Murray hopes to finally answer the question by ending 75 years of hurt

There, I’ve asked it, let no one pose the question again?

Wishful thinking, eh?

Murray’s title credentials are all anyone talks about at the All England Club in recent years.

From the end of the French Open, right through to the first Friday in July – which for the past two years has been when our leading man’s valiant attempts have come to a sad end – everyone has an opinion, everyone has hope.

And there are strong cases to be made both for and against Murray answering those questions and ending the 75-year wait for a home-grown winner of the men’s Wimbledon title.

The case for: his all-round ability; his improved first serve; his determination; his progression year-on-year since debuting in 2005; the experience he has gleaned from three previous grand slam final appearances (albeit one-sided defeats) and his confidence after an eye-catching Queen’s triumph.

All encouraging, but the case against m’lud? The question marks over the strength of that ankle; a first serve that is still not reliable enough; the inability to win crucial break points; the lapses in concentration; the mental strength befitting of a champion.

And let us not forget the three men that stand in his way: Rafael Nadal, the defending champion and twice winner; Roger Federer, arguably the greatest player of all time and a six-time champion; and Novak Djokovic, the man in the form of his life.

Throw in three-time finalist and potential quarter-final opponent Andy Roddick, Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin Del Potro et al and soon the reasons why Murray will not win Wimbledon begin to outweight the reasons for.

Provided he can negotiate Roddick in the last eight – and he demonstrated at Queen’s nine days ago that he comfortably has the beating of the American – then a repeat of last year’s semi-final with Nadal is on the agenda a week on Friday.

That is when the tournament begins for real, when the hype and expectation have reached boiling point, and when the Wimbledon heirarchy have sent out for more strawberries.

It is also when Nadal, Federer and Djokovic find an extra gear.

Murray, 24, has yet to demonstrate he can operate at such speeds, such intensity.

This next fortnight Murray will contest his sixth Wimbledon.

Like Tim Henman who was four times a semi-finalist, he carries the expectation of a nation on his shoulders in the search for the host country’s first champion since Fred Perry in 1936.

The Scot has gone a step further than Henman away from SW19.

Three times Murray has reached finals but on each occasion he has failed to win a set and his most recent attempt, in Australia in January, led many critics to declare he would forever remain a nearly man.

His limp performance against Djokovic can be put into context somewhat by the Serbian’s subsequent incredible run of wins, but there was no disguising the gulf between the two.

Where Djokovic demonstrated unwavering belief in his own ability, raising his game on the biggest stage, Murray was sluggish and hesitant, cutting a frustrated and forlorn figure.

Murray had beaten his friend and rival in their previous three meetings yet when it mattered most it was Djokovic who seized his chance, and with it the mantle of the man to end the Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer duopoly.

Far from seeing Djokovic’s rise as another obstacle on the path to grand slam glory, though, Murray has taken inspiration from his great leap forward.

The Scot said: “Novak has been No 3 for a long time and now he’s making his push. I have been No 4 for a long time now and I want to push myself up the rankings as well and be competing for all the big tournaments. The only way to do that is to be consistent and to be smart with your schedule, pick the right tournaments to play and which ones not to. I think I can do it.”

That Murray still believes is vital, but consistency is the one thing he has not shown over the last two years, with his dips in form after his two Australian Open final appearances particularly dramatic.

One cannot help but feel some sympathy for the man, with so many observers keen to point out what he is doing wrong, yet Djokovic would be a good role model to have.

World No 2 Djokovic also had a tendency to allow frustration to overwhelm him on court but, crucially, that side of his character has been conspicuously absent recently.

It is easy to be positive when you are winning everything, of course, but there is a persuasive argument that one cannot happen without the other.

Murray has tried to subdue his naturally defensive instincts over the past couple of years, flattening out his forehand and taking the initiative more, but he must make sure that does not leave him feeling uncomfortable with his own game.

A coach can help with such dilemmas and it was noticeable that his form picked up around the time he began working with the adidas coaching team, among them Darren Cahill. The Australian, who has previously coached Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, will continue to advise Murray between TV commitments, while Federer’s former mentor Sven Groeneveld is another useful man to have in your corner.

Whether the Scot sticks with the arrangement long term or makes an individual appointment remains to be seen, but an impatient British public can only hope it is the decision that will finally allow the story’s ending to be rewritten.

If it is not to be Murray and the wait is to go on, then the likely winner is either Nadal or Federer.

They have shared the last eight Wimbledon titles and three thrilling finals.

Nadal is world No 1, top seed and the favourite.

Federer is the old master, still with life left in his ageing legs and a record-equalling haul of seven Wimbledon crowns in his sights.

Where the men’s semi-finalists are almost a lock, the women’s draw is far more open.

Caroline Wozniacki is a world No 1 with serious question marks over her ability to perform in the majors and her ability on grass, leaving a whole host of potential winners from Li Na to Sam Stosur, Victoria Azarenka to Maria Sharapova. And who would dare discount the Williams sisters, no matter how little tennis either of them has played?

Everyone’s favourite tournament begins – but is the end in sight for the question that haunts British tennis fans?