BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2013 Winner - Andy Murray?

Andy Murray should win BBC Sports Personality of the Year! In any other year but 2012, when the London Olympics fever was sweeping the nation, Andy Murray’s haul of winning the US Open, winning Olympic Gold and Silver as well as becoming the first British man to reach the Wimbledon final in decades, would surely have been enough to see him crowned winner of the prestigious BBC award. However, those pesky Olympics (even though Murray was a medallist himself) and the small matter of Sir Bradley Wiggins, who become the first British winner of the Tour de France and doubling it up with Olympic Gold meant that Murray had to settle for 3^rd place behind winner Wiggins and Heptathlete golden girl, Jessica Ennis.

In many ways 2013 hasn’t been quite as successful for Andy Murray, with no Olympic medals up for grabs, yet it has been even more monumental. Although the year got off to a pretty decent start with another appearance in the Australian Open final (lost to Novak Djokovic), he didn’t compete at the French Open (through injury) and by the time the defence of his US Open came around, the toll of an incredible 2 seasons had taken its toll and back surgery ended his season prematurely. There is a big "but" here though...but he won Wimbledon! The first British man to do so since 1936! That's 77 years for those doing the maths. So, there it is - I believe Andy Murray deserves to win BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2013.

Tennis (especially the men's game) has become an epic gladiatorial sport of strength, endurance and of course skill. Andy Murray is competing at the very, very top of a tough individual sport that is probably enjoying its most competitive era ever. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Murray have been the undisputed top 4 in the world for the past few seasons. While Federer's amazing career may now be on the wane, there are plenty more pugilists lined up to take his place in this sport that is so demanding.

So, hats off to Andy Murray (a Hibernian supporter apparently), who in the space of just 12 months, reached 4 Grand Slam finals (winning the US Open and Wimbledon) and won singles gold and doubles silver at London 2012 - I hope you win, you certainly deserve to win and a big congratulations when you do!