For Britain’s best player, this Wimbledon (as any other) might well be all about Novak Djokovic, but Andy Murray is keeping an avuncular eye on all his compatriots in both draws, and says he is happy if his success has helped inspire any of them.
Murray will almost certainly eliminate one of those, Liam Broady, in the first round on Tuesday. Aljaz Bedene, who has a stiff test on Tuesday against the No7 seed, Richard Gasquet, is also in the Scot’s quarter of the draw, but it is on Djokovic’s side of the draw that British interest is most concentrated. James Ward plays the defending champion first up on Monday, while Kyle Edmund will then get his turn at the Serb if he beats Adrian Mannarino.
They share the task with: Brydan Klein, who plays the in-form Nicolas Mahut: Alexander Ward, drawn against the 11th seed, David Goffin; the qualifier Marcus Willis, who would be thrilled to make the second round against Roger Federer if he could get past Ricardas Berankis; and Dan Evans, a potential third-round opponent for the world No3, if he can beat Jan-Lennard Struff, then either Evgeny Donskoy (whom he has beaten in the Davis Cup) or the No30 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov.
That is a long, thin red line at Wimbledon, for once – and Murray acknowledged on Saturday that individual ambition or overcooked national hopes have been fuelled for years by his breakthrough here in 2013, when he beat Djokovic in the final.
“I have spent a decent amount of time with [James] Wardy and Kyle, a little bit more time with Evo,” he said, the use of their nicknames a fair indicator of how close some of these players have become. “I’ve tried to practise with them and help where I can. If that’s made a small difference to them, then that’s great.”
But Murray also sets high standards – as those who have shared his winter training block with him in Miami will testify. He added: “The players need to do the work, as well, ultimately. It comes down to them. If I’ve given them a little bit extra sort of incentive to work a bit harder or motivated them in any way, then I’m really, really happy about that. But ultimately they need to be the ones themselves that go out and win the matches, practise and train hard.
“That’s the culture you want in this sport in this country because that’s something that I think a lot of players, coaches, people that have been involved in the game, feel like we’ve lacked a bit in the past. Hopefully moving forward that will be something we do a little bit better.”
Murray said of facing a fellow Briton at Wimbledon: “It’s never happened before, for me anyway. So, it will be interesting. I know Liam fairly well. We practised a bit earlier this year, around February, March time, after the Aussie Open. He’s a good guy, works hard. I’d imagine we’d probably play on one of the big courts. So it will be a big experience for him, as well. I’m looking forward to it – but it will be a bit strange.”
Not half as strange as if he were to lose to a player 232 places below him in the world rankings – whatever flag he flies. On that score, Murray refused to comment on the referendum result. “Not today,” he said – although he did admit staying up most of the night to watch the results come in.
Meanwhile Federer (another diplomat who dodged the referendum bullet) looks relaxed and fit – and pleased with the results of his post-French rehabilitation. He is in the bottom quarter of Djokovic’s side of the draw, with a first-up test workout on Monday against unseeded Guido Pella, of Argentina.
The Swiss came perilously close to going out at the first time of asking six years ago against another South American, Alejandro Falla, so his guard will be up – especially as he has a little more to prove this year, just shy of his 35th birthday and having struggled with a back injury, as well as the residue of a knee operation earlier in the year.
“The last month’s been good,” he said. “Before that, things have not been so good. Clearly I was somewhat disappointed not playing Paris. Now at least I’ve played.”
The world No3 reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart, where he lost to Dominic Thiem, then the same stage on Halle’s grass, where Alexander Zverev beat him. But, having missed four tournaments this year through illness and injury, he at least strung together a few wins in those tournaments, beating Taylor Fritz (65 in the world), Florian Mayer (226), Struff (88), Malek Jaziri (64) and, more significantly, the 11th-ranked Goffin.
Obstacles in front of him before a possible semi-final against Djokovic include the No5 seed, Kei Nishikori, who opens against the Australian power-server Sam Groth.
