Murray magic

By Jonathan Overend BBC Five Live tennis correspondent

The best breakthrough season British tennis has ever seen?

McEnroe tips Murray for top spot

Andy Murray's world turned upside down inside five breathtaking, unforgettable months between June and October.

How life has changed. Courtesy cars, hotels which are actually paid for, "VIP" invitations, a first taste of autograph RSI, a four-figure cheque, a five-figure cheque, a really big five-figure cheque.

Andy Murray's rocket-launch to stardom and romp through the rankings has exceeded even his own expectations. And that's saying something.

Andy Murray has roared his way up the world rankings

When Murray came on the phone in November last year, during a programme I did for BBC Radio Five Live in Houston, he claimed without hint of hesitation that he'd be a top 100 player by the end of 2005.

The prediction made for glorious copy and some were quick to caution against over-confidence. Wasn't this completely unrealistic and, may we say it, rather arrogant?

That doom and gloom reaction is what a decade of British tennis-watching does for you. My opinion remains that it was startlingly refreshing to hear such bold, unashamed ambition from a home player. Good luck to him.

And look what's happened. He said he'd be top 100 and he's going to be somewhere in the 60s. Why not set your sights high?

Thai win puts Murray into top 100

Trace beneath the surface to examine the manner of Murray's matches at the top level and there you find the real encouragement.

He lost just one first-round match in the whole year.

That defeat, in his debut ATP tournament in Barcelona, was a close one - he felt he should have beaten Jan Hernych.

Only twice in 23 ATP matches has he lost in straight sets and one of those was to Roger Federer.

Look at his victims: Dent (ranked 30) at Queens; Stepanek (13) at Wimbledon; Dent again (22) in Cincinnati; Pavel (39) at Flushing Meadows; Soderling (41), Ginepri (21) and Srichaphan (57) in Bangkok; Henman (28) and Berdych (52) in Basel.

For someone who started the year outside the top 400 and at Wimbledon was 318, this is a striking collection of conquests. (He is most happy with his comeback wins over Ginepri and Srichaphan).

Now, let's look at some of the big matches he's lost.

He could do with cheering up a bit and getting a hair cut

Against Johansson at Queen's he was a game from victory in the final set, he led Nalbandian by two sets to love at Wimbledon, and in Indianapolis he was a break up on Mardy Fish in the final set.

He took Marat Safin to a decider in Cincinnati, levelled the match with Arnaud Clement at the US Open from two sets down, tested Federer over two sets in Bangkok and mounted a stirring recovery before his three-set defeat to Gonzalez in Basel.

In how many of these matches has he been hopelessly outclassed? Murray just doesn't do one-sided defeats, it's not in his nature. How encouraging is that?

This is what pleases him most when he looks back on this chaotic out-of-a-suitcase season.

He knows that he belongs in the same league as these guys and if he can take most of them to deciding sets in his first year on the main tour, they'll be fearing him even more in years to come.

Hard work will take him into the top 20 next year, believes John McEnroe and others.

Murray knows that his backhand was relatively weak in Basel, he wants to make it more consistent. The drop shots are effective but they'll be devastating with even more practice.

And the volleys, which he's so keen to utilise, will feel more natural with time.

Have Your Say: Just how far can Murray go?

He recently talked about being unsure where to stand at the net after hitting the first volley. That will instinctively come with practice, especially if he hits with people like McEnroe and Henman, two of his biggest admirers.

The most disappointing match I saw him play was at the Davis Cup tie when he lost in straight sets to Stanislas Wawrinka. As his former coach said to me afterwards, he didn't recognise the Andy Murray who turned up that day.

But how did he respond? By flying from Geneva to Bangkok (via London) on the Sunday night, arriving in Thailand Monday morning, sleeping off the jet lag during the day and then playing a first-round match on Tuesday.

Four matches and one day off later he was playing Federer in the final of only his eighth full ATP Tour event. That's extraordinary. Unsurprisingly, he lists that week as his most memorable experience of the year.

Murray upbeat after Federer loss

Off court he's impressed tournament directors and media people with his polite, accommodating manner.

He could do with cheering up a bit, getting a hair cut and losing his rather metro-sexual light-blue towelling tracksuit, but these are minor criticisms.

For the first time since 30 December 2004, he may just go home and remind himself what Dunblane looks like.

There's such community spirit in the town it would be no surprise if the locals arranged a welcome home bash. He deserves it.