Be Careful What You Wish For...

The headline applies to me, or rather to my ill-fated call for Murray to 'jazz it up a little'.

Which has been taken far too literally in this instance.

I so, did not have this in mind.

(and so, hate that colloquial use of 'so'.)


I want to say something hurtful.....

I want to make the obvious and very loaded comparisons with 'The Cardigan'.

I want to very openly observe how the classic gentility of it all, grates viciously with his less genteel British public persona.

I want to have a frank debate about how this dapper English look sits with those members of the British public that are still a little rankled with his completely misunderstood comments about not supporting the England Football Team. All an English torrential storm in a very British tinkling teacup if you ask me. Which, by the way, the brand new spanking retractable roof over Centre Court should do a good job of protecting us from.

I want to run barefoot across the rooftops of SW19 loudly proclaiming my astonishment that the lessons that should have been learnt in the aftermath of Rafa and the very pink explosion that took place on Philippe Chatrier a fortnight ago, were instead cast aside in favour of a look that will provide much fodder for the contempt and self-satisfied loathing that the press will be sure to cast his way the morning that follows his defeat. Not that I think he'll go out that early.

I want to express my concern that some of the lingering after-effects of last week's Parisian space-time imbalance may have found their way across the Channel, and that we'll now see Djoko and Rafa follow suit by striding on to Centre Court a week today dressed in 1930s Cricket flannels. *Shudder*

I want to confess I'm struggling to predict how Federer will follow up on his Cardigan now that Murray has upped the ante by throwing his hat into the ring. Hold that thought. A hat?

I want to make some well timed, well chosen rhetorical remarks on whether or not Andy will survive the hostility, if he ends up not surviving the first week.

And yet....he's been wearing the label for what - 3 years now? It's the one hundredth anniversary of Fred Perry's birthday. And Britain's best chance yet of a home grown Champion. Did we really not see this coming?

(Photos: Marc Aspland/The Times)