London 2012: Why Andy Murray Will Win First Big Title at Olympics

With the 2012 London Olympic Games fast approaching, Andy Murray is preparing himself to make a run at his first big title.

Murray has the tools and everything lining up perfectly for him once the Olympic tournament rolls around in July and August.

But does Murray even stand a chance when considering the rest of the field?

You have Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as the pre-tournament favorites. You cannot forget, however, young up-and-comers who would love an opportunity like this to take over the spotlight, such as Milos Raonic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Murray will be expecting big things at the Olympic Games and, realistically, so should we. After all he is the fourth ranked player in the world.

Without any more wait, here are five reasons why Murray stands a chance, and a very strong chance at that, to win the gold medal at this years London Olympic Games.

Hometown Crowd

When it comes to being an athlete, there is no better feeling than when you have a crowd behind you offering its wholehearted support. It gives you that extra edge. Just enough where you can boost your game to beat opponents that you may normally not stand a chance against.

Murray, being from Great Britain, will undoubtedly have the whole crowd on his side for any of his matches at this years Olympic Games. Not only will that give him some extra confidence but it will also add some extra pressure to every match.

Murray further adds that the home court advantage can be a good thing, but also tells Stuart Roach of CNN that it can swing both ways–in terms of the energy it can give you.

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"I think in all sports it is a huge bonus to be playing at home. When it comes to tennis there is sort of a myth that it is a disadvantage to be playing in front of a home crowd, that getting all the extra support puts all the pressure on you. But I think that when you look over the years it has normally helped players raise their game by being at home."

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If Murray can use that pressure the right way and allow it to build inside him to the point it betters his own game, then the hometown crowd will carry huge dividends for himself. Should he get too worked up about the crowd, then it could turn disastrous.

Murray will need to find the perfect arousal level when using the crowds energy he will be receiving every time he steps on court.

Inspiration from the 2008 Olympic Games

When it comes to playing in the Olympic Games and representing your country, no one wants to waste that opportunity and feel as if they let their country down. Athletes want to be their best and perform on the largest stage in their sport—the Olympic Games.

As a tennis player, and playing for the Great Britain team, Murray will want to be able to play well enough to give his country something to cheer about at this years tournament. Something he was not able to do at the last Olympics.

Murray's first Olympic Games came in 2008, and although he was ranked No. 6 in the world he lost in a first round match that should have been a cake walk.

Nonetheless, even with all the disappointment, Murray tells Pete Nichols of The Guardian what he has learned from the process, which will make him a factor once the games start in a few weeks.

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"I was struggling not so much with the heat, but I didn't prepare for the matches as well as I should have done after all the flying and stuff. It was unprofessional and disappointing on my part and again something I need to learn from and make sure it doesn't happen again."

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It looks like Murray was able to realize the mistakes he made at his last go around, and the actual effort that needs to be put in in order to have a good result. He wants to win matches at the Olympics.

With the only memory for Murray to look back on a first round loss, he will have extra motivation to make sure he exorcises some Olympic demons come London.

Consistent, Strong Play at Wimbledon

Although Murray has yet to win a Major in his whole career, that is not to say that he has not come close. At Wimbledon alone he has managed to reach the semifinals of the tournament in the last three consecutive years.

The year before that, in 2008, he also made it to the quarterfinals.

Murray has shown that when it comes to Wimbledon—even though he has never been able to get the job done—that he consistently performs well.

His strong play and consistent results at Wimbledon come from his comfort level at the club. Murray told Paul Newman of the Belfast Telegraph what exactly the All-England Club means to him.

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"I've spent a bit more time at Wimbledon in the last year than I normally would have. There are good facilities and it's very quiet. Sometimes I want to get out of the way and not be bothered, just do my own thing. I've sat on Center Court with no one there and thought a bit about the court, the matches I've played there ... It means a lot to me."

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Playing at Wimbledon seems to bring a calm over Murray, which is good considering the temper that he has been known to show on court. If he can keep up this level of success at Wimbledon then Murray should be expected to make it into the semifinals at the Olympics.

If he can make it there, then it can be anyone's guess as to who may win, considering all the factors Murray will have on his side that he usually does not when playing big tournaments.

Gold Is Bigger Than a Major

Just like representing your country, there is nothing sweeter than being able to win an Olympic gold medal. You get to have that title for the rest of your life.

The pure emotion that comes with it can be very overwhelming. At the last Olympics we saw Novak Djokovic break down in tears after only winning the bronze medal.

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"Who knows if I will be able to hold back the tears if we get a medal? Who knows?," Murray told ESPN.

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Andy Murray realizes how important a gold medal is, not just to himself but also to the rest of Great Britain and the team. After all, lets not forget that this is about the team, not just the individual athletes representing it.

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"What being a good team member is is performing the best in your sport and making sure that you give yourself the best chance at winning a medal and that's what I'll do this time," Murray explained to ESPN.

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In the end, Murray will be ready to bring his best play to the grass at the All-England Club and he is coming in with the right state of mind.

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"Within tennis, a Grand Slam is probably more prestigious. But in general, to the whole world, a gold medal is the pinnacle of sport," Murray told ESPN.

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Murray seems ready to reach the pinnacle of his sport and place a gold medal around his neck. With the type of attitude he seems to be carrying with him there is no reason to doubt him.

Don't Forget, He Is Very Talented

When you are ranked No. 4 in the world there is no reason why anyone should be counting you out. Especially when you are a player that falls under elite status as Murray does.

Even new coach Ivan Lendl, an eight-time major champion, is quick to point out that Murray is far more talented than he was as a player. He went on to tell ESPN:

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"I was a slow learner, it took up to 18 months for me to pick things up, but Andy is far quicker, he has more talent than I did. Look at his hands, he has wonderful hands. Look at the angles he creates. I couldn't do that."

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When it all comes down to it, though, if Murray is that talented then what exactly is it that has been holding him back from winning a Major? As Tim Henam goes on to say in his BBC blog, it is not always the talent that holds him back, but rather his emotional control.

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"His biggest challenge is dealing with adversity. When he's playing well, he can beat anyone. But when he isn't, can he really knuckle down, hold his temperament together and avoid the dialogue with his team?"

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If Murray can keep everything under control and his emotions in check, there is no reason to doubt this talented player come the 2012 Olympic Games in London.