Murray To Celebrate Double Whammy In Dunblane

Andy Murray has said he will be making an emotional return to his hometown to celebrate his golden summer of success and thank fans for their support.

He will arrive in Dunblane near Stirling at noon today in an open-topped bus and then walk through the town towards the Dunblane Tennis Club courts where his journey to sporting success began.

The 25-year-old returned to the UK on Wednesday after beating Novak Djokovic in a gruelling five-set match to win the US Open.

His victory came just weeks after he beat Roger Federer to take the Olympic men's title at the London Games.

Murray said: "I can't wait to get back to Dunblane to where it all began and share my US Open victory with everyone and thank them for all the support.

"It's definitely going to be emotional, but it's a very special place for me."

Murray did not attend Friday's official victory parade for Scotland's Olympians and Paralympians in Glasgow despite being keen to take part in the event.

The tennis ace had been advised to take a couple of days of complete rest after playing continuously for four months.

During a visit to Dunblane likely to last around three hours, he will be greeted by Stirling Provost Mike Robbins, who said: "We're so thrilled that Andy's coming.

"It's always a pleasure to welcome him back, but this time, of course, it's extra, extra special.

"I visited local schools the morning after his US Open triumph, and everyone was just buzzing. The one thing the children wanted was the chance to say 'well done', and now we will all be able to do just that."

Police have advised drivers to expect disruption if they plan to visit the town on Sunday. Some roads will be closed, with no vehicles allowed onto Beech Road or High Street.

Stirling Area Commander Superintendent Gordon Dawson said: "This is a unique event and we anticipate large numbers of people will turn up to see Andy Murray.

"There will be disruption to traffic and our advice is to plan your journey and to allow extra time for it. We encourage those attending to take direction from stewards along the route."