Surly, grungy, unshaven, with a volley of swear words – and he's No1 role model

HE'S SURLY, unshaven and has been known to shower the tennis court with four-letter expletives.

But Andy Murray's emergence on the world tennis stage has earned him a multi-million-pound future as well as a legion of young fans who see him as a genuine hero.

Even his defeat at the hands of Roger Federer in the final of the US Open has done nothing to turn off a generation of budding players who are keen to follow in his footsteps.

Tennis in Scotland appears to be undergoing something of a revival with 32,000 club members and week-long tennis camps attracting between 800 and 900 youngsters.

David Marshall, chief executive of Tennis Scotland, is in no doubt that the "Murray factor" is responsible for the resurgence and the British No1 is a great role model for youngsters.

He says: "We're getting junior players saying that if Andy Murray from Dunblane can do it, so can we. Andy's temperament has improved a lot. The kids love him because of the way he dresses, that grungy look, the iPod, they love all that."

And Mr Marshall is quick to point out that obvious role models like Bjorn Borg took years to get to grips with their temper, and in the early days the Swedish superstar also had a reputation for temper tantrums.

"A lot of these guys have slick PR now, but if you look at Borg and Federer, they developed and matured. Borg ended up the ice-cool man but he didn't start out like that," he adds.

According to one former player, Murray has undergone a transformation in the eyes of the public.

He has refrained from losing his temper in recent months and has stopped cursing to the heavens after every bad shot or dodgy bounce.

Even his infamous comment during the World Cup that he wanted "anyone but England" to win appears to have been forgotten by the London-based media.

Colin Baxter, a former Scots champion who played at Wimbledon in the 1950s, has no problem with Murray's behaviour on or off the court.

He says: "Murray was petulant and temperamental, a bit coarse, but he has turned that around in the last year and has almost matured overnight.

"If you're going to get a champion, you need to be gutsy and determined."

Mr Baxter, 77, believes Britain has produced a new generation of players who are spoiled and pampered but Murray bucks the trend.

He adds: "He is a normal, highly competitive young player. With Murray, he will not go down without a fight. That's the mentality you want."

Sue Palmer, a child development expert, has no objection to Murray being a role model but wishes he would "cheer up a bit".

She says: "His behaviour is quite childish and it's petulant. It's lovely to see the lad winning … but you don't get the impression that playing is particularly joyous when he's on court."

Scots hero could be first of many

SCOTLAND'S tennis coaches have seen a 5 per cent rise in core membership in recent years, with a talented crop of young players coming through the ranks.

Following in the wake of Andy Murray and Elena Baltacha, they believe the future is bright with the emergence of another generation of gifted players – many of them who have yet to reach their teens.

Ellinore Lightbody, Scottish national coach, describes Andy Murray's talent as "one in a million" but believes young hopefuls like Joanna Henderson, 14, and Jonny O'Mara,13, can go all the way.

She said: "One of the major problems is the weather.

"There are indoor courts in the major cities but some players are driving for more than an hour to get there.

"We have got a lot of very good players coming through from Scotland from a relatively small player base, but we have a high percentage of high achievers. We're punching well above our weight."

Dunfermline Tennis Club is an example where demand has become so great junior membership is full. They currently have 299 adults and juniors, compared to 271 last year. Club secretary, Pat Reid, said: "The numbers have been going up steadily since Andy Murray has gone up the rankings.

"The biggest jump has been in the number of junior members. It's great, we're finding a lot of families are joining and the adults want coaching for themselves and their kids."