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What an unforgettable fortnight it's been for British tennis. Four Britons in finals across senior, junior and wheelchair competitions.
Well done Laura Robson, Peter Norfolk and Lucy Shuker. And, of course, well done Andy Murray — a truly remarkable player.
We must not forget the efforts of Elena Baltacha and Katie O'Brien either, highlighting the progress being made in the women's game.
But my abiding memory of this Australian Open will always be of that incredible point in the second set of Andy's semi-final against Marin Cilic.
That winner was extraordinary and was followed by the now famous “Murray roar”, which has become a rallying cry for everyone who loves the game in this country.
To those elite players who dream of following in his footsteps: that's how you make it. You have to work hard from a young age. His determination and dedication is inspirational. And it's the same for the rest of us in British tennis.
We recognise that there's still a lot of hard work to be done but the good news is that we're better prepared than ever to make the most of this great opportunity.
Our goal isn't just to find the next champion. We also want more people of all ages playing enjoying the sport. Around 530,000 adults already play tennis every week in England and the number is rising.
More kids are competing and more schools are getting into the sport. The Tennis Foundation have, through the AEGON Schools Programme, already taken tennis into more than 2,000 primary schools in the last year alone.
The Lawn Tennis Association are investing more than £40million over five years into places to play tennis.
Much of what has been happening over the past few years has been geared towards this moment as there is no better way for the next generation to be inspired than by seeing a player like Andy perform.
Tennis isn't just about two weeks in summer. Andy, Laura, Peter and Lucy have reminded us of that. Now everyone involved in British tennis can use their achievements to get more people involved in the sport.
Reader views (1)
Congratulations to Andy Murray and all concerned with British tennis. You may be surprised to learn that English squash has six players in the top 12 of the PSA world rankings.
Last week, while Murray was reaching the final in Melbourne, James Willstrop actually won the squash Grand Slam tournament held in New York.
To do so, he beat the top three Egyptians (who have all been world No.1) in the past six months). It was a fantastic achievement, but it was totally ignored by the British media.
This is a disgusting insult to the players and the sport itself.
The event Willstrop won is the annual Tournament of Champions, which one of the biggest competitions on the world squash calendar. It is held each year in the iconic location of Grand Central Station, which is packed every night with spectators more than happy to pay 100 dollars a ticket to see some spectacular sporting entertainment.
How can such a phenomenal achievement be totally overlooked by the British media.
If British tennis had half a dozen players in the world top 12 the LTA would be turning cartwheels.
- Squashman, London, UK, 08/02/2010 20:25
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