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NEWS items culled from local, national, and international reporting on grants plus press releases from government in England, Wales, and Scotland plus some UK TENNIS NEWS 

TENNIS

British tennis star Andy Murray  triumphed at Wimbledon in 2013 to become the first British male in 77 years to win the tournament. 

Murray Wimbledon 2016

In 2016, he won both his second Wimbledon title and second Olympic gold medal at Rio.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, on May 15, 1987, tennis player Andy Murray turned professional in 2005. In 2012, he won a gold medal at the London Olympics and claimed his first Grand Slam title with a stellar run at the U.S. Open. 

The second son of  Judy and Willie Murray, Andy grew up in Dunblane and began playing tennis at age 3. A former competitive tennis player, Judy coached both Andy and his older brother, Jamie, in their early years. Andy was fiercely competitive and hated to lose at anything - frustrated no doubt by sibling rivalry towards his elder brother.

Murray Gold Medal Rio 2016

Jamie was a gifted left-hander and Judy taught him conventional tennis whilst Andy was treated as a bit more of an experiment, with the result that his main inspiration was always to beat Jamie. 

Andy scored a major youth championship when he won Florida's Orange Bowl in his age group in 1999, and by I2004, he had became the world's No. 1 junior after winning the U.S. Open Junior title. Now No 2 in the world on the ATP Men's Tour, he continues to have a glittering career constantly staving to better himself and reach the No 1 spot - perhaps a position that might come his way soon.

An inspiration to fellow British players, Andy has not spared himself either in the way he has turned out as a team player in the Davis Cup - which as a result Britain won in 2015 after 79 years. 

The team for the semi-final against Argentina in 2016 therefore was Andy Murray, Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund, Jamie Murray, and Dom Inglot - sadly they lost 3-2 in rubbers but will no doubt with Andy's fullest participation, fight again next year to regain the title.