Success-starved Brits pin hopes on Andy Murray

Stephen Wilson ,  The Associated Press ,  London   |  Tue, 09/09/2008 12:35 PM  |  Sports

When you've waited 72 years for a male Grand Slam title winner, you can forgive Britain for getting feverishly excited about Andy Murray' progression to the U.S. Open final.

Murray's semifinal victory over top-ranked Rafael Nadal raised the hopes of long-suffering British tennis fans for a first homegrown Grand Slam men's champion since 1936 when Fred Perry won the U.S. Open.

"The year that a British male last won a Grand Slam singles title, they were doing Nazi salutes at the Olympics, and there was an abdication crisis in Britain's royal family," The Daily Telegraph said Monday.

To end the drought, the 21-year-old Scot will have to pull off another major coup - beating four-time defending champion Roger Federer. Murray was 2-1 lifetime against Federer, though British oddsmakers listed the Swiss star as 1-2 favorite.

British fans were still buzzing Monday over Murray's pulsating 6-2, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4 win over Nadal on Sunday in the completion of a rain-interrupted match. This was no fluke. Murray simply outplayed Nadal with some breathtaking tennis, even dominating him at his own game from the baseline.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, not known as much of a tennis fan, stayed up late to watch the end of the match.

"I think the whole country will be willing him on today," Brown told reporters Monday. "He shows remarkable tenacity and determination. Even when he falls back, he really pushes himself forward. So this is a triumph for courage and willpower and determination."

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond also weighed in.

"I was glued to the TV for what was a truly epic match with fantastic tennis on display," he said.

Nowhere was Murray's success more closely followed than in his hometown of Dunblane, where his grandmother, Shirley Erskine, became an overnight media celebrity.

"He's up there with the big three," she said, referring to Nadal, Federer and Novak Djokovic. "Nadal was the only one he has never beaten. He's beaten them all now."

A triumph for Murray in the final would be a milestone for a country starved for tennis success. Since Perry's '36 win, there have been only four British male Grand Slam finalists, and all were losers.

Bunny Austin lost in the 1937 French Open and 1938 Wimbledon finals to Henner Henkel and Don Budge, respectively; John Lloyd fell to Vitas Gerulaitis at the 1977 Australian Open; and Canadian-born Greg Rusedski was beaten by Pat Rafter at the 1997 U.S. Open.

"Let's be honest," the Sun newspaper said Monday. "It's bloody embarrassing."

The last British woman winner of a Grand Slam title was Virginia Wade, who was Wimbledon champion in 1977.

A major win in any sport would be a huge boost for a country that wallows in a reputation for underachievement. The England national football team - which failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championship - scraped out a 2-0 win over lowly Andorra on Saturday in its first qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup.

One of Britain's top boxers, lightweight Amir Khan, was knocked out in 54 seconds Saturday by Breidis Prescott of Colombia to lose his undefeated record.

The British public has been slow to warm to Murray, who is known for his spiky personality and monotone responses at news conferences. As a Scot, he made some enemies in 2006 with his remark - meant as a joke - that he was supporting "anyone but England" at the World Cup.

Murray was 8 years old when a gunman opened fire at his elementary school in Dunblane, killing 16 children and one adult. He didn't witness the actual carnage, but hid under a desk in another room at the school.

Murray, who spent his teenage years honing his game in Spain, is not part of the British tennis establishment. Formerly coached by American Brad Gilbert, he has assembled a "Team Murray" of coaches and fitness experts who have turned a youngster once known for wilting in long matches into one of the most resilient in the game.

"Murray may not be everyone's cup of team due to his often-negative body language and the fact that he dares to tell the truth," the Sun said. "Yet you cannot hide from the fact that this 21-year-old from Dunblane is something special."

If Murray is to take his place in British tennis history, he has one thing going for him: His clothing sponsor bears the name of none other than Fred Perry.

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