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Andy's blog

Andy's blog

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Beating a player of Nikolay Davydenko’s calibre in the first round of Wimbledon feels really good.

When the draw came out I knew I would need to start the tournament very well, playing strong tennis, and that’s what I did.

The BBC set up a text and Twitter service so fans could ask questions during the match yesterday. I wanted to use this column to answer your questions during the tournament, so we’ve picked out some sent during my match using the Twitter hashtag #AskAndy.

Q) How does it feel to inherit a mound in Wimbledon? Don’t you feel a little bit bad for Tim Henman and the Wombles who use to live there? (‏@liveforthepool)

It’s nice. I think it’s a pretty important part of Wimbledon now, fairly iconic. I’m sure it will always be remembered as Henman Hill as well. I remember when I came here as a kid, it was there and everyone always seems to have a good time on it.

Q) Did you ever get Rafael Nadal back for the prank he played on you while you were out for dinner? (‏@xcathyyx)

No, not yet, but I’m going too. There are a few things I’ve been thinking of, I’ll definitely get him back.

For those of you who don’t know, I was having dinner with my girlfriend in New York during last year’s US Open and I got a message on my phone from a number I didn’t recognise. It said something like, ‘You look great tonight, shame you’re here with your girlfriend’. It was a tricky thing to tell Kim, it probably would’ve ruined the atmosphere a little bit.

He was eating with his girlfriend behind us and came over after their meal but didn’t say anything and just assumed I knew it was him. But it wasn’t until I was walking back to the hotel that I realised and he went and told the whole tour about it! David Nalbandian did the same thing to me at the Australian Open but I didn’t fall for it that time.

Q) Do you think there should be a tennis tournament with an open FA Cup-style draw? (‏@DGB259)

Why not. There would be no seedings so I could play someone like Roger Federer in the first round. I think it would be exciting and fun for tennis.

Q) What inspired you to become a tennis player? (@Ambrose311)

There wasn’t really anything that inspired me. My brother Jamie and I just started playing when we were kids – that’s what got me into the sport, competing against him and it went on from there.

Q) If you could play any non-tennis player at tennis, who would it be? (@alexkingsley1)

Tough one. I’ll have to pick someone I’d like to meet or a great athlete… Muhammad Ali is someone I’d like to get the chance to step on court with, he’s a hero of mine. An amazing and inspirational guy just to be around.

Q) Andy, I know you like your karaoke so what song would you sing, and when you win Wimbledon this year will we hear it? (@TennisFanDan)

No, you definitely wouldn’t hear it, haha! Recently, I’ve been listening to Ed Sheeran a lot and sing along to his songs in the car, so it would have to be one of them. I’m not guaranteeing the quality though.

Q) Who would win an arm-wrestle between you and your coach Ivan Lendl? (@semcm)

His joints are pretty much finished so I hope I’d hurt his elbow or something. He’s a big guy, though. I weigh something like 80kgs and he’s around 105kgs or 110kgs, so he has a weight advantage. But the old joints wouldn’t help him (smiling)

Q) If you had to spend a year on a dessert island with a fellow tennis player, who would it be? (@BethanieGreen)

Apart from my brother, I’d say one of the British guys for sure. I’ve known them for a long time. One of them or Rafa. Ross Hutchins, Colin Fleming or Rafa. I’d rather take all three of them, though, keeps it interesting and we could play doubles. Rafa could teach me better Spanish and I could help his English a bit.

Q) Which player did you pretend to be when you were winning that imaginary Grand Slam as a 10-year-old kid? Pete Sampras? (@CooperGC)

It was Andre Agassi. He was an incredible player and the outfits he used to wear made it extra special – I even a pair of his lycra and denim shorts.

Q) What is the best memory from your career so far? (@CraigD23)

Winning my first tournament was nice. All the players probably remember that. It was in San Jose and has to be one of my best moments. I had no coach there with me so it was a pretty fun week.

Q) How many hours of tennis did you play per week between the ages of 10-16? (BBC school reporters Charlie and Abby from Hastings High School, Stoke on Trent)

I actually didn’t play much before I went over to Barcelona at the age of 15. I probably only played about five or six hours a week from 10 to 15, but I did manage to get my school to play tennis in PE. At that stage I had football training as well so I couldn’t do both, and homework made it tough to fit everything in. When I went to Spain that changed a lot. I was playing five hours a day for five days a week, so 25 to 30 hours a week.

Andy Murray was talking to David Ornstein.