Henman urges Wimbledon unbelievers to back Murray

Sports Writer

Friday 6 July 2012

TIM HENMAN feels Andy Murray has his best chance yet of reaching the Wimbledon final and has urged any non-believers in the crowd to embrace him as their own.

Andy Murray: 'a phenomenal player', says Tim Henman

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Stewart Fisher

The Scot equals Henman's record of four semi-finals at SW19 as he plays Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France this afternoon, and Henman expects him to go one better than he managed by being the first GB player to reach the final since Bunny Austin in 1938.

"I think he's been a little bit unfortunate with the way things panned out in the early days with the England/Scotland thing," said the BBC pundit, a semi-finalist here in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002. "But he's a phenomenal player and a really, really good person. I hope that people can, if there is a question mark in their mind, really get behind him. This is an unbelievable opportunity for him. I've heard Fred Perry and Bunny Austin talked about for long enough and I'd be pretty happy for that conversation to end."With Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer meeting in the other semi-final, the Scot still has his work cut out if he is to lift his first grand slam trophy. Henman regards world No.1 Djokovic as his favourite for the tournament, but likes the Scot's semi-final chances against the big-hitting Tsonga, against whom he has won five of their six meetings. "His first semi-final here against [Andy] Roddick I thought was a good match-up, but Roddick served incredibly," Henman said. "There were the other two against [Rafael] Nadal – obviously last year he was up a set and had that forehand chance, and it was amazing how quickly that match turned around. I think it's a very different scenario now. We've got a different opponent, Tsonga, and I think we've got a different, much-improved Murray, and that's where I have a lot of optimism. Tsonga is playing very, very well but I think Murray can and will win that. But again, talk is cheap. He's the one who has to go out and do it."Interview. Pages 2, 3

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Henman urges Wimbledon unbelievers to back Murray

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