UK-: OLYMPICS: Andy Murray and Venus Williams bring the Olympic torch to Wimbledon

Record ID: 778852

  • Title: UK-: OLYMPICS: Andy Murray and Venus Williams bring the Olympic torch to Wimbledon
  • Date: 23rd July 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF CENTRE COURT AT ALL ENGLAND TENNIS CLUB, WITH OLYMPIC BALL BOYS AND GIRLS LINED UP CLOSE ON BALL BOYS AND GIRLS IN OLYMPIC UNIFORMS WAITING ON CENTRE COURT BRITISH TENNIS STAR ANDY MURRAY RUNNING ONTO CENTRE COURT WITH OLYMPIC TORCH VARIOUS OF ANDY MURRAY POSING ON CENTRE COURT WITH OLYMPIC TORCH MURRAY RUNN
  • Embargoed: 7th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB3GSM7BKNDYYO6QWZBK77GG18
  • Story Text: Tennis stars Andy Murray and Venus Williams brought the Olympic torch to Wimbledon on Monday (July 23), where they will soon be competing for gold medals for their countries.
    Scot Murray carried the flame on to the iconic Centre Court of the All England Tennis Club, where he lost to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final just weeks ago.
    He joked that he had nearly set fire to the sporting landmark as he entered.
    "It was great, it was obviously you know a big honour, a bit nerve-wracking as well - I was coming in underneath Wimbledon, there's a lot of (ducks) ...apparently I caught the flame a little bit on the ceiling, so I was trying to be careful but yeah it was really good fun and I really enjoyed it so yeah, very proud," he said.
    The last time Olympic tennis was played on the All England Club's grass courts in south west London, Britain walked away with all of the gold medals and a handful of silver and bronze to boot.
    Expectations are not that high 104 years later as the Olympics return to Wimbledon, but a medal for British number one Murray could help ease the pain of the country's long-suffering tennis fans.
    Murray said focusing on the Olympics was a good way to move on from his defeat at the hands of the inimitable Federer in this month's final.
    "I've been practicing the last nine or ten days now, I've been doing a lot of training to get ready. I think this event is a huge motivation for me after Wimbledon and exactly what I needed, so I'm really looking forward to it."
    He said wearing Britain's colours brought a new pressure and excitement to his matches ahead, despite being played in familiar ground.
    "No-one really knows what to expect, I mean we're just so used to Wimbledon as it is and now obviously...you know it was already a bit strange today practicing, I practiced with Djokovic today and we were both wearing our coloured kits, you know the colours of our country and it just seems a bit different, like the purple backgrounds and what not, so I'm excited to see what it's going to be like, yeah very excited," he said.
    After leaving Centre Court he passed the torch to former US Olympic champion Williams, who said she was 'elated' to have been asked to take part.
    "Woah it's so exciting, when I got the invite to carry the torch I just couldn't believe it. It was an amazing feeling, I was just, I think I was just elated the whole time, laughing the whole time. Just to participate in the Olympics is just you know a dream I think every kid has growing up and to be able to live this dream is just amazing," he said.
    Seven-time grand slam singles champion Williams won the gold in singles at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She said she may have taken the win for granted at the time and was grateful to challenge for the gold again.
    "Well you know I think it would feel even sweeter now if I'm honest but lookng at that I can't believe I actually did that, you know. I'm like oh my God. At the time you just get in the zone but afterwards you just can't believe it, so if it could happen I think I could make my country proud," she said.
    She and sister Serena, a 13-times grand slam singles champion, are undefeated in Olympic doubles competition claiming gold medals in 2000 and 2008 but she said this is her most important Games yet.
    "This is the most important Olympics I've ever played you know, it was definitely a fight to get here and now I'm an Olympian. I'm very excited, you know as soon as I touched down I just felt all the feeling of being an Olympian," she said.
    But she said it hopefully won't be her last - she said she also hopes to compete for her country in 2016.
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