Andy Murray nearly reduced to a gibbering wreck after being asked to be Team GB flag bearer at Olympics

  • Andy Murray admitted he was on the verge of tears when appointed
  • The Scot struggled to pose with the flag during the Team GB photograph
  • Murray has been drawn against Viktor Troicki in the opening round
  • Novak Djokovic is the biggest name from tennis to compete in Rio 

It matters little to Andy Murray that his initial efforts at carrying the Union Jack suggest he wields a tennis racket with somewhat more control than he does a flagpole.

Nor was he bothered that Princess Anne cheerfully asked him not to poke her eye out as they posed together on Wednesday night with it at the British team headquarters.

For the Wimbledon champion, being asked to lead out the GB contingent at this evening's opening ceremony is, quite simply, 'by far the proudest moment of my professional career.'

Andy Murray has been selected as Great Britain's flag bearer for the opening ceremony

Andy Murray has been selected as Great Britain's flag bearer for the opening ceremony

Murray admitted that he was nearly reduced to tears after finding out he had been selected

Murray admitted that he was nearly reduced to tears after finding out he had been selected

MURRAY'S POSSIBLE ROUTE TO OLYMPIC GOLD 

Round 1: V Troicki (No 35)


Round 2: J Monaco (No 108)

Round 3: B Paire (No 32)

Quarter-final: D Ferrer (No 12)

Semi-final: K Nishikori (No 6)

Final: N Djokovic (No 1) 

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He admitted on Thursday that he was almost reduced to a gibbering wreck when Chef de Mission Mark England told him that he had been selected for the duty.

'I was thinking of so many things that I couldn't really take in what he was telling me,' said Murray. 'I kept saying "thank you" all the time, I was speechless really. It was pretty emotional, it has been an emotional couple of days.'

This is, after all, a man whose devotion to the British sporting cause is such that he chose to spend his downtime after winning Wimbledon travelling to Belgrade to support humbler team-mates in the Davis Cup, because the abrupt switch of surfaces meant he was unable to play.

'My record in competing for my country speaks for itself,' he added when reminded that he once seemed to suggest support for Scotland leaving the UK. 'I'm very proud of winning the Davis Cup and an Olympic gold for Britain and I'm going to try my best to make my country proud again.'

The Briton struggled to pose with the flag but was delighted by the honour he had received

The Briton struggled to pose with the flag but was delighted by the honour he had received

Murray has been spared the problem of having to play his dangerous first round singles opponent, world number 35 Viktor Troicki of Serbia, on Saturday after his late night duties. He will not play until Sunday.

Troicki has made the Olympics one of his priorities this summer and, with the format being only best-of-three sets, is the kind of player who could be especially tricky.

Unlike at most events, the schedulers are not constrained in having to play one half of the singles draw early rounds on one day and one on another. So the situation of flag bearers Rafael Nadal, Caroline Wozniacki and Murray has been viewed sympathetically.

While the no-shows of the world's top golfers has attracted more attention, the slow drip of withdrawals among the male tennis players makes this far from a vintage Olympic tournament.

Murray has been drawn against Viktor Troicki of Serbia (left) in his opening game

Murray has been drawn against Viktor Troicki of Serbia (left) in his opening game

In the final reckoning only ten of the singles top twenty men are competing. Unlike the flip-flopping Rory McIlroy, the tennis players have at least been more direct in their reasoning and excuses for not coming.

The bottom line is that it is a sub-Masters event field, looking more like the early editions after tennis fully returned to the Olympic fold at Seoul in 1988.

Tennis is lucky that the competition means so much to the two players currently dominating the men's game, Murray and Novak Djokovic.

'It's unfortunate,' said Murray of the absences from men's golf and tennis, perhaps hiding his views under a cloak of diplomacy. 'Injuries haven't helped and some people had different concerns about coming here. That has made it a bit weaker. For me the Olympics is the biggest sporting event and I'm proud to represent my country.'

The tennis venue was still being spruced up on Thursday in line with the It'll Be Alright On The Night feel to these Games. But the floodlights work and the 10,000-capacity main stadium court in the heart of the park is impressive.

The 29-year-old said the Olympic Games are the biggest event in sport and he was proud

The 29-year-old said the Olympic Games are the biggest event in sport and he was proud

Its playing area is huge, making it about the most spacious arena on the international circuit alongside the Philippe Chatrier arena at Roland Garros.

There was also a standout first round from Thursday's draw, with Djokovic up against Juan Martin Del Potro in a repeat of the London bronze medal playoff.

While the presence of the Serb, Murray and Nadal have somewhat saved the event, the state of the Spaniard's wrist remains a major cause for concern.

In his recent ten-day training block in Mallorca Murray did practice with him, but apparently only on three or so occasions. After one of them Nadal notably had to ice his wrist.

Novak Djokovic is one of tennis's bigger names to be involved in the action in Rio this month

Novak Djokovic is one of tennis's bigger names to be involved in the action in Rio this month

He admits that it is still causing him problems, but has insisted that it is not getting any worse. As for Djokovic, he resumed normal service post his Wimbledon trauma by winning the Canadian Open.

There are seven British tennis players in all, including last month's Davis Cup hero and doubles duo Colin Fleming and Dom Inglot.

In what is a stronger women's field – Simona Halep is the only noteworthy withdrawal due to Zika fears – the ever improving Jo Konta is a genuine medal chance as the tenth seed, and she was given a decent first round against Liechtenstein's Stephanie Vogt.

 

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