Wimbledon glory beckons but Murray still trailing top three, warns Henman

All the talk has been of a leading quartet in the men’s singles, but Henman is struggling to see beyond Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer for the title.

“I think they’re fractionally ahead. They’ve got 28 slams between them. But I think Andy is a very close fourth,” said four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist Henman.

“The distance between third and fourth is much closer than the distance between fourth and fifth, so Andy has definitely separated himself from the pack.

“But I said at the beginning of the tournament, and my view hasn’t changed, that with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, I couldn’t make one a favourite in front of another, but I would put all three just in front of Andy.

“He’s played very, very well. I think the good thing is he can play better, but he’s still winning and that’s important.”

Murray has survived three rounds, dropping two sets, and the way he spoke after Friday’s success over Ivan Ljubicic indicated he is overflowing with confidence.

Almost everything about the 24-year-old’s demeanour in the first week exuded positivity.

He tackles Richard Gasquet today in a repeat of their classic 2008 fourth-round encounter, and Murray stands every chance of beating the Frenchman, just as he did that day when he came from two sets and a break behind.

Henman promises there is not even a remote chance of Murray under-estimating the size of his task against the world No 13.

“He wouldn’t do that,” said Henman. “He’s too professional. He’s been around too long and he’ll know that it’s a tough match and he’ll have to play well.

“They’ve got history here, haven’t they?”

The only irritant for Murray so far has been hearing wags in the crowd yap ‘Come on Tim!’ during quiet moments in his matches. Henman has not been particularly impressed either, but said: “I’m sure I had the same when people would say ‘Come on Greg!’ when I was playing, and probably vice-versa for Greg (Rusedski).

“You hear people shouting them all – ‘Come on Boris’, ‘Come on Sue’. It didn’t irritate me. The support that I had and the atmosphere out on Centre Court was as good as it can get so I loved every minute of it.”

The match against Gasquet three years ago, when Murray produced a fightback of the kind Henman specialised in, was the occasion when Wimbledon crowds were finally bowled over by the Scot.

If not hostility, there had been frostiness from many spectators to the Scot before that point.

As Murray recalled on Friday: “It was the first match where I really had to come back from a big deficit.

“There are matches that I think the crowd tend to remember here. Tim played a lot of long five-set matches.

“That was probably the first one that really was a big comeback from me. I think there was a lot of sort of interaction with the crowd. They really got behind me. It makes a big difference.”

Similar levels of support could be instrumental today, with Gasquet an undoubted threat to the last Briton standing in the singles tournaments.

Murray has been working with coaches Darren Cahill and Sven Groeneveld since the start of the claycourt season but neither man will be able to advise him today.

They work for his clothing sponsor adidas and Murray is free to take advice from both, apart from when he plays against another player signed to the sportswear manufacturers, such as Gasquet.

Australian Cahill has emerged as the closest figure Murray has to a permanent coach since splitting from Alex Corretja in March.

Henman, who was speaking as he met four of China’s best tennis prospects as part of HSBC’s Road to Wimbledon initiative, knows the upheaval involved in changing coaches.

He parted company with David Felgate midway through his career, in early 2001.

“Andy’s had quite a few different coaches already, with Mark Petchey, Brad Gilbert, Miles Maclagan and Alex Corretja. But it’s not what’s right for me, it’s not what’s right for you – it’s what’s right for Andy,” said Henman.

“There’s lots of speculation and talk about his coaching team and what’s going to happen but he seems to be doing all right for me.

“I don’t know the ins-and-outs but from what I understand I don’t think Darren would necessarily like a full-time job and perhaps Andy wouldn’t want him there full-time anyway.”

Murray is not allowing himself to contemplate becoming the first British man to taste Wimbledon glory for 75 years.

He expects another thorough examination on Centre Court, where he is first up at 1pm and says: “It gets harder with every single round. I have a very tough match against Gasquet, a guy who I have had a couple of close matches against in the past, so I expect a really tough one.

“Obviously I want it to go in my favour, that’s what I plan on doing, but you need to go out and have a game plan and execute it well to beat guys like Gasquet.

“He beat Federer a couple of months ago in Rome and he has had the best French Open that he has had. The two times I have played him in grand slams I have found myself two sets and a break down both times so I expect a very tough game.”

Despite the inevitable pressure that comes with being the leading British contender, the world No 4 says he has little trouble relaxing away from the court.

“It’s not too much of a problem, once the tournament starts it’s fine,” he said. “In the evening I go home and there are a lot of distractions around me with my friends and family. Being in your own surroundings makes a big difference to your mindset.”

More Wimbledon news and views: Pages 6 & 7.