As leaps of faith go, saying that you will definitely go on to win a Grand Slam title is one that Andy Murray is far too sensible to make, at least in public.
If pushed, he might say that the US Open offers him his best chance because of his hard-court prowess, but Roger Federer believes the Scot’s maiden Major title could come at Wimbledon, where the world’s most prestigious tennis gets under way on Monday.
Federer will go into Wimbledon as the strong favourite to regain his title after his victory in the French Open; a win that cemented his place in the history books as he became only the sixth man to complete a full set of Major titles and, in the process, equalled Pete Sampras’s overall record of 14.
With the pressure off, few would bet against Federer, especially with Rafael Nadal struggling to remain fit because of knee trouble that worsened through the clay-court season. Federer knows that reclaiming his crown will not be easy, especially with Murray improving fast.
”Andy Murray’s best surface might be grass — I think he’s playing well,” Federer said.
Reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon last summer appears to have been the catalyst for Murray’s rise. He has since won six titles and beaten Federer four times, Nadal twice and the world No 4, Novak Djokovic, three times. He is not worried about the pressure of playing in front of his home fans.
”Everyone kind of goes on the whole time about the extra pressure and why we haven’t had any champions, but I don’t really buy into all that,” he said. ”I think the support makes a huge difference to the way we perform and I try to do the same thing at Wimbledon. Once you step on the court, you’re just playing tennis,” said Murray. Â-