TENNIS: Is this Murrays year?

With Murray eventually progressing to the last 16 with a hard fought win against Marcus Baghdatis, you would be forgiven for thinking that it may just be Murrays Wimbledon. Although Murray looked shaky in the tournaments leading up to SW19, including a shock 1st round defeat against Nicolas Mahut At queens a week prior, Murray has come out all guns blazing and has impressed in his opening 3 matches. They weren't exactly weak opponents either, with Davydenko being formerly being number 3 in the world rankings, Karlovic possessing an extremely venomous serve and Baghdatis formerly a grand slam finalist. With Murray disposing of this dangerous opposition with considerable ease, the question must be asked; Can Murray be the first British male since Fred Perry 76 years ago to win the coveted Wimbledon trophy?

Murray roars in delight on his way to a
4 set vicory over Baghdatis 

I can understand why people would think that Murray does not have a chance. He has been promising coming into Wimbledon for the last couple of years, but he hasn't managed to convert this promise into silverware, not even close. Murray’s one of those players who flourish against opponents that are inferior in both reputation and skill to him, as he uses his confidence to great impact and effectively bully opponents on court. However, it is a different story when he comes up against one of the 3 better players than himself; Djokovic, Nadal and Federer. Murray has the tendency to hide in his shell, with emphasis on defence rather then attack. With this mentality, he allows the top 3 to dictate the pace of the game, something that is pivotal in determining the outcome of a match, and he has almost always lost as a result.

Murray also has the tendency to bottle it and fall at the final hurdle. He almost always makes it to the semi finals of the grand slams, but always seems to lose to one of the top 3, agonizingly ending his bid for a grand slam. Even if he does get through to the final, he always comes unstuck when so close to the trophy, most notably against Federer in the Australian open in 2010 where despite having a massive chance of ending his wait for a major trophy, ended up being thrashed by a technically superior opponent in Roger Federer. Lastly, Murrays form going into the championships may just hinder his bid for success. He bowed out at the French open at the quarter final stages after an abysmal performance against David Ferrer, before being knocked out inexplicably in the first round of queens. In addition to this, he has been struggling with a catalogue of injuries, including a serious back injury which affected his performance massively at Roland Garros.

But it seems Murray may have left all these worries behind, and he is beginning to find his world class quality once again. He dispatched of the former world number 3, Davydenko, in straight sets, only losing 6 games along the way in a performance that can only be described as a destruction. He also only lost 1 set each to both Karlovic and Baghdatis, both of which have the ability to have knocked Murray out. By beating these opponents without coming close to defeat, it is evident that Murray can win Wimbledon this year. His defensive game is superb, and even though he may not be the most powerful of players, his athleticism on court and his incredible precision means he is lethal when given the opportunity on a tennis court.

Nadal’s defeat against Rosol may have paved
the way for Murray to reach the Wimbledon final

Another massive factor that increases his chance of winning the title is the failures of his rival opponents, with the top 3 Djokovic, Nadal and Federer all having various problems. With potential semi final opponent Nadal crashing out at the second round to an unknown Czech player, this may have just opened up Murray’s route to the final. Djokovic and Federer have also had their problems, with Djokovic being rattled by 28th seed Stepanek in the second round, and Federer being on the brink of defeat against Bennatau, before showing his class to fight back and topple his French opponent in 5 sets. With Nadal out and Djokovic and Federer looking unconvincing, it may be Murray’s time to step up to the plate and conquer Wimbledon and win a major tournament for the first time.

Murray’s opponent in the last 16 will be the Croat Marin Cilic, who fresh off winning the Queen's title, will fancy his chances against the Scotsman. But with Murray leading 5-1 in head two heads in their past clashes, I'm sure that Murray will topple the Croat and walk away with a win. Furthermore, Murray’s injury problems seem to be behind him and combined with the problems of the 'big 3', there are many who are tipping Murray for greatness come Sunday next week. Despite coming so close in recent slams, I believe that this year may well be Murrays year, and with things seeming to be going his way, I think that he can finally win Wimbledon and become the first male Brit to win the Wimbledon crown since Fred Perry.