Andy Murray, who won his second Masters Series title on Sunday in Madrid, has insisted that he is still a long way away from equalling the achievements of fellow Brit, Tim Henman. The 21-year-old Scot believes that Henman, during his playing days, was “much, much better” than him.

Murray made these proclamations despite becoming the first British player to win two Masters Series titles, following an impressive victory over Gilles Simon. Although Simon was clearly exhausted following his victory over Rafael Nadal on Saturday, the Brit showed impressive form to clinch the title.

In the past, Murray has been accused by members of the British press of being arrogant, so these latest comments from him have surprised some. Indeed, he played down his success as simply “a little bit of history” but did concede that he had achieved something that Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski had failed to attain during their respective careers.

Whilst it is true that Murray has only passed the semi-final stage of a Grand Slam once during his short career (whereas Henman competed in the semi-finals of all the Grand Slams apart from the Australian Open), he has had a truly impressive year.

He is currently ranked fourth in the world and, earlier this year, managed to reach the final of the US Open, where he was unfortunate to come up against an in-form Roger Federer with a point to prove.

Murray also impressed at Wimbledon, reaching the quarter-final for the first time. Despite this, Murray still believes that it will be some time before he is able to make Wimbledon his home, in the way that Tim Henman managed to do for so many years prior to his retirement in 2007.

However, although Murray’s comments that Henman always managed to play well at Wimbledon may ring true in the ears of the ex-player’s ardent fans, most people will associate Henman’s time at the competition with unfulfilled potential.

The young Scot is certainly more of an exciting prospect on and off the court and whilst some may not like his combative style, others are simply grateful for this breath of fresh air in British tennis.

This year has seen Murray reign victorious over Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer and the player believes that his new “coaching set-up” is one of the main reasons behind his success. He was criticised in 2007 for replacing his old coach, Brad Gilbert, with a handpicked team of coaches and trainers.

However, Murray has praised the new “structured” approach that has resulted from this radical change, with more practice time and a heavier reliance upon the gym improving his game and making him “much more comfortable on the court, much more relaxed”.

The young star is due in St. Petersburg later this week to attempt to defend the title he won in 2007 and his first match will see him compete against Serbia’s Viktor Troicki. Murray’s year will end with the Paris Masters and a trip to Shanghai for the Masters Cup and there is a growing belief that it will not be long before he wins his first Grand Slam.