Times changing for nearly man Andy Murray

Not only does Andy Murray deserve to win the US Open, but I also reckon he will win it, writes Greg Wilcox...

There it is, I’ve said it and it was easy.

In the past we’ve written in these pages that the world No.4 would never win a Grand Slam (comment pieces sometimes lend themselves to grand statements...).

There was something about him and his temperament on court that didn’t look like a major winner-in-waiting. Not least when, in Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, he was up against three of the greatest players to ever hold a racquet.

However, over the past few months Murray has looked more and more like a man who means business come the business end of big tournaments. And following his Olympic triumph he’s ready to finally get his hands on one of the top four trophies.

In years gone by the 25-year-old would have lost his semi-final against Tomas Berdych. It was blowing a gale in New York, he was up against a player who’d caused him problems in the past and with Rafael Nadal injured and Roger Federer out all the pressure was on the Scot to finally come good.

It was vaguely reminiscent of his 2009 Wimbledon last-four clash against Andy Roddick, minus the storm.

However, while there was a sense of inevitability about that defeat, there was only ever one winner on Saturday, even when he went a set down to the Czech.

This is a new Ivan Lendl-like Murray, there’s steel behind the occasional strop and his Olympic gold has given him the belief he can come out on top in best-of-five matches against the greatest and can win a Slam.

And for the sake of a top career and his many, many fans who’ve written in every time we’ve had a pop at Murray, I hope he finally reaches the promised land tonight.