Following his heroic centre court battle with Richard Gasquet on Monday, Wimbledon betting enthusiasts recognise that Andy Murray has taken the first steps towards his rehabilitation with the, largely English, Wimbledon crowd. The young Scot recently declared that his sporting allegiance was always with whatever team was playing against England and this has, apparently, caused resentment among some of those living south of the border.

To the English, however, it’s a matter of plain fact that all foreigners who profess hatred for them are simply confused and what they are really feeling is a mixture of envy and deep admiration for the English spirit - a condition they sympathise with and are easily able to forgive. On the other hand foreigners may just resent the attitude of aloofness and misguided superiority, especially in the face of the woeful performance of the English in most sports. Perhaps having a Scot as their best tennis player (as well as their Prime Minister, most of their key politicians and about half the media) is just too much to bear.

Nationalism aside, Murray’s demeanour is something else though and he has always exhibited what appears to be an unattractive anger and resentment for something or other. His autobiography is called ‘Hitting Back’, although against what is not clear. The ultra mild Tim Henman has allegedly called him ‘a miserable git’ and his conduct on court seems to support this view. The Wimbledon crowd, though, when they detect fortitude, resolve, bottle, pluck, guts, backbone and courage will overlook anything and on Monday Murray dished-up these traits in truly amazing amounts. Written off for dead after losing the first two sets, and with Gasquet serving for the match in the third, the sizzling Scot reached deep within and found rich veins of boundless energy and skill.

Admittedly, the Frenchman caved-in under massive crowd pressure but it was clear that Murray had moved forward massively along his career path. Today he faces Nadel. To some degree we will be able to observe and quantify the performance of the new Andy Murray but, if defeat comes at the hands of the formidable Spaniard, as today it probably will, all canny sports betting fans that watched his performance on the centre court on Monday know that Mr Murray’s day will surely come.