THE talking is done, the preparation is over, now it's about delivering.

Andy Murray will step on to Centre Court tomorrow for the first of what he hopes will be seven matches, ending in the ultimate success.

The back injury that forced him out of the French Open, he says, has settled down and there is nothing more he could have done to be ready for Wimbledon.

If there is a feeling of deja vu about it all, then it is hardly surprising, for Murray has arrived in SW19 as a genuine contender for the past four years.

Twelve months ago, he came agonisingly close to becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, edged out by Roger Federer in four sets in the final.

The difference between this year and last is that Murray is here as a Grand Slam champion, and an Olympic champion to boot.

If that doesn't help him deal with the inevitable pressure of trying to emulate Perry, surely nothing will. Having shrugged off his injury and won the Aegon Championships at London's Queen's Club for the third time a week ago, Murray seems relaxed and confident and raring to go.

"I was incredibly nervous going into the US Open final," he said. "I felt a little bit better going into [this year's] Australian final. I think having won a Slam, that's obviously going to be a little bit different. I would hope that I'd be slightly less nervous if it gets to the final.

"There are still going to be a lot of nerves there the night before my first match and the day I play my first match and that's not going to change. But I don't mind being nervous. Nerves are a good thing."

Murray's tears on Centre Court after the toughest defeat of his life last July had a dual effect. Firstly, they endeared him to the public, both at home and abroad. Secondly, and more importantly, they helped him to recover more quickly.

The following month he played one of the best matches of his life to crush Federer in three straight sets to win the Olympic gold medal. One month later, he beat Novak Djokovic in the final at Flushing Meadows to win his first Grand Slam title.

"After the [Wimbledon final], I was obviously really upset for the rest of that evening and probably two, three days afterwards," he said. "But I'd say once I actually got back on the court, that was when I started to feel better.

"It was the first time I'd responded well to a defeat so it was maybe good that I got all those emotions out and didn't keep them bubbled up. I got them out of my system and got back to work."

It was noticeable at Queen's Club last week that Murray's popularity with the crowd has increased, something that could help him as he tries to cope with a tough draw and the inevitable pressure.

"I felt like at the Olympics and probably after Wimbledon last year, people probably saw a slightly different side to me," Murray said. "On the court when I'm playing the matches, I'm extremely focused and basically just trying to do my best, I'm not laughing and joking around.

"But I think, probably after Wimbledon, everyone saw how hard I was trying and how much it meant to me. I was giving everything I had and then wasn't able to get over that final hurdle."

Though the Olympics were held at Wimbledon, the make-up of the crowd and the general feel of the atmosphere made for a totally different tournament, almost, and Murray fed off the buzz from the fans to play some of his best ever tennis.

"I just find when they're extremely noisy and vocal, that helps me and I've enjoyed playing in those atmospheres my whole career.

"I don't know how much effect it will have in this event but I've played well on grass my whole career. I like the surface, I like Wimbledon. And if I play my best tennis, I give myself a good opportunity to do well."

Second seed Murray is in the same half of the draw as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and is seeded to meet the winner of their likely quarter-final clash in the last four.

First he plays Germany's Benjamin Becker, whom he beat at Queen's Club but who he won't underestimate.

"I will be ready for it and am looking forward to it," Murray said. "He serves well, he played well at Nottingham a few weeks ago and we met in the quarters at Queen's. He's a good grass-court player."

All that's left is for Murray, then, is seven matches to create history.