Andy Murray thinks otherwise but at this early stage of his career he can already claim to be the best men's tennis player to come out of the United Kingdom since the late Fred Perry won three Wimbledon titles before the Second World War.
The Scotsman, 21, accused during his formative years of being arrogant and brash, went too far the other way in the modesty stakes after eclipsing the rest of the world's leading players to win his second successive Masters Series event in Madrid on Sunday.
Murray believes he still has some way to go before he can stand alongside Tim Henman, his predecessor as the British No 1 and the Canadian-born Greg Rusedski, who also held the top ranking in his adopted country.
"Tim was much, much better than me," Murray said after following up his semi-final victory over the former world No 1 Roger Federer, which avenged the result in the final of the US Open, with a convincing conquest of Frenchman Gilles Simon in the final.
Those seven words offered commendable respect to an Englishman who bravely carried the hopes of a nation through a decade of Wimbledons, threatening on several occasions to win the most coveted of all titles but falling agonisingly short each time. But those seven respectful words are simply not true.
Henman, who reached a career high-world ranking of four in his 10th year as a professional, won 11 ATP tour titles between 1997 and 2003 but only one of those (Paris) was in the top-tier Masters Series events. And he never reached a grand slam final in his 12 years among the game's elite.
Murray, has already matched Henman's best ranking of four in what is only his third serious year on tour and in that time has amassed seven titles, two of them in the Masters Series (Cincinnati in August and now Madrid). On top of that he has enjoyed his first taste of a Grand Slam final which he earned by beating new world No 1 Rafael Nadal in the semi- finals of the US Open.
Barring injuries, and Murray has been susceptible to those during his swift rise into one of his sport's most powerful figures, the flying Scotsman is surely going to outstrip the genial Englishman in the British hall of fame and is set to do it sooner rather than later.
Nobody would have thought that, however, after witnessing the brutal way Murray was destroyed by Nadal in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon only four months ago. On that sobering afternoon, the All England Club's new standard bearer was made to look like a selling plater in the company of a thoroughbred as Nadal gave him the mother of all beatings.
The stark message then was that Murray's creditable rise into the top 10 was as far as he was going and that further progress would have to be put on hold for a year or two. How wrong he has proved those doubters, myself included, as he has earned the right to be considered as a genuine threat to Nadal, Federer and world No 3 Novak Djokovic, all of whom he has defeated since that Wimbledon embarrassment.
Murray has secured the right to lock swords with those three men rated higher than him in the end-of-season play-offs in Shanghai which brings together the eight leading players in the annual ATP Race. The battle to join him is really hotting up with Simon, a 6-4, 7-6 loser to Murray in Sunday's Madrid final, moving up to ninth only a few points behind the injured Argentine Juan-Martin Del Potro, who a month ago looked a certainty to be allocated one of the privileged places. Now it has boiled down to any four from eight for the remaining positions with Russia's Nikolay Davydenko and American Andy Roddick the two most likely. Behind them are David Ferrer, the Spaniard who appears to be in decline, Del Potro, Simon, James Blake (US), Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) and Fernando Gonzalez (Chile).
Whoever gets on the trip to China will now fear man of the moment Murray as much as the perennial favourites to take such a significant prize - a tremendous endorsement of the young Scot's outstanding work in the latter half of 2008.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Handicap (rated 95-108) US$125,000 2000m (Dirt).
Winner: Don’t Give Up, Gerald Mosse (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap (95 ) $160,000 2810m (Turf).
Winner: Los Barbados, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.
7.40pm: Handicap (80-89) $60,000 1600m (D).
Winner: Claim The Roses, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (Div-1) Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D)
Winner: Gold Town, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Cape Verdi Group 2 $200,000 1600m (T).
Winner: Promising Run, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
9.25pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Conditions $100,000 1,400m (D).
Winner: El Chapo, Luke Morris, Fawzi Nass.
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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