Secret of Andy’s success revealed: talent, ambition and good genes!
‘My mum and dad’
IT’S fair to say the hard work and determination of Andy Murray’s mother Judy played a pivotal role in his sporting success.
She spent years as his coach, drove him to tournaments as a child and has been courtside at every crucial match since.
But the 58-year-old has revealed her son’s skill on the tennis court goes beyond her guidance and may actually be genetic.
She made the point by posting a snap of her parents, former Scottish footballer Roy Erskine and his wife Shirley, who won singles titles in 1954. She wrote on Twitter: ‘It’s in the genes. My mum and dad – singles champions at Edinburgh’s Blackhall Tennis Club in 1954.’
Mrs Murray’s parents met while playing for a small tennis club near Stirling High School, and they took part in a string a Scottish tournaments.
It comes just weeks after Andy revealed he would be out for the rest of the season due to a long running hip injury.
His announcement saw him slip down to number three in the world rankings.
The former Wimbledon champion now sits behind new number one Rafael Nadal and number two Roger Federer.
The 30-year-old, who pulled out of the US Open last month, has not played since dropping out of Wimbledon this summer but has said he hopes to be fit enough to play an exhibition match against Federer in Glasgow.
He will also play a charity game with his mother, brother Jamie, this year’s Wimbledon mixed and men’s doubles champion, and a fan as part of a competition by energy company SSE at Glasgow’s Hydro Arena on November 7.
Sport – Pages 82&83