John McEnroe: Even if Andy Murray loses it, he can still win

Pressure point: Andy Murray warms up for Wimbledon but he has looked increasingly edgy on court this year
10 April 2012

John McEnroe today insisted Andy Murray's surly on-court persona won't ruin his chances of a first Wimbledon title at this year's Championships.

The American was the ultimate tennis superbrat — his famous "You cannot be serious" rant at an umpire in 1981 has been voted the nation's favourite Wimbledon memory — but it did not stop him being crowned champion three times at SW19.

Although Murray does not explode like McEnroe on court, he does have problems hiding his disappointment when things are not going his way.

Tomorrow the world No4 will be firmly in the spotlight again as his bid to end Britain's 74-year wait for a men's Grand Slam champion begins when he faces Czech Jan Hajek.

McEnroe, 51, understands the kind of pressure Murray operates under but dismisses fears that the 23-year-old's yells of frustration and apparent unhappiness will be a problem.

The American now plays on senior tours, having retired in 1992, and says it was only towards the end of his own career that he felt losing his cool affected his game.

"My explosions of emotion were not on purpose which is different to now when I play and fans wait until I do shout at the umpire and then cheer," said McEnroe. "I wish I had a sense of humour at the time, including the frenzy of Wimbledon in 1981 and it did hurt me in the last four or five years of my career.

"I was so wound up in 1981 because I had blown it the previous year and the whole two weeks felt like two months. Andy has more pressure on him here at Wimbledon, probably more than any player in our sport, and people are desperate for him to do well in the Championships.

"My dad used to tell me not to yell but I was the guy out there and like me Andy is a perfectionist and so it's tough not to feel annoyed but I believe Andy can win Wimbledon.

"I thought Andy exhibited some negative energy while losing the Australian Open Final to Roger Federer in January but, let's be honest, Pete Sampras looked miserable all the time and won seven Wimbledons. There are very few guys like Federer who walk around all the time looking like they are enjoying things."

Virginia Wade was the last Briton to win a Grand Slam singles title, taking the 1977 crown when she received her trophy from the Queen in Jubilee Year.

Wade believes the presence of the Monarch at the Championships for the first time in 33 years on Thursday could be a good omen for Murray's bid for a first Slam title. She is urging him to have the kind of positive attitude that underpinned her own Wimbledon triumph and revealed the presence of the Queen had been a huge motivating factor as she neared the end of her career.

Wade said: "In 1977, I signed the form for the singles entry six weeks before the tournament and I always seemed to underperform at Wimbledon and knew my time was running out.

"The discussion with myself went along the lines of, that's not a very good attitude' and then I found out the Queen was going to be there on finals day and I decided I was going to be there as well. I knew that would be my one and only chance and I was going to win.

"The presence of the Queen was a mega motivation for me to win the Wimbledon singles title but, I must admit, I never thought that 33 years later I would be arriving at Wimbledon and we haven't had a men's or women's singles champion since."

Although Murray has been struggling for form — the defence of his Queen's title ended with a third-round defeat by Mardy Fish — Wade believes there is still cause for optimism because his rivals have had their problems too.

Wade said: "Every player has a honeymoon period and then the other players start to pick your game apart and look for weaknesses and then there is the pressure of expectation.

"Andy just needs to get out there and do the job. I don't know what's been happening with him since the Australian Open Final in January and confidence does seem to be a factor. Andy is fortunate Novak Djokovic isn't playing well and Juan Martin Del Potro is injured and so there is a huge chance for him because the men's game has gone from looking spectacular to all funny in the blink of an eye."

So funny, that the master on grass Federer lost the final of the Halle tournament against Lleyton Hewitt. The six-time Wimbledon champion had not lost a match at the tournament since 2002 and had beaten the Australian 15 times in a row over the past six years.

To celebrate its 75-year association with Wimbledon, drinks manufacturer Robinsons conducted a nationwide poll to find the most memorable moment from the tournament. While McEnroe's blast was No1, Wade's triumph was fourth.

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