Wimbledon 2008

Reluctant Hero · Wimbledon 2008

Is Murray a contender?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7441291.stm

Gilbert backs Murray at Wimbledon

Andy Murray's former coach Brad Gilbert feels the British number one is a serious contender to win Wimbledon, which begins on 23 June.

The Scot missed the tournament in 2007 because of a wrist injury but Gilbert feels he can challenge this time round.

Gilbert told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek: "Andy is one of the five best grass-courters in the world.

"A lot depends on the draw but he plays really well on grass, he moves well and he should have a good opportunity."

Gilbert split with Murray in November 2007 after working with him for 16 months, in which time he helped Murray rise into the world's top 10.

He chose to go in another direction and that is the nature of this beast. That was eight months ago and life moves on

Brad Gilbert on Andy Murray

Murray is currently ranked 12th, but although Gilbert feels he is behind the top three - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic - he does not see him as inferior to any other player on grass.

"The big three have totally separated themselves so they are the big three favourites," Gilbert explained. "But then the two Andys - Murray and Roddick - are at the next level after that.

"There are other players coming through but they are the five to beat."

Gilbert, a former top-five player who has also worked with Andre Agassi and Roddick, is proud of his achievements with Murray when they worked together.

"I was pleased with our results," he said. "Through all the trials and tribulations of 2007, despite Andy basically missing half the year and two Grand Slams, he was one set away from making the Masters in Shanghai.

"That was the goal - to make Shanghai. He fell a little bit short but I'd like to say he made a decent effort going from number 36 to eight, and then finishing the year at number 11."

And the American says their partnership did not end acrimoniously.

"We had a good run," Gilbert stated. "He chose to go in another direction and that is the nature of this beast. That was eight months ago and life moves on.

"It is different from coaching a football team or basketball team. This is a different situation, and between coach and player it is an interesting dynamic. Sometimes things happen and that is life.

"He decided to put his game in a different direction with different people and now he is in a new chapter."

Murray begins his grass-court season on 9 June at the Stella Artois Championships, where he is seeded number six, but is in the same half of the draw as Nadal and four-time champion Roddick.

Blackleaf

I don't want Murray to win, mainly because he has made a few anti-English comments in the past (Henman never made any anti-Scottish comments) and (like another famous Scotsman with the initials GB) is just too dour and miserable.

Blackleaf

Wimbledon, the world's oldest and best tennis tournament, gets underway tomorrow in south west London...

The wider view: Wimbledon's impressive new Centre Court seen from the sky

22nd June 2008
Daily Mail

This is Wimbledon as you've never seen it before.

As the tennis world gears up for the Championships tomorrow, our aerial view shows the impressive new Centre Court - now only awaiting the retractable roof, which will not be ready until next year.

Smashing view: the new Centre Court is all but complete, awaiting only its retractable roof

OUR FASCINATING PICTURE ALSO SHOWS:

1 CEDAR COURT: Residents here can expect to rent out their flats for up to £3,000 a week

2 LIVING LOGO: A flowerbed displaying the year, 2008.

More than 10,000 green alternanthera are used, some sprayed purple to give the official Wimbledon colours.

3 HENMAN HILL: Officially Aorangi Terrace, this is a favourite spot for British fans, who can watch the matches on a giant screen.

4 NUMBER ONE COURT: The 11,000-seat complex opened in 1997, part of the first phase of Wimbledon's redevelopment.

5 BROADCAST CENTRE: About 3,000 members of the media from all over the world will be here during the tournament, most notably the BBC and American network NBC.

6 NEWSTEAD WAY: These unremarkable £850,000 four-bedroom terrace houses 300 yards from the grounds are rented out for as much as £10,000 a week during the tournament, to tennis superstars, fans and the media.

7 MILLENNIUM BUILDING: Built in 2000 on the site of the former Number One Court, it houses the players' and members' facilities.

8 COURT BUFFET: Wimbledon is the largest single annual sporting catering operation in Europe.

Fans will consume 150,000 glasses of Pimms, 17,000 bottles of champagne, 28 tons of strawberries and 1,500 gallons of cream.

9 NUMBER TWO COURT: This will open next year on the site of Courts 12 and 13.

10 CENTRE COURT: 15,000 fans can now watch the action in the new facility.

Next year, the retractable roof will be able to slide into position within ten minutes, meaning no more interruptions for rain.

11 GATE FOUR (there are 20 entrances): Up to 460,000 tennis fans will pass through the gates over the next two weeks.

Tickets range from £5 for a ground ticket, allowing access to Courts 2 to 19, to more than £2,000 for the men's final on Centre Court.

dailymail.co.uk

Reluctant Hero

Doubt if Murray will win it. He is not in the same league as Fedrer and Nadal at the moment.

Reluctant Hero

Murray had a good win today over the guy who got to the semis back in 2002.

You never know.....

Reluctant Hero

Monumental win by Murray yesterday.

I switched it off when he went 2 sets down and then lost his serve to go 5-4 down Laughing

Turned it back on a whike later and he was still on court!

Can't see him getting past Nadal though.

Alasdair

I don't think he's ever played nadal on grass - for all the difference that might make?! Still, so long as he doesn't go out in straight sets and gives it a fair swing of the racket, then we can hardly hold it against him. Good luck to the boy.