Maybe in a few years’ time, when we go back to the days when getting one player into the second round of Wimbledon was a cause for national celebration, we will come to appreciate Andy Murray.

Of course, he enjoys tremendous support for a fortnight every year – even if Henman Hill has never quite become Murray Mound – but how often do you have a conversation with someone and they say “I just can’t warm to him”?

Perhaps he wins too much?

He may be a shade monotone. But listen to what Murray says and here is a deep-thinking sportsman prepared to voice his opinions rather than regurgitate dull cliches.

OK he is a proud Scot. But, having lived in Oxshott for the past six years and married an English girl, you can hardly describe him as the world’s biggest Anglophobe.

Even his harshest critics must have warmed to him slightly after he (almost) single-handedly guided Great Britain to their first Davis Cup semi-final for a generation on Sunday.

The first thought that came to mind after hearing that statistic was how on earth a British team managed to reach the last four as recently as 1981 (or even more staggeringly the 1978 final only to be battered 4-1 by John McEnroe’s USA).

But the emotion shown by Murray at Queen’s Club, both in terms of his initial celebration and subsequent tears, on behalf of the team’s success eclipsed even his reaction to his individual triumphs in winning the Olympics, Wimbledon and US Open.

Of course, by bursting into tears he carried on a fine British tradition but, unlike Gazza or Alex Higgins, it is hard to find too many flaws in this particular genius.

For that’s what Murray is. People who like fast cars or throwing arrows may care to argue, but he is the best sportsman these islands have produced for many, many years.

With September’s semi-final in mind, there is one more thing Murray and his team-mates could do which is always popular – beat the Aussies.