Andy Murray gets a step closer to the big Olympic test – Tennis News
Third seed, Andy Murray, contested for the Olympic semi-finals after thrashing Nicolas Almagro in a straight set victory of 6-4, 6-1. His supreme test starts when he will meet his old rival, Novak Djokovic, for the first
time on the grass courts of the All England Club on Friday.
His journey to the top has not been easy; the British number one had to face tough competition ever since the beginning of the tournament. After beating the 11th seeded Spanish, he has enhanced his
chances to win a medal at the Olympics; in the worst-case scenario, his efforts will pay-off with a bronze medal. If Murray losses to Djokovic in the semis, he might then be competing against the former US Open Champion, Juan Martin Del Potro, only if the
hot favourite Roger Federer wins his clash against the Argentine.
The British professional also has a fair chance for the mixed doubles with Laura Robson. However, it is evident that he is on a sole mission to secure this gold medal in the singles. The match with the world number two Serb
will surely be his greatest challenge of the tournament. Djokovic has never been defeated by him in a major event and takes a head-to-head lead of 8-5 against the Brit.
The match between the top seeds in the semi-finals will indeed be among the most entertaining matches of the Olympics. The former world number one is in an outstanding shape this season. He maintains his proactive performance
in most of the tournaments he played this year and recently defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Murray in a press conference told the media, “I know how much I care about the Olympics and how much I want to do well here. I want to try to win a medal, be part of the team and help Britain’s
medal count if I can.”
He further added, “I would like to see all the seats full in all of the stadia but for whatever reason they have not been. The support inside and outside the stadiums has been great so hopefully over the weekend we will get
all the courts packed.”
The Scot had a private audience with the Cambridge’s Duke and Duchess. The young royals were extremely delighted and hopeful for Murray. The Scot said, “That’s the plan. I know it is going to take a big physical effort, but
you do not get the chance to do this that often. It’s fun.”
Great pressure rests on the Scot’s shoulders this Olympics. He will be facing a maximum of five matches in the coming few days. Unlike the Wimbledon Championships the Olympics is the best-of-three set match leaving no room
for error. Murray’s record this season is extra ordinary, giving him a fair chance to upset Djokovic.
Tags: