Publications
Partners
Melbourne - Scotsman Andy Murray believes he is a tennis player whose time has come, and statistics say he may be right.
History suggests that if the world number four is to break Britain's Grand Slam drought in men's tennis stretching back to Fred Perry's 1936 US Open triumph, his time is now.
Murray will line up in his 17th Grand Slam next week at the Australian Open and although he has talked up his belief that a first big title beckons, he need only look at his contemporaries' records to see how important it is that he actually seizes the day.
Of the seven men's singles Grand Slam winners still plying their trade, only Roger Federer took as long to break through.
It seems hard to believe, but it took the Swiss champion 17 tournaments to claim his first major title at Wimbledon in 2003.
Spaniard Rafael Nadal was the quickest to triumph, winning the French Open at just his sixth Slam appearance.
American Andy Roddick took 12, Novak Djokovic and Juan Carlos Ferrero 13 each and Lleyton Hewitt and recent US Open winner Juan Martin Del Potro 14 apiece.
But if Murray needs proof that good things do occasionally come to those who wait, he can look to fiery Croat Goran Ivanisevic, who didn't claim his maiden major crown until his 48th try.
"I think I'm ready to win it," Murray said of the Australian Open after playing at the season-opening mixed teams Hopman Cup in Perth last week.
"I just need to play well, if I do that then there's no reason why I can't."
In fact, Murray repeatedly said he was on target to win the Australian Open during the Hopman Cup, and certainly looked in peak form in most of his singles matches.
However, his surprise loss to the 16th-ranked Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the mixed teams final, when he was in control only to suffer an inexplicable form lapse, again raised concerns about his ability to sustain his best form.
The 22-year-old was rated a genuine contender in all of last year's Grand Slams only to bow out between the fourth rounds and semi-finals in each.
But Murray, who has honed his net game, dropped Davis Cup duties and has got fitter than ever before in his bid for glory in 2010 and says the Plexicushion surface in Melbourne best suits his game
He believes playing on that surface at the Hopman Cup, and in the local heat, gave him a much better preparation for the Australian Open than his titles in Doha the previous two years.
"I feel like I'm serving well, moving well and playing the ball better than I have done for a long time at the back of the court and I volleyed well this week," he said.
"I'm really, really happy with the way I was playing and I'm sure with another week of training and practising I'll be playing better and if I do that there is a good chance I can win."
Murray has talked the talk heading towards Melbourne, now he needs to walk the walk.
