Andy Murray Makes Shock Return to Grass-roots Level
Wimbledon semi-finalist Andy Murray played three matches for the North of Scotland in County Week
It is the stuff of nightmares. You are the best player at your club and have been selected to play at County Week, which attracts gifted amateurs from all over the country. You arrive at Eastbourne expecting to face opponents roughly of your standard. Instead, to your horror, there across the net is the world No3 and Britain's new tennis darling, Andy Murray.
The 22-year-old pledged to help his county, North of Scotland, on Tuesday, offering his services in an effort to help them to avoid relegation from the top division of County Week. With his brother Jamie in tow he made the short journey from London to the quaint surroundings of Devonshire Park to join up with his team-mates, who had lost both their first two matches.
Hertfordshire were the opposition and the looks on their faces were a picture. "We had heard a couple of rumors that Andy might be coming," Nick Lester, a member of the team, said. "Apparently their captain knew all week but we didn't know until we got here."
As a journalist who was there to see Murray go agonizingly close to a place in the Wimbledon final less than three weeks ago, Lester is no stranger to Murray, but he admitted his arrival had lifted everyone. "It was exciting," he said. "Above all, it is a big boost to County Week. It shows what kind of guy he is that he would come down to what must be the lowest rung [of the tennis ladder] he has played in years and try to help his team."
Despite Andy Murray's best efforts – in tandem with Owen Hadden he won all three of his matches – North of Scotland were beaten 5-4 by Hertfordshire. But Ian Conway, the North of Scotland coach, was still delighted with his coup in securing Murray's help. "He heard we'd had problems, that we were struggling to get a team and he wanted to make up the numbers," he said. "He phoned and asked if he could help, and you don't say no to the world No3. It was very exciting for us."
The 22-year-old pledged to help his county, North of Scotland, on Tuesday, offering his services in an effort to help them to avoid relegation from the top division of County Week. With his brother Jamie in tow he made the short journey from London to the quaint surroundings of Devonshire Park to join up with his team-mates, who had lost both their first two matches.
Hertfordshire were the opposition and the looks on their faces were a picture. "We had heard a couple of rumors that Andy might be coming," Nick Lester, a member of the team, said. "Apparently their captain knew all week but we didn't know until we got here."
As a journalist who was there to see Murray go agonizingly close to a place in the Wimbledon final less than three weeks ago, Lester is no stranger to Murray, but he admitted his arrival had lifted everyone. "It was exciting," he said. "Above all, it is a big boost to County Week. It shows what kind of guy he is that he would come down to what must be the lowest rung [of the tennis ladder] he has played in years and try to help his team."
Despite Andy Murray's best efforts – in tandem with Owen Hadden he won all three of his matches – North of Scotland were beaten 5-4 by Hertfordshire. But Ian Conway, the North of Scotland coach, was still delighted with his coup in securing Murray's help. "He heard we'd had problems, that we were struggling to get a team and he wanted to make up the numbers," he said. "He phoned and asked if he could help, and you don't say no to the world No3. It was very exciting for us."
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