Sir Sean Connery cheers on Scottish hopes at Wimbledon

26-Jun-2005 • Actor News

As the roars of the Wimbledon crowd died down, the question was being asked in his home town, across Scotland and all over the UK: just how far can Andrew Murray go?

For his growing army of fans, the outcome of the match was a defeat only in a short-term, technical sense. His nail-biting performance was a declaration of the great things to come - reports The Scotsman.

Bonded to the Scots star: Sean Connery leads the VIP box in a Mexican wave in honour of Andy Murray.

Ahead for the 18-year-old from Dunblane, Perthshire, is a rosy future of on-court victories and off-court riches. Without doubt, Murray has emerged as Britain's best chance of clinching the famous Wimbledon title in years. Just around the corner is a bid for the US Open after winning the American junior title last year.

Yesterday, thousands gathered around the huge TV screens at Wimbledon to watch the youngster play. Sir Sean Connery was among those cheering him on from among the crowds.

Back in Murray's home town, the streets were all but deserted as residents stayed in to watch the match. Afterwards, some were in tears after watching their local hero's defeat, but they know he will return.

Murray's grandmother, Shirley Erskine, who could not be at Wimbledon because her husband Roy had undergone surgery to fit a pacemaker last week, said: "We are not at all disappointed. He has performed brilliantly throughout. Andy had a lot to recover from after his ankle injury and this was only his sixth outing on grass. I'm sure he will not be too upset, and will focus all his efforts on doing even better in the future."

The couple were left on tenterhooks about their grandson's performance after having to dash to a friend's golden wedding celebration party just before the match.

Shirley Erskine added: "It's been a nerve-wracking week. Andy has coped extremely well with all the attention and pressure. He is a very calm and composed young man. His mum has done a lot to shield and protect him. Of course he has been in the spotlight before, but nothing can compare with this. We are immensely proud."

Following the match, Murray's mother Judy also said she was proud of her son.

"It was a lovely experience," she said. "Sean Connery had sent a message saying he was coming to the match and telling him he had done brilliantly in the game against Radek Stepanek on Thursday. It was amazing."

She went on, like Connery, to call for more financial help to improve the fitness levels among young British tennis players. She felt her son's fitness had not been up to scratch and had contributed to his defeat. "He needs three things now: to get the right coach, the right environment and the right physical team," she said.

"He can do the tennis stuff. Physically, we need to make sure he can do it day in, day out."

Thanks to `` for the alert.