- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS - Andy Murray gets ready for Wimbledon
- Date: 21st June 2013
- Summary: LONDON, UK (JUNE 20, 2013) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANDY MURRAY SPEAKING : " It's different, people say pressure isn't a negative thing, pressure can be a good thing in all sports. Playing in front of a home crowd is a benefit. If Man United were playing Barcelona I'm sure the Man United fans or their manager would much rather them playing them at home than away, that's how sport works, so once I get on the court it helps, you tend to play good tennis when you've got the crowd behind you and that always helps."
- Embargoed: 6th July 2013 13:00
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- Location: United Kingdom
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- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVA8Q30NN5D8176W22DF9XQSRO7Y
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- Story Text: Andy Murray is looking forward to the challenge of Wimbledon following his double triumph since last year's competition.
Murray followed his defeat to Roger Federer in last year's final by winning Olympic gold against the same player and then his first grand slam at the US Open.
" I think from my side it probably put a little less pressure on myself, " he said. " But every year when Wimbledon comes around I think from now to the end of my career there's always going to be pressure and expectation and I expect a lot of myself so it's slightly diffent but once a tournament gets started it's always the same to me, it's more the few days beforehand that are quite tough" ."
He also believes the support of the home crowd is more a positive than negative influence. : " It's different, people say pressure isn't a negative thing, pressure can be a good thing in all sports, " he explained. " Playing in front of a home crowd is a benefit. If Man United were playing Barcelona I'm sure the Man United fans or their manager would much rather them playing them at home than away, that's how sport works, so once I get on the court it helps, you tend to play good tennis when you've got the crowd behind you and that always helps."
Murray insists the tears after last year's Wimbledon defeat to Federer spurred him on to his subsequent triumphs. " It wasn't a disappoining experience, it was one of the best experiences I've had in my life, " he said . " It gave me a lot of motivation, i responded to losing in that match in a slam much better than I had in any other slam final before, obviously a few weeks later came back to play some of the best tennis I've played up to that point at the Olympics, so I learned a lot from the Wimbledin final, It was a great experience to be part of that and hopefully I can put myself in that position again."
The 2013 Wimbledon Championships begin on Monday June 24. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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