feather_ghyll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
feather_ghyll) wrote2013-06-29 08:59 am
feather_ghyll) wrote2013-06-29 08:59 am
REVIEW: Andy Murray – The Man Behind the Racquet
I got a chance to see BBC Sport’s portrait of Murray, or rather I remembered to watch it on iPlayer this morning over breakfast. It was well done, if a bit of a puff piece at times – I’d have gladly exchanged the bits about his image for a bit more of a look at how he got from playing on the snow-covered Dunblane outdoors courts to winning boys’ competitions in Florida. Still, I was amused by the fact that the way to get Murray to do your photo shoot is to involve fire.
It did feel as if the programme was stamping a certain narrative that I didn’t entirely recognise on his career so far. For all the tabloid-whipped outrage at a Scot supporting whoever was playing the English football team, a lot of Scots and Welsh sports fans were nodding sagely. Indeed, I was glad that Henman and Ferguson made the sporty point that it was banter. The assertion that nobody realised how much he cared until he lost the Wimbledon final was facile. Were they not paying attention to the frustrated perfectionism behind his outbursts, mainly at himself, when he didn’t play the way he wanted to or make the shot he’d dreamed up? And I do think that the crowds watching him over the years have got that – but perhaps they weren’t let in to the grounds like they were at the Olympics. But then, this was surely about positioning him better with the usual Wimbledon crowd.
However, as he commented, he did seem to get that it was a waste of energy to dwell/sulk during matches and make them harder for himself, if not lose them. Looking at footage of the gangly but talented boy he was in his earlier years on the tour, you could see that he’s grown up and very much so after last year’s summer. We got a good glimpse what it meant to win – that he is going to take care of his back and his body for another chance at a Slam, after losing.
And, of course, there’s now a golden postbox at Dunblane. That section was incredibly moving. I thought it was well-handled. Just seeing the Murrays focusing on these primary school children and teaching them constructively and getting the sense that they know that this success means that the town will be remembered for something else too was moving. Hearing Andy, Jamie and Judy talk a little about its effects reminded you that the tragedy is something that that generation and community will always carry with them. It isn’t something that’s much talked about with Murray because the focus, as it should be, is on the tennis, but it’s always there.
It was nice to hear the perspective of the family and entourage. I was also touched about how it was a lot about Jamie-and-Andy for their mother. And hey, the elder is the only Wimbledon champion...so far.
It did feel as if the programme was stamping a certain narrative that I didn’t entirely recognise on his career so far. For all the tabloid-whipped outrage at a Scot supporting whoever was playing the English football team, a lot of Scots and Welsh sports fans were nodding sagely. Indeed, I was glad that Henman and Ferguson made the sporty point that it was banter. The assertion that nobody realised how much he cared until he lost the Wimbledon final was facile. Were they not paying attention to the frustrated perfectionism behind his outbursts, mainly at himself, when he didn’t play the way he wanted to or make the shot he’d dreamed up? And I do think that the crowds watching him over the years have got that – but perhaps they weren’t let in to the grounds like they were at the Olympics. But then, this was surely about positioning him better with the usual Wimbledon crowd.
However, as he commented, he did seem to get that it was a waste of energy to dwell/sulk during matches and make them harder for himself, if not lose them. Looking at footage of the gangly but talented boy he was in his earlier years on the tour, you could see that he’s grown up and very much so after last year’s summer. We got a good glimpse what it meant to win – that he is going to take care of his back and his body for another chance at a Slam, after losing.
And, of course, there’s now a golden postbox at Dunblane. That section was incredibly moving. I thought it was well-handled. Just seeing the Murrays focusing on these primary school children and teaching them constructively and getting the sense that they know that this success means that the town will be remembered for something else too was moving. Hearing Andy, Jamie and Judy talk a little about its effects reminded you that the tragedy is something that that generation and community will always carry with them. It isn’t something that’s much talked about with Murray because the focus, as it should be, is on the tennis, but it’s always there.
It was nice to hear the perspective of the family and entourage. I was also touched about how it was a lot about Jamie-and-Andy for their mother. And hey, the elder is the only Wimbledon champion...so far.