Maybe it's because I'm English...

...but I'm really struggling to like Andy Murray...!

As 'Murray Mania' continues (the hype was bad enough with Henman, who never really had a shot to win it!) I'm doing my best to get enthusiastic and excited about Murray's prospects of being the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936. But whenever I see him interviewed I always feel like I want to punch him in the face...He is the absolute antithesis of Beckham - A PR man's nightmare...

There was something about Tim Henman that was likeable; maybe it was the fact that our wish for him to win Wimbledon (or anything!) was based more on hope than expectation. He seemed a genuinely nice guy who was "alright" at tennis. We enjoyed the roller-coaster of 4 Wimbledon semi-finals (without ever progressing to the final), the agony of him somehow managing to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. But he did it with a smile on his face; and there was something terribly English about that - a little celebratory fist-pump for a point well-played was as excited as Henman got.

Murray undoubtedly has more talent than Henman; ranked number 3 in the world (Henman and Rusedski (wasn't he Canadian?) only ever made #4 I think) and having beaten Federer the last 3 or 4 times they've met, he has a real chance to win - especially with Nadal out! But is he likeable? Every interview I've seen (and maybe I've missed the good ones?) he seems to be a typical 'dour' Scotsman. No offence!

His recent 'image' adjustment has helped; he now looks less like an extra from the Gibson movie Braveheart, and more like a poster boy tennis player. But for someone who reportedly stands to make $160 million/£100 million if he does the 'unthinkable' and wins Wimbledon on Sunday, you'd think he'd smile a bit more. Maybe he will relax if he wins it!

I'm sure the 'bandwagon' has been well and truly crushed from the weight, but I was watching a crowd interview from 'Murray Mount' on ESPN, where 2 youngish lads (13/14 I'd guess) were asked what they thought of Murray? 'He's alright, I guess.. but he's Scottish ain't he!'

And maybe that's where I struggle. As an English sports fan, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish were always the enemy no matter what field or court they played on - Rugby, Football, Cricket, Tiddlywinks. I spent 3 years at university in Wales, where the Welsh would cheer on anyone who was playing against the English... even the Germans, the Argentines or the bloody Australians! Come on now...really! So perhaps I've been twisted by that anti-English bitterness, but you know it's the same with the Scots...

So although 'Tiger Tim' left us English disappointed and emotionally drained, I can't imagine they were drowning their sorrows on the streets of Glasgow when he lost, so why are we going crazy about the possibility of a Scotsman winning in London? That said, come Sunday I'm sure I'll be watching and probably cheering him on...just so we can do away with this '1936' thing!