Andy Murray column

By Andy Murray
British number one Murray crushes Gasquet to make quarter-finals (UK only)

Wimbledon, R4: Andy Murray beat Richard Gasquet 7-6 6-3 6-2

I'm heading into the final rounds at Wimbledon now and, like a heavyweight title fight, this is the time to step it up.

It was great to get through my fourth-round match so quickly against Richard Gasquet, I was expecting a tough one, but the first set was pretty crucial. Once I got ahead it was always going to be tough for him to come back in such hot conditions.

Things will only get more difficult from here on in though, and I need to be right on top of my game and my mind.

The mental side of the game is something that I've consciously tried to improve, and it also comes a little easier as you get older. The most important thing is to stay calm when you're in the crunch time of a match and being really tested physically and mentally.

I know I'll get pushed very hard before the end of this tournament, but it's a challenge that I'm looking forward to.

There's another Briton with a big day coming up this weekend and I'll certainly make sure I send David Haye a message before he fights Wladimir Klitschko on Saturday night. I last spoke to him a few days ago and keep in regular contact, I find it really helpful for my game.

Obviously boxers are a bit different as they have to be larger than life to promote fights, whereas tennis players don't get a bigger pay cheque if more people watch their matches. Tennis is certainly a lot more gentlemanly than boxing, but in any individual sport the psychology plays a big part, especially right at the top level. You need to make sure you're strong in the mind.

In tennis, the guys are mostly very sporting and get on well, but when you're out there you need to put that to one side. I think you need to treat your opponent like they're your worst enemy on the court.

I know John McEnroe thinks we need a little more animosity between the top players and it's probably true. I think everyone would enjoy it a little more if the players were a bit more vocal about any dislike we might have for each other, but at the same time tennis is in a really good place right now.

Lethal Murray cross-court winners sink Gasquet (UK only)

When I was on my way back from the French Open on the train after I lost to Rafa in the semis, everyone was talking about tennis - our match and Federer v Djokovic - and not because they knew I was there, I was just listening in. I've never really experienced that before.

I suppose the last time that happened was in the era of McEnroe, Connors and Borg. I've seen plenty of clips of the aggro between Connors and McEnroe, and I heard some good stories about Lendl from my former coach Brad Gilbert, who had an 0-16 record against him. Unfortunately, due to the number of swear words, I can't repeat any of them here!

But it was a different sport back then and, while there were more examples of players arguing on court, at the same time more of them would go out for dinner together, even the night before they played each other. Nowadays we're probably not close in the same way, but I think everyone's generally a bit more friendly.

My quarter-final opponent, Feliciano Lopez, is a good example because we get on well, but maybe I should take a leaf out of David Haye's book and try a bit of trash talking beforehand.

It will also be interesting to see how my mum copes with me playing Feliciano - or 'Deliciano' as she keeps calling him. I haven't spoken to her about that yet but I'm pretty sure she'll be supporting me on Wednesday, I think.

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Andy Murray column

By Andy Murray
British number one Masterful Murray overcomes early wobbles (UK viewers only)

Wimbledon R1: Murray bt Gimeno-Traver 4-6 6-3 6-0 6-0

Indoor matches with late finishes are probably something I'm going to have to get used to at Wimbledon.

Monday was only the second time I'd ever played on an indoor grass-court and it's going to take a bit of time for everyone to get used to it, but the more we do, the more we'll understand how it plays.

In one sense it's much better, because having the roof across takes away any wind or sun and can make conditions pretty much perfect, but there's no doubt it changes things.

I have had some experience of that because when I played Roger Federer in the Australian Open final two years ago, the roof was closed right up until when we walked on to court. It can speed the court up on some days, but if it gets really humid like on Centre Court that can also slow things down.

It's certainly different to the outdoor grass-court tournament that everyone knows as Wimbledon, and it will be interesting to see how it affects the tournament in the future. If they have a long spell of bad weather they might try to use Centre to get through the matches, but I'm normally scheduled last on so there's always a good chance I will finish late.

Being on Centre Court is certainly a big help now because you know that, whatever the weather, you're going to get on, so you can prepare for your match knowing there won't be a lot of stopping and starting. There might be one stop but then you'll be on for the night, so all in all it definitely helps having the roof.

It certainly worked for me in my first match and I'm just glad that I'm through and into the next round, while whichever guy I play next will still be battling away on Tuesday after they came off in the third set because of the rain. I get the chance to rest a little on Tuesday and also watch a bit of Blaz Kavcic and Tobias Kamke when I come in to practise at the All England Club.

There are always things to work on but I was pleased with the way I was playing by the end against Daniel Gimeno-Traver; you have to be after winning 15 games in a row. I just had to try and stay as calm as possible because he was playing such great tennis at the start that I knew his level would have to drop a little bit.

There's a fine line in tennis between struggling and getting through. Sometimes you need to hang tough and the end isn't too far away. Once I managed to get that break, I settled down, served well, returned well and my whole game got better.

Laughing Murray bounces through

I took a lot of inspiration into the opening day at Wimbledon from watching Rory McIlroy win the US Open golf on Sunday, but I must admit I didn't make it past the 14th hole of his round because I had a match coming up, and I could see that he had it pretty much won by then.

I think it's great the way he dealt with everything after he'd obviously got nervous earlier in the year at the Masters. This time he was in the same position but had learnt from his experiences and handled everything very, very well. That's something any sportsmen could take a lesson from, although golf and tennis are very different sports because, in golf, you're always in control. Rory was certainly in total control on Sunday, it was incredible.

We haven't met but I've sent him a few messages on Twitter and it would be good to catch up some time - maybe for a golf lesson. I do play from time to time but haven't for about a year now because it's quite a strain on the back.

I played a bit when I was younger but, I must admit, I'm not great at golf. If you think I get frustrated on the tennis court, you should see me on a golf course.

It can be very trying if you're playing for four hours and just hacking away - I like playing in the States because you've got the buggies, so it's a bit quicker to get round! When I play three or four times in a row, I start to enjoy it more, but at first I don't really know how far I can hit each club and it goes all over the place - I'm sure that's a complaint many golfers have.

Sometimes I'll hit a seven-iron and it goes about 40 yards, the next day I'll play the same shot with a six-iron and it's way through the green - so frustrating. I'm sure I'll give it more of a go when I'm older, everyone does, but I think I'll stick to the tennis for now.

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