Andy Murray is very rare find in the sport of tennis, a man with a unique talent and a seldom found image, one that very few players have had over the years.
The Scot is almost universally adored, with tennis fans in tennis stadia around the globe declaring their adulation for the three-time Grand Slam champion whenever he is in town.
You rarely get tennis fans disliking him.
Maybe it is because, in an era dominated by three of the greatest men's players ever to play the sport, the boy from Dunblane dared to challenge their dominance, beating them at their own game on so many occasions.
Or perhaps it is the way he never gives up, always loves a fight, the way he wears his emotions on his sleeve, both good and bad, and the way he has battled back from a career-ending injury to continue to compete - albeit with a metal hip.
On day two of this 2023 Australian Open, an event he has reached the final off on no less than five occasions, Murray played, as he has so many times over the years, another match that will go down in tennis folklore, defeating Italian Matteo Berrettini in five tantalising sets of tennis in just under five hours.
For those watching, it was one of the moment that you felt sorry for whoever was to be the loser, tired just watches these two great champs slog it out on one of tennis's great battlefields.
But for the victor, World No.66 Murray, he proved once again why he is such a fine role model for the sport when, following his on court interview, he spent some time cleaning his bench, 'decluttering' as they say in his corner of the world.
The 35-year-old picked up his socks, wristbands, towels, and other clothes while inquiring about a dustbin with empty water bottles in his hands. The spectators were still there in the stands as they witnessed Murray's heart-winning gesture.
0 Comments