Murray is driven on by Nadal

Bright future: Andrew Murray

Andrew Murray may have only just won his first senior tennis tour match, but the 18-year-old Scot is already talking about emulating French Open winner Rafael Nadal.

His convincing first-round win at Queen's yesterday against Spain's Santiago Ventura marked a landmark on an already promising CV.

Murray announced his potential last September when he won the junior US Open title, and a key Davis Cup contribution in Britain's win against Israel earlier this year enhanced his reputation.

But with Britain searching desperately for a budding star to replace Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski as they head towards their twilight years, Murray is confident he can handle the expectation.

He has been handed a wildcard entry for Wimbledon and is happy to compare his strengths against the phenomenal Nadal, even though the Spaniard has set the standard for teenagers.

Nadal became the youngest Grand Slam champion in 16 years when he beat Mariano Puerta at Roland Garros on Sunday and Murray believes, in time, he could also be among the best in the world.

The Briton, who entered the Stella Artois championships on a wildcard, said: "It's going to be difficult to do what he's done, but I've got to aim for the top.

"One thing you have to look at is that Nadal, for someone who's 19, is physically better than everybody else in the world.

"I've maybe got two or three years because my body has not developed like his. I've still got some growing to do. I've got to fill out and get stronger."

Occasionally prone to on-court theatrics, Murray has been based in Barcelona at the Sanchez-Casal academy for three years after hearing about it from Nadal at a junior tournament.

Like the Spaniard, his game is best-suited to clay, and the grass court competitions provide a steep learning curve.

Murray admits he feels uncomfortable trying to serve and volley at Queen's, despite his efforts on the practice courts. His decision to hone his game in Spain may not help in that respect but it was partly designed to take him away from British pressure.

Now he is back in the United Kingdom, he wants to make the most of his support. He said: "I am ready for the attention. I'm looking forward to it.

"I played in some big matches before but the crowd has never really been with me. I played in the Davis Cup in Israel and there was a really big crowd there but pretty much 5,000 of them were against me.

"I also played in the junior US Open final, which was a big match, and the crowd was kind of half and half. But now to play at home in front of a lot of people is good motivation.

"It really helps. You feel like you've got a lot of people there helping you and are wanting you to win. It really makes you play better."

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