“By far it’s the proudest moment in my professional career”, he said. Hopefully, I don t get too many mosquito bites, but I don t think it s too bad at this time of the year.
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He spoke of his pride at being put forward for the role, saying: “I am very proud to be selected. I only see this as a huge positive and it will help me”.
Murray’s first foray with the flag didn’t quite go according to plan – proving perhaps that it’s not as easy as it may look. “I´ll have to try and get more practice in before tomorrow”.
Andy Murray said he considered his Olympic singles and doubles competitions to be of equal importance.
The chef de mission, Mark England, said the Scot had been partly chosen for his inspirational qualities.
Serena Williams begins her bid for a fifth Olympic gold medal against Australia’s Daria Gavrilova but there will be no all-Williams final after Venus was also drawn in the top half. But having the Olympics right in front of him gave him a reason to refocus – even if a win here would do nothing to move him closer to Djokovic in the rankings. Maybe some of the tough losses I’ve had over the last few years. “I didn’t mean to do that, I was following the directions I had been given”.
There were gasps at the draw in the Olympic Tennis Centre when world number one Djokovic was paired with former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in round one.
Tennis Team Leader Iain Bates added: “Being the Flagbearer for your country at the Olympics is an incredible honour and I am absolutely thrilled for Andy”.
“This shows the Olympic experience to be with other athletes from around the world and gather together”.
Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme, his mother Judy said he is “thrilled to bits” – but probably “a little bit nervous” ahead of the sporting extravaganza.
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Great Britain’s flag-bearer will be hoping to make a fast start but he will need to be wary of Troicki, who triumphed in the Apia International Sydney back in January before ending runner-up at in the Sofia Open the following month. “You can be inspired at your home Olympics and I expect them to play well, so we know what we have to do”.
