Can Andy Murray win Wimbledon?
After an impressive win against David Ferrer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals, Britain’s Andy Murray now takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for a place in the final. Is this the year he goes all the way?
The match was Andy Murray’s toughest challenge yet. After losing the first set, he rallied to win the match on a tie break – as usual, pointing to the sky in victory.
Now through to the semi-finals, Murray’s mettle will be tested by fifth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
So what are the British number one’s chances of finally joining Fred Perry in the Wimbledon men’s singles hall of fame?
Murray has ranked number two in the world, but is his record – and current position as fourth seed – sufficient to raise hopes of a place in the final?
It all depends on how he handles France’s powerful Tsonga, his friend and rival. He will be no easy opponent; in last year’s quarter-finals Tsonga beat Roger Federer from two sets down.
Murray, meanwhile, has been criticised for being too passive in high-pressure matches, relying on drawing his opponent into mistakes rather than going on the offensive.
Blogger Nima Naderi, who writes for Tennis Connected thinks Murray has a “realistic chance” of beating Tsonga in the semis and reaching the final.
He told Channel 4 News: “He’s never lost to him on grass and is playing with confidence. However, Murray does have the tendency of getting overpowered in big matches and that can certainly happen against Tsonga.
“He’ll have to zero in on Tsonga’s backhand and use the crowd to his advantage. Tsonga has a much better serve than Ferrer and Murray will need to be on his return game. There’s going to be a lot of drama out there, and the pressure should be even higher because they are playing the second semi-final.”
Fourth time around?
This will be Murray’s fourth appearance in the men’s semi-finals at Wimbledon – perhaps ominously matching the tally of former British number one Tim Henman who never went further.
If Tsonga can be overcome, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic or Switzerland’s Roger Federer await in the final; so either way a daunting task. Third seed Federer has won Wimbledon six times and Djokovic is the reigning champion.
Murray has been knocked out of the tournament by current or former Wimbledon champions on three occasions but his usual bogeyman, Rafael Nadal, went out of the tournament in a surprise early exit.
A final appearance for Andy Murray would be a massive moment in British sport and a chance perhaps to consign Fred Perry to the history books once and for all.