Andy Murray: ELL finds out what the people of London really think

Cantankerous Andy? Pic: Flickr

Andy Murray has the chance today become the first male British tennis player since Bunny Austin to reach the Wimbledon final and end 80 years of national frustration at SW19. However will Murray, known for his often moody nature, keep his cool overcome reigning champion Rafael Nadal and win over the country. Ell reporters went out to see whether the people of south London are behind him.

The Doubters

Dawda White, 19, business and finance student at Brunel University who lives in New Cross said: ”

“I don’t think Murray will win today, he’s inconsistent. Nadal now, is the best. If Andy does though it’s good for England but he does have a bad game spirit, he is moody. I’ll be happy that someone English has won even if he is Scottish. Now that you mention it I’m definitely going to watch it”

Alex Hensley, 24, a dancer from south London said: “No he (Murray) is playing against Nadal, he’s ranked number 1. Come on..  He’s smiling a lot more now though so he should win just for that. I’m not his biggest fan but I do think a win today would be a great achievement for Britain, it’ll make us very proud. I have a friend that has written off the WHOLE day off to watch the math- missing work and everything.”

The Haters

Sean Roberts, 39, a media worker, said: “I don’t think Andy Murray deserves to win or be the next British hero in tennis. He’s miserable.  When he was questioned on how he feels, he said “I don’t feel any emotion”, which sums him up. However, I think that Tsonga, the French tennis player, has potential.”

Barbra Taylor, 29, teacher from Forest Hill said: “I don’t like Andy Murray very much. I prefer Nadal and Federer because they have more stylish personalities and have sports attitudes. I don’t think he is grumpy but he hasn’t got that sport personality.”

Border Control

Olivia O’Sullivan, 62, an education advisor from New Cross: “Murray is a good player and he’s only gotten better with time. He would be a worthy winner and is certainly following in the footsteps of Fred Perry. Whether he is a British hero I don’t know but I think he wants to be seen more specifically as a Scottish than a British hero.”

Dylan Tynan, 21, student from New Cross said: “He shouldn’t win, the British always want winners and I like the fact that they never win and they awlay s think they will. Andy Murray is a Scottish hero, Britishness is a farce”

The Lovers

Raymond Plimmer, 48, carpenter, from New Cross said: “He does deserve to win but I can’t see him beating Nadal. Now Henman’s gone he’s our last hope. We haven’t got many people and he always gets into the semi-finals.

Additional reporting by: Lilufa Uddin, Taslima Begum, Radhika Seth, Valentine Lorraine-Brown, Camile Dawson, Zana Anne Wilberforce, Fawad Sherzad, Sophie Williams, Myozen Ingram-Peters Shavay Manhertz, Penniana Permal, Tevin Robinson, Isata Tejan-Kella and Barsha Gurung

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