Such has been Andy Murray's satisfaction at his years spent near Barcelona, where he learnt the business of becoming a professional tennis player on the orange-red clay courts, that he now only has warm words for Catalonia.

The teenager believes that the Sanchez-Casal Academy, an over-hit forehand or two from Barcelona's outskirts, has been of immense importance to his career.

It was Rafael Nadal, now the French Open champion and the world No 2, who first mentioned the academy to Murray. They were playing racketball some years ago when the Spanish teenager told Murray that he had been training with some of the world's best players in Barcelona.

- Full Story (telegraph.co.uk)