A state of ‘Andymonium’

Re-writing the record books in a warm-up event is one thing, but for Andy Murray, the newly-crowned Queen’s Club champion, the real work is about to begin.

Wimbledon remains the holy grail in terms of British tennis, if not the whole of British sport, and having wrested Tim Henman’s role as ‘The man most likely to’ three years ago, Murray now stands on the brink of an historic achievement.

It is 73 years since a Briton won the men’s singles title at SW19 – an eternity given the obsession that sweeps across the nation for two winsome weeks every year.

But after a succession of near misses courtesy of Henman, there is genuine cause to believe this will be the tournament that finally ends the most severe of sporting droughts.

With Henman, it was always a case of hope outweighing expectation.

Without wanting to bemoan the achievements of a multiple champion who has been unfairly portrayed as a loser, it felt as though the will of middle England was stronger than the will of the player carrying all of its hopes.

With Murray, however, things are different. The Scot has always possessed a steeliness that has set him apart from Henman, but in the last 12 months, the 22- year-old has also attained a skill level that is far superior to the one that propelled his erstwhile rival to number four in the world.

Even Henman has been forced to admit: “He’s a better player than I was, yeah, definitely. His results already say that.” And this, remember, from a man who played in four Wimbledon semi-finals, and who would surely have made the final had it not been for an untimely rain delay in 2001.

Murray’s game is now significantly better than Henman’s ever was. His serve is stronger and more reliable, his ground strokes are more penetrative and powerful, and his ability to mix and match tactics is unmatched at the top of the men’s game. He can’t volley as well as his predecessor as British number one, but then if every point had finished at the net, Henman would probably have boasted more Wimbledon titles than Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal combined.

In short, if Henman was good, then Murray is very good, and as last week’s Queen’s success proved, he is still improving.

He has surged ahead of Novak Djokovic to claim the number three spot in the world rankings, and is the only player in the world to have beaten both Nadal and Federer this season.

The challenge now is to see off two of tennis’ alltime greats when the stakes are at their highest, but while Nadal and Federer have developed a rivalry as thrilling as anything the sport has ever seen, the pair will both travel to Wimbledon with questions to answer.

For Nadal, the issue is one of fitness. The Spaniard was forced to withdraw from Queen’s in order to receive intensive treatment on both of his knees, and any lingering pain will inevitably hamper a player whose brute physicality is a massive part of his game.

If his movement is in any way restricted in the next two weeks – as it was in Paris at the French Open – his performance levels will drop dramatically.

When it comes to Federer, the doubts have nothing to do with the body, but instead relate to the mind.

The Swiss poured so much emotion and energy into completing his collection of major titles at Roland Garros earlier this month that it was hard to escape the impression that a season’s work had been completed in the space of a fortnight.

The tears that flowed after he lifted the French Open trophy spoke of a lifetime ambition fulfilled. For all that he is a consummate professional as well as a sporting genius, can Federer lift himself again so quickly after the crowning moment of his career?

If the answer is no, that surely leaves Murray. He has the talent, undoubtedly.

The temperament remains an issue, but the surliness that characterised his early years has been replaced by a level-headed maturity that augurs well for the next two weeks.

Four times Henman made the final at Queen’s, only to fall at the final hurdle.

Having overcome that obstacle with ease four days ago, Murray could hardly be in better shape as he attempts to scale the biggest peak of all. After a lifetime of waiting, it finally feels as though Britain’s time has come.

AS someone who has previously questioned the value of Twenty20, the current World Cup has forced me into a radical rethink. As the ICC might say in their future marketing, from start to finish it’s been a blast.

Packed houses, thrilling finishes, upsets and superb shot making, the tournament has showcased much that is good about the modern all-action game.

But in a welcome nod to the traditionalists, the competition has also rekindled some lost arts that were in danger of fading into obscurity.

Finger spinners, for example, have emerged as the bowlers of choice.

Tight, reliable wicketkeeping has proved more valuable than pinchhitting runs at the top of the order.

And the most important art of all has been fielding.

Catches win matches.

As a phrase, it’s just about as old as the game of cricket. But thanks to the advent of Twenty20, it’s never been more relevant than it is now.

AND finally, it’s US Open golf time.

With the Angel Cabrera winnings having all but disappeared, it’s time to pull another winner out of the bag.

Not at three-figure odds this time, but with the Bethpage course set to be long, flat and featureless, I’m going for steady Australian Geoff Ogilvy at 20-1.