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EVE MUIRHEAD: Euro 2022 opening game felt like a big occasion in every way

The opening ceremony of Euro 2022.
The opening ceremony of Euro 2022.

I still haven’t changed my mind that the organisers of Euro 2022 missed a trick by not starting the women’s football tournament in the men’s traditional World Cup slot.

But it’s off to a strong start.

I went to the opening match between England and Austria with an open mind.

I’d never watched a game of women’s football live before – and it’s been a wee while since I’ve been at a St Johnstone game too.

So I was intrigued to find out what my gut reaction would be in terms of the experience and – the most important bit – the sport.

And the answers on both fronts are positive.

In terms of the buzz at Old Trafford, it had the feel of a proper big occasion – like a Commonwealth Games.

The family friendly vibe was along those lines as well.

Before, during and after it was the sort of occasion kids would be telling mum and dad that they wanted to come back to.

England fans at Old Trafford.
England fans at Old Trafford.

The football?

It wasn’t the greatest game ever but the biggest compliment I can give it is that so much of the match felt very familiar.

I ended up moaning about short corners, the same as I would do watching Saints!

Ultimately, the players will want to be judged on how they perform.

And, it will be the quality of the product that determines how high and fast the women’s professional game grows.


Wimbledon last Saturday was every bit as special a day as I hoped it would be.

It’s definitely gone near the top of my ‘bucket list’ experiences.

From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, we were treated amazingly.

The day is as you would imagine – lots of famous people-spotting and lot of nice food and strawberries at every turn.

Fun fact – they don’t get picked until the night before apparently!

Getting announced to the Centre Court crowd and then finding out it was only Olympic gold medallists or World Champions who got invited was pretty special.

Team Muirhead at Wimbledon.
Team Muirhead at Wimbledon.

And the tennis wasn’t too shabby either.

We were treated to a Rafa Nadal masterclass.

It’s such a shame that his latest injury has robbed him of the chance to put another Grand Slam on his CV.

Now the bad boy of tennis, Nick Kyrgios, is going to be in a Wimbledon final.

His controversial match with Stefanos Tisitsipas was on Number One Court so unfortunately we didn’t see that one.

But it was THE talking point.

I’m still not sure what I think about him.

Yes, we all want to see big personalities in sport who stand out from the crowd.

And tennis has a tradition of them.

But as a professional athlete, you should always respect your opponent and the officials.

Too often he crosses the line.

Since Saturday, his last two games have been pretty calm affairs.

And he’s now got an extra couple of days to get his head right for the biggest game of his life.

You do get the sense that he could erupt at any moment, though. Even in a Wimbledon final.

The pressure could bring the dark side out again.

John McEnroe would be the perfect man to have in his corner.

He managed to find a way to harness his temper into a force for making him play better rather than worse.

It’s hard to know if having such a long break before his first Grand Slam final will be a good or bad thing for Kyrgios but it does feel as if the stars are aligning for him.

Hopefully he doesn’t wear his red cap on Sunday!

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