Home-grown players delight Wimbledon fans on hunt for 'new Andy Murray'
Host nation Britain is hungry for its next big tennis star to emerge at Wimbledon after two-time champion Andy Murray's retirement last year, with Jack Draper leading a new generation of home men's players.
British fans endured 77 years without a male player lifting the title, after Fred Perry's third win in 1936.
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First came "Henmania", then "Murray Madness", before the Scot ended the wait with the first of his two Wimbledon triumphs in 2013.
Now, a surging new generation of British players are making their mark, with fourth seed Draper, 23, leading the pack following Murray's farewell in 2024.
Seven men including Draper, Dan Evans, Jack Pinnington Jones and amateur Oliver Tarvet all made it into this year's second round -- Britain's best tally at any Grand Slam event since 1997.
The strong showing has set the home crowd up for some exciting tennis on Thursday with Evans due to face seven-time champion Novak Djokovic while Draper will play Croatia's Marin Cilic.
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"Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!" said chartered physiotherapist Carol Sweet. "Seven into the second round is amazing."
Centre court erupted Wednesday as Tarvet hit a string of winners before he was knocked out by reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz.
"It's great, you can hear the noise and how much louder it is," said engineer Cameron Maxwell, 27 as the crowd roared in support.
"As a spectator you're just more revved up for it," added accountant Guy Millward, 59.
- Results, at last -
Long-time British tennis fans John and Sarah Pickthorn said it was encouraging to see so many UK players finally making progress after years when they were few and far between.
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"For a very long time we've been here watching Germans and Swedes and Americans and Australians and it is very nice to see that we can produce -- not just one player -- Andy Murray," added John, a retired banker.
Money pumped into the sport by the the Lawn Tennis Association, British tennis's governing body, was "at last starting to show results", he said.
"It gives you that extra bit of excitement when they do go through," his wife Sarah, a retired interior designer, added.
Draper has been keen to dampen down expectations although he says British tennis is currently "in a good spot", partly due to Murray's influence.
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"Andy has had a huge effect on a lot of the younger generation, watching his success over the years, major success on the big stage.
"It's really exciting what we're going to have in the next 10 years.... It's cool to be a part of that," he said this week.
Prominent tennis figures predict big things for the well-rounded Londoner who studied criminology, enjoys whizzing up a cocktail and has even turned his hand to modelling.
"I'll be surprised if he doesn't win multiple majors," John McEnroe said last month at the French Open.
- 'Next tennis superstar' -
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Former mixed doubles champion Jamie Murray, who is also Andy Murray's brother, is even more certain.
"He is Britain's next tennis superstar. There's no ifs or buts about that."
Home-grown winners have been in short supply since Perry enjoyed three consecutive wins between 1934-36 at the All England Club in southwest London.
It was another six decades before Tim Henman burst onto the scene in the 1990s and provided some long-awaited buzz.
His four semi-final appearances sparked "Henmania" among British fans but the title ultimately eluded him.
Murray finally managed to follow in Perry's footsteps, a year after losing in the final to Roger Federer.
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For now Draper is keeping his feet on the ground.
"I'm not trying to be the next Andy Murray," he told The Times in January.
"He's one of the greatest players there ever was and ever will be, and to put that level of pressure on myself, I just don't do it. I focus on achieving my own potential," he added.
har/jc
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