murray. There I’ve said it. In fact now that’s out in the open I’m willing to up it now and say that I don’t like him very much at all. I’ve been trying to single out why for some time; it could well be the arrogance, it could be the occasional petulance, it could even have been the relentless monotone in which he speaks making life at the top rung of world tennis seem as exciting as filing accounts in the Beige Services Division of Tedium District Council.

Assuming it is none of those then I think I have found a definitive reason for disliking the guy. The only time I have ever seen him offer anything approaching a smile is on the front cover of the Daily Mail’s Weekend supplement for this week. Its sitting on my mum’s table now as I type… and is creeping me out so much that I just got up and turned it over so I can be faced by one of those big full page adverts for unnecessary chintz instead - the prospect of paying monthly for a garish piece of jewellery much more palatable.

Unfortunately with a dislike of Murray this is going to be a tough week or two as the guy is absolutely everywhere. Smirking forcibly on the front of the television guide, moody (default) and topless on the front of the Sunday Times’ sports section. For two weeks its all about Wimbledon and Wimbledon is all about Murray. ‘My Time Has Come’ said the Times’ piece, ‘My Love Match; Andy Murray on the girl who tamed his temper and turned him into a winner’ went the Mail. Bloody hell.

Murray came into Wimbledon seeded third and having won on grass at Queens. Two significant achievements for a player not long turned twenty-two. Murray should have a lot of years left for his career, and will have plenty of time to win countless tournaments, but to the majority of the UK press and fans that won’t matter unless he wins at Wimbledon and does so soon… ideally now. He’s on course to eclipse the notable achievements of Tim Henman, and yet unless he wins of a surface which he does not favour he will be deemed to have failed.

So I may not like Murray, on a personal level I find him as easy to warm to as a city banker bemoaning his lack of bonuses in the credit crunch. But the ridiculous pressure placed on him means I have much more sympathy for his predicament. As such I was glad he triumphed in his first round match today… just don’t let it be too widely known.