Andy Murray is managing to stay loose in his historic Wimbledon quest

The British public sees nothing funny in the 73-year drought since a home hopeful last won the Wimbledon men's singles. However, Andy Murray, the man charged with finally quashing that embarrassing statistic, is treating the biggest tournament of his life as a big joke. Murray has discovered that humor is his best weapon in trying to combat the oppressive level of expectation he has been placed under as he shoulders the hopes of a nation. While millions of nervous viewers anxiously look on to see if the great British hero can continue his run, Murray is busy ignoring all the newsprint, television bulletins and public discussion of his chances. Instead, he is deeply immersed with his tight-knit team of friends and advisors in the system that has served him well in his rise to No.3 in the world. All too often, that system means he is the butt of practical jokes - and Murray doesn't care one bit. In the lead-up to his second-round victory over Latvia's Ernests Gulbis, Murray suffered the misfortune of losing a game of "head-tennis" - a routine his camp uses as part of his training. The forfeit was to practice on Wimbledon's outer courts fully kitted out in cricket uniform, including a navy blue helmet with a full metal grille. Harmless fun yes, but also a useful tactic for Murray to ease the burden on himself, something Tim Henman never fully managed to do. It is this kind of mentality that could take Murray all the way to the final, keeping him closeted from the fingernail-biting British fans whose dreams he bears.