the final

Yes, he deserves it

a storming game of high drama so far - as expected! first set murray, come on big man!

My husband totally refuses to take an interest as Murray really has not wished to be considered a Brit just a Scot and some years back when England were playing Croatia in the World Cup he bought himself a croatian shitrt - so though I'd like him to win - I am less enthusiastic than I might be.

viv - like I said above, I hope he does it for himself and no-one else. that said, I'm glad he's a brit, very glad he's a scot, and delighted he's from dunblane. people will associate dunblane more with andy murray now, rather than the 1996 school shooting. it's worth pointing out that up here in scotland, not everyone is pro-murray either. a lot of people seem to dislike him because of his dour personality. I wish they would just get over it and at least appreciate him for his tennis. and any murray naysayer is not allowed to start liking him if he wins the tournament - the time to appreciate him is now!

I want him to win because he's British whether he likes it or not and because I like to see new blood winning titles.

Viv, maybe you're lucky your husband isn't watching, mine is in the room and periodically looks up to say *C'mon Tim*....

it was a great match. well done andy. congratulations roger.

He put up a good fight and spoke well at the end. But Fed' just has the belief and the odd touch of sheer genius!

It amuses me that some Scots don't like him 'cos he's dour :) My feelings are similar to Twiglets would always support competitors from GB :)

At the end, when he was crying and trying to talk, i actually said, out loud, "Don't say you're sorry." I was SO annoyed at the papers and news and press, they put so much pressure on him. 'Come on, Andy' 'Do Britain proud' etc, etc. No, Murray, do it for YOU.
And you know what else pissed me off? Tim bloody Henman all over the news being interviewed. 'How will Andy be feeling right now, Tim?' Henman won't bloody know; he never reached any grand slam final, let alone FOUR.
Any people being put off by his seemingly miserable personality? Oh, eff off. He's a tennis player, he enjoys playing tennis. Being all happy and smiling in front of the camera has nothing to do with it.
And, to be honest, i don't give a crap that he's British, either. He's simply a good tennis player, who has worked hard to become as good as he is now, and will continue to improve.
And to support him simply because he's British is a bit... eh. I don't get that, personally. I simply enjoy watching well played tennis (and any sport that i enjoy) rather than rooting for one person only because he's 'one of us'. /Personal opinion.

wendle, I love your above rant and agree with just about all of it. bloody hen-man, eh? what a let down he was. go murray! reaching the final at wimbledon was a huge achievement, and I thought his nailbiting drama of a match against david ferrer in the quarters was the highlight of the tournament. I hope his next big success will be gold at the olympics.

I really wanted to watch Murray vs. Tsonga, but we were traveeling back from Cornwall when it was on, and only got to hear the first two sets on the radio.
I'm referring to the olympics as 'Wimbledon Mark 2'; it'll be all the same people at the same place!

murray vs tsonga was amazing to watch as well, although tsonga sustained one of the worst injuries imaginable during the match, the poor guy...

Supporting a fellow Briton is called being patriotic.

Which is something i, personally, am not. Which is why i added the '/personal opinion'; i understand and respect others feel differently. I was not looking for an argument on it, so please don't start one.

And no one is starting an argument. It would be rude to billion to be snippy on his blog wouldn't it?

I enjoy arguments. differences of opinion are welcome. what is there to argue about?

: - )

I like Andy Murray well enough... Wish he'd play in a kilt though... ; - )

Joking aside I agree with your comments about Dunblane and I like it that Andy doesn't use it for the sympathy vote. Also it shouldn't be about personalities, it should be about the quality of the play. He's super gifted, does it matter if he hasn't got a smile plastered on his face?

When there are two sides in whatever sport, if one is British that is the one I will support. It makes it a whole lot more exciting and enjoyable IMNSHO...

I like sportspeople with personality as the majority of them - regrettably - tend to come across as incredibly dull in interviews. andy murray might very well fit into that dull category. but - I appreciate his seriousness and passion for the game. I can see why people might be put off by his dour, moody exterior, but - let's hear it for the man's top quality tennis, eh folks?

the national identity/patriotism issue is more tricky. like wendle, I don't have much truck with the bombastic pride people take at having a fellow human being who just happens to have been born in the same country do well in a sporting event. but - I can't deny those wee ripples of emotion I experience when said person does well in said event. patriotism is not necessarily equivalent with jingoism, but when it is, it's one of the nastiest of human behaviours.

for full disclosure, I'm english but have spent most of my life (including most of my childhood) in scotland. so I can cheer on england or scotland in a sporting event as much as I can brush aside murray's mild jibes at the english football team as harmless piffle. and when they lose it's not the end of the world. I'd only be out smashing up the verandas if my life was so sad that I had nothing else to cling to but my national identity.

here's a thought experiment: what if the number one and two tennis players were english and scottish, and they were playing against each other at wimbledon? which one would you most want to win the match? would their nationalities be a factor? or would it be about who has the more appealing personality, the more interesting playing style, or what? I'd really like to know...

Change of sport, but i've been choosing who to support in le tour de france by whoever has the brightest coloured lycra on...

The scenario you describe billion is about as likely as rocking horse shit but like you it would be a dilemma for me also. I've never been to Scotland yet my mother (dead since I was 4) was Scottish and my father is unknown. So I could in theory be half anything or even 100% Scottish. CandyMan is half English and half Welsh and has a happy time supporting both Rugby teams.

I do not cling to a national identity but I was brought up by and supported by the English Social Service system so I do feel some loyalty to England and to Britain. Life wasn't perfect *in the system* but compared to images from other countries (Romania, for instance) this orphan been very fortunate : - )

craft - that's interesting that you could be (for example) a pure scot but not know it. from what you've described it sounds like you're more english, because that's what you feel the closest to.

wendle - skimpiest bikini in the volleyball does it for me every time. (*is that wrong?)

You are watchitng 2 playrs 2 teams, as Craft says you get more enjoyment if you support one of them
So being Man City supporters we supported teams with our players in -it's not serious - it's pretty arbitary but in the end we were pleased for Silva when Spain won. In football we would tend to support a northern team against a southern team usually. National pride is definitely not part of it but being pleased for a fellow Brit just comes naturally. Just ever widening circles starting from family and friends. A bit of sparring between Yorks and Lancs is par for the course and thoroughly enjoyed unless taken too seriously!

billion, not the way i would choose, but my nan used to support Linford Christie based solely on his, erm, 'asset'. With women's tennis i'll support whoever's quietest.

I do a blinding Scottish accent though,....

On the subject of Linford Christie, when he was at the height of his fame one of the radio stations, I think it was capital had a phone in competition asking for suggestions on how to make a packed lunch in the stylee of Linford Christie. I can only remember one, it was 2 kiwi fruits and a bottle of Lucozade... Just thought I'd throw that in to the ring!

hahahaha! let's not forget he was a great sprinter as well...

with all the olympic hoopla going on, this conversation has a lot of interesting points about why we support the people we do....love Wendle's biker criteria--whomever has the brightest colours.

so that's how wiggo clinched the tour de france... it was the indomitable yellow jersey what done it!