Murray steamrolls into final

Andy Murray was given an unexpected Friday off at Queens but his Saturday was hardly tougher as he absolutely demolished Andy Roddick in next to no time. Murray quickly saw off the challenge with a 6-3, 6-1 win that saw the Scotsman play some of the best tennis he has played in a long time. The final is still to come but already eyes are turning towards Wimbledon and once again, Andy Murray will find the expectations of the British nation falling upon him. Whether he was what it takes to take that next step remains to be seen but he should be lauded for this stunning performance, regardless of what happens at Wimbledon.

Demolition job from start to finish

Andy Roddick was far from his best but that shouldn’t be taken as a criticism of the performance from Murray. Everything that came near Murray’s racquet seemed to be returned with great conviction and Roddick resigned himself to his fate long before the end came. In the end, it was a triumphing win but you get the impression that Roddick will not mind this defeat if he can gain his revenge on Murray during the Wimbledon event.

The Murray versus Roddick semi-final was the first of the two events so Murray does not yet know who his opponent will be in the final. It is likely it will be French tennis star Jo Wilfried Tsonga but any British fan will be praying that rank outsider James Ward can pull off an upset. Ward is the British number 2 for tennis but he is only listed at 425 in the world rankings so it would be a major shock if there was an all British final. Then again, the fact that Ward is in the semi-final has to be seen as a complete outsider so why can’t it happen?

Day of rest was of great benefit

The final of the Aegon Championships takes place on Sunday at midday and again, the benefit of having the Friday off is likely to stand Murray in good stead. There is no doubt that the final order of this championship can be quite punishing but such is the nature of an event that has to fit around other major events in the tennis calendar. There is not much room between the French open and the Wimbledon Championships, which is a factor in some of the biggest names sidestepping this event in order to properly prepare for Wimbledon.

However, it can be a great confidence boost for a player that performs well here and given that many tennis stars are not fond of grass, it acts as great preparation for the major London event. Whether Murray picks up silverware on Sunday isn’t really the issue, the raising of hopes and expectations for the forthcoming Wimbledon is likely to the factor on everyone’s minds in the next few days.

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