Wimbledon Betting / Maxliu / 01 July 2010 /

The British number one has benefited from less pressure at Wimbledon this year - so Andy fans should try and keep it cool as he bids to reach his first SW19 final, says Max Liu.

Despite saying that he would support any football team that beat England, Andy Murray would probably have preferred Fabio Capello's side to remain in the World Cup.

The nation's preoccupation with football, as well as lower expectations based on poor form, had eased the pressure on him. He's now [4.6] to win Wimbledon but he has touched [13.0], and less pressure was surely a factor in his quiet, professional progress into the quarter-finals.

While inquests rage about what's wrong with English football, sanctimonius hacks, who take themselves and the national team too seriously, offer their view (Henry Winter's 10 point plan to save the game in the Telegraph was a particular highlight) but try this: when it comes to sport, the British public is an overbearing parent; you know the type - overseeing exam revision, making a nuisance of themselves at parents' evening and a holy show of themselves at sports day, leaving their children miserable and unfulfilled.

There is another way though. Last weekend, I visited a dear friend who lectures at Oxford University. She's extremely intelligent and driven but when we were doing our A levels together I was struck by how hands-off her parents were; they encouraged and supported her but, unlike my parents, they didn't stand over her with a carving knife while she swotted up on the unification of Germany or tell her that she was doomed to a life of penury if she failed.

We should take a similar approach to Andy - applaud the good points, ignore the bad, party hard if he wins but, should he lose, remind him that he's young, talented and brilliant. We love you, Andy, and we always will. Whatever you do.

There are many reason to believe Murray can triumph. While his rivals have floundered , he's played with an assurance that's not quite British. Long may it last. He was on the verge of going two sets down against Jo Wilfried Tsonga in Wednesday's quarter-final but the way Murray played his way back into the match with a combination of consolidation and ambitious hitting, was reminiscent of the form that carried him to two Grand Slam finals. Better still, the man who beat him in both of those won't be there.

With Federer gone, Murray has every reason to feel confident that he can become the first British man since Fred Perry to... Yeah, you knows the rest... But anyway, Nadal, who Murray is [2.52] to beat in Friday afternoon's semi-final, has not been as formidable as expected, following his excellent hard and clay court seasons. He's dropped five sets so far and was involved in a row with an official in his unconvincing four set win over Robin Soderling in the last eight.

My spies also tell me that the hot weather is working in Murray's favour - playing against a Majorcan, you might be surprised to hear this, but hard courts are Andy's forte and, with the head-to-head with Nadal at 2-2, he will relish the opportunity to reach his first Wimbledon final. The sun is shinning, the ball is bouncing high - he might almost feel like this isn't Wimbledon - but, whatever happens, it's probably best to watch the football.

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