Ross: My pal is true champion

Ross Hutchins was fighting for his l i fe when Andy Murray won Wimbledon in 2013 and the Scot was with him every step of the way. That’s what best friends do.

If Murray adds a second SW19 crown to his col lection today former Davis Cup doubles player Hutchins, who won a much more important v ictory that same summer when he defeated Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, will be able to celebrate this one properly.

The 30-year- old, who first met Murray at a boys’ tournament almost 20 years ago, has been involved in tennis long enough to know there are no certainties, but he is conf ident in his pal ’ s ability to get the job done on Centre Court this afternoon.

And he knows what it would mean to the Scot, who is going for his third Grand Slam title.

He said: “Any title on a big stage will mean a huge amount to him.

“True champions, I believe, never get tired of winning. They want more and he is a proper champion.

“He’s as good an athlete as we’ve ever had.”

And as good a friend as Hutchins could have wished for. Murray raised £ 200,000 for the Royal Marsden hospital where his pal was treated for six months before his cancer finally beat its retreat.

The Scot repeatedly dedicated his victories to the Englishman as he made his recovery.

It meant the world to Hutchins then and still does.

He said: “When Andy won here in 2013, it was very emotional, personally. It was a different time for me and for him.

“It was outstanding how he managed to get over the line that day.

“The success he’s had prior to that and since then, winning on Tour, winning ATP events, winning the Davis Cup, winning the Olympics. The amount of success over the years has been phenomenal.

“He seems physically strong right now and in a very good place.

“He’s very happy with his family life and with his coaching situation – with everything.

“We don’t know what five years down the line holds for him but he is very content.”