What the Deuce: Royal etiquette dilemma for Andy Murray

DEFINITIVE confirmation of summer's arrival is signalled today with the start of Wimbledon and the return of a nation's pre-occupation with agonising over whether Andy Murray can provide a long-awaited – a very long-awaited – home win.

Britain's only hope is also doing a bit of his own agonising – over whether to bow to the Queen when the monarch makes an equally long-awaited visit to the Championships. The Queen hasn't been to Wimbledon since Jubiliee year in 1977, when Virginia Wade became the last British player to win a singles title.

All being well, and Murray hasn't suffered the kind of stage-fright afflicting the English football team at the World Cup, he should be playing a second round match on Thursday, in front of the Queen, on centre court.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Asked about the convention of bowing, Murray said: "It should be personal preference. I'll have to wait and see. I'll have a chat with the guys. I don't want to be bowing and the person I'm playing with walk straight past or the other way around.

"You obviously need to have an agreement before you go on. I'll have to speak to the organisers about it."

Murray, who received a letter of congratulations from Buckingham Palace after his Queen's triumph last year, added: "It obviously would be a great honour to play in front of the Queen. I've never done that before so there would be a little bit of added pressure to play well."

Since he stormed to the final of the Australian Open at the start of the season, expectations of Murray's success at Wimbledon have been dampened by nine defeats in 20 matches. But he remains the fourth seed and did reach the semi-final last year before losing to American Andy Roddick.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Murray said: "I want to look to try and win the tournament, that's my goal. I think that's the best way to go into it."

The weather seems set fair, with warm, pleasant temperatures likely for the first week and rain only predicted to arrive later in the second week.