By Pritha Sarkar
LONDON (Reuters) - In case anyone thought Andy Murray would get carried away after winning his first title on home soil, he marked the occasion with an alcohol-free night before quickly switching his thoughts to Wimbledon.
There were no wild celebrations one might expect from a millionaire athlete who had just become the first Briton in 71 years to win the grasscourt tournament at Queen's Club.
"I went out for an Indian (meal) with all the guys I work with last night. They had a few drinks on me but no alcohol for me and I got to bed reasonably early," Murray said on Monday at the launch of his retro Fred Perry kit for Wimbledon.
The Scot's 7-5 6-4 triumph over American James Blake on Sunday might have been a personal milestone for the 22-year-old but it also started the countdown to the major championship Britain hopes he will win on July 5.
Murray knows he will carry the hopes of a nation that has not seen a home-grown men's champion at the All England Club since 1936.
Perry was the last British male to triumph in the Wimbledon singles and Murray hopes he can follow in the footsteps of the man who was born exactly 100 years ago.
"I'm very excited to play at Wimbledon, I've got a good chance of doing well this year ... I think I can win it but I'm going to focus on my very first match," said the world number three, whose best result at the grasscourt grand slam was his quarter-final showing in 2008.
OFF DAY
"There's no point in me thinking about winning it too much before the tournament has started as I could easily lose in the first round if I have an off day."
Murray has spent hundreds of hours sweating in the gym over the past 12 months to ensure he does not have an off day.
"Since Wimbledon last year, when my game kicked on a lot, I started to improve big time. I learnt I was in better shape but I needed to get even stronger so I could play back to back five-set matches over the whole tournament," he said.
"After Wimbledon last year I went to train in Miami for three or four weeks and it's pretty tough weather to train around this time.
"That made a difference and gave me a lot of confidence going into the hardcourt stretch (of the season) and also in my first slam final (at the 2008 U.S. Open).
"When you spend a lot of time in the gym and are suffering off the court, it makes the tennis matches seem a lot easier.
"I have a lot more belief I can compete for five sets over seven matches. I go on with a clear head and with no excuses or doubts in the back of my mind." Continued...
Source: Reuters
No comments:
Post a Comment