Andy Murray and the Year of Magical Tinkering

Once upon a time, "overnight, Henmania became Murray Mania." That's not my own editorializing. Wimbledon shares the story of the upstart, No. 312-ranked Murray's rise.

"As if by magic," indeed. Murray picked at Radek Stepanek's reliable serve-and-volley game at Wimbledon in 2005 for a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory on No. 1 Court. The rest is his story, but at the time, he was Great Britain's sole hope in tennis, as he himself offered. Now: Murray is the ATP World Tour's No. 1 singles star, his brother Jamie Murray abides at No. 4 in men's doubles, and Johanna Konta has steadily built her ranking up to No. 10.

True, Murray has garnered that No. 1 slot without having to raise a racquet in the match that would send him there, a walkover win after Milos Raonic pulled up lame at the Paris Masters event. (He went on to win the title in a tough 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 contest against John Isner.)

But one match was never going to get him there; this is not one day but the Year of Magical Tinkering.

This weekend's melee of online congratulations and Murray think-pieces and timelines simply refuses to end. And why should it? Sidelined stars such as Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka, out of action for their worthy reasons for much of this season, recently added to the chorus of Muzz-love.

"New king in town." "History maker." That's how his many Slam-happy peers regard him. Where Murray goes from here will be, quite literally, London. Novak Djokovic, so unceremoniously supplanted at No. 1, looks to be in fighting shape or searching for answers, on and off court, depending on the day.

It's been written that the currently quip-less Djoker may finish this season with more questions than answers, but Murray has the grand opportunity now to provide men's tennis with its final, emphatic punctuation. Full stop.

Wimblevid tip via @JeffreyHernaez.

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