The words have always been delivered in a drawl. But Andy Murray�s body language now represents the physical expression of a Zen-like silence.

The words have always been delivered in a drawl. But Andy Murray's body language now represents the physical expression of a Zen-like silence. The 22-year-old Scot is facing the biggest week in his life yet he is savouring the moment, almost relishing the expectation.

Watching Team Murray on the practice courts at Wimbledon yesterday was akin to observing a group of young lads on holiday, hitting a few balls before the bars open. There were smiles. There was banter.

But closer observation revealed that there was also one lad playing against two. He was not doing too badly, either.

Murray rattled shots off both forehand and backhand and Ross Hutchins, the Davis Cup doubles player, and Miles Maclagan, the world No.3's coach, returned with increasing difficulty. The session served as a statement on Murray's Wimbledon journey. It may seem easy but that is only because his artistry makes it so. It also adds unnecessary support to Murray's assertion that he is not feeling the pressure. The hype is swatted away.

"It makes absolutely zero difference at all to the way you perform on court. Why? Because it is hype," he said. He added: "It is what everybody else is saying. It is not what I'm saying. It is what the press are writing and people are saying to me.

I understand the position that I'm in. I need to play my best to win. I'm going to try and do my best to do that. I said once the tournament starts, it is fine. You play your match, do your press, practise the next day."

Murray, then, is in a rhythm. It is a winning one. Three opponents have been rolled away. Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland now stands between Murray and the quarter-finals.

The Scot beat Wawrinka comprehensively as he made his way to the US Open final last year. He publicly dismissed the significance of that victory. "I don't think it will make a huge difference," he said.

This is normal sports speak. But Murray then said something much more meaningful. "I feel I am a better player than I was at the US Open. So I'm sure that will count for something."

This testifies to Murray's certainty that his game is getting better. It is a simple, clear statement that Murray knows he is ready to win a grand slam. His winning rhythm is accentuated by playing on the same court at the same time in every round. The Scot made his obligatory noises about the Wimbledon support. The atmosphere, he said has been great. The crowds are "always very good". He takes, too, strength from the crowd.

"They know tennis here," he said. "There's slightly more importance on each match. They kind of get behind me a little bit more. In the first match, when I did lose a set against Robert Kendrick, they got behind me when they've needed to. Every time I've been down in break points or down in games they've always been very good."

Murray now has an affinity with the Centre Court. It is respectful and, occasionally, very enthusiastic. It will become progressively more passionate as he progresses in the tournament.

There have been accusations that the Scot has been cold-shouldered by the Centre Court. This is absurd. The Mexican waves, the shouts and the odd proposal of marriage show he is a home favourite. But slowly the fans are placing a burden on Murray's shoulders. They hoped Tim Henman would win. They expect Murray to succeed.

The absolute relaxation of the Scot is revealed in his attitude to the noise. He finds it supportive and helpful. But he was acute on the importance of the moments of silence.

"All of the grand slams are special," he said. "But there is one thing here that is completely different for me than in the other slams. I like the respect during the points for both players. It's always pretty much silent when you are hitting serves here. At the US Open there's always noise. For me, it is always that quietness that's made Wimbledon special to me. You can tell all the focus is on what's happening on the court."

This silence could unsettle a player in the heat of battle. But Murray uses it. "It makes it easier to steady yourself sometimes. You just take your time. Even though you know the whole crowd is there. And they understand the importance of the tournament and each match."

This Zen approach works. His serve has been strong, swift and sure. It has reached a top speed of 133mph. More importantly, it has provided a steady platform for the rest of his game.

He would not be drawn on the significance of entering the final week of a grand slam tournament. Murray is four matches away from winning Wimbledon. It is a matter of mere hours. It will make the heaviest demands on him.

But he remains calm and focused. "I'll just have to play my game and play it very well. I know if I go out and play terrible, there's a good chance I am going to lose. I need to make sure I'm playing good tennis, make sure I'm playing smart, make sure I'm serving well. Then I can win," he said.

"I can't afford to worry about who I might be playing in the quarters or semi-finals. If I take my eye off the ball against someone like Stan I'm going to lose. I have to just focus on that match and make sure I do what I've been doing so far in the tournament."

He is not afraid to contemplate winning Wimbledon. A foreign journalist asked him on Saturday, after the demolition of Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, if Murray was putting pressure on himself by saying he had come to SW19 to win.

There was no bragging or vanity in the reply. "At every tournament I play in, I go in with the mentality that I am going to win the tournament. If you don't, then when you get into a winning position, you get nervous because you are not expecting it."

The Scot is relaxed. The Wimbledon crowd is growing in expectation and noise. It is Zen and the art of Murray mania.