Murray One Step Closer

Written by: Staff on 31st January 2010

Murray One Step Closer |

During the past two weeks, Andy Murray has played the best tennis of his life. On a roll, it looked like nothing could stop him.

Then he ran into Roger Federer in the Australian Open final.

And much like the last Grand Slam final when they met back in Flushing Meadows in 2008, the Scot was not match for the Swiss Master, losing in straight sets, 3-6 4-6 6-7 (11-13).

“Tonight’s match was a lot closer than the one at Flushing Meadows,” Murray said. “You know, like I say, I had a chance at the beginning of the match, and I had chances, you know, at the end of the match.

“It’s just the second set that didn’t go my way. Not that any of them went my way. But obviously I felt like I had opportunities in the rest of them.

Yeah, I mean, obviously I’m getting closer. I mean, my results in the Grand Slams would show that. Just got to keep working hard.”

Even with the loss, Murray is still one of the rise stars on the tour. As a top rated Brit, the eyes of the United Kingdom are on him and is followed around like a rock star in his homeland.

All of this doesn’t make life easy for 22 year-old and after the last night’s match, he was in tears.

“I don’t feel great,” he said. “You know, obviously worked really hard, you know, to get to this stage. I wanted to win the tournament. You know, I think it was more the way the end of the match finished. You know, obviously it was pretty emotional end to the match.

“If it was a complete blow‑out, if I lost 3, 4, and 2, you know, it probably wouldn’t have happened. But I had my chance to get back into the match. That was probably why I was upset.”

One day, Murray will win a major, and it could come in the most unlikely of places. He’s not the biggest fan of the clay courts, and of course there’s Wimbledon which would not just make him popular, but the greatest British hero since Winston Churchill.

And maybe that’s what makes it so hard for Murray, since the pressure from back home is so great as the UK years for their own major tennis champ.

“It didn’t feel it on the court,” he said. “You know, you get a lot of good luck messages. You know, everyone wishing you well from back home. You know, that’s obviously nice.

“Once you get on the court, it’s not what you’re thinking about at all. And then obviously after the match, you know, I would have liked to have done it for everyone back home, you know, won the tournament. Obviously for myself and for the people I work with as well.

“But it wasn’t to be.”

Eventually, though, he will make his breakthrough. Although Federer is still in his prime, Murray has time to catch up. And that’s what keeps driving the Scotchman.

“I’m hungry to win one,” Murray said. “I haven’t since I was 16, 17 years old when I started playing the junior Grand Slams. You know, I realized I wanted to win one of them, you know, when I was playing.

“Like I say, I worked really, really hard to try to do it and give myself the opportunity. You know, so far it’s not been good enough.

“But I’m sure one day, it will be. When it comes, maybe because of the two losses, it will be even better.”

Topics: Andy Murray, Australian Open, Blow Out, Clay Courts, Flushing Meadows, Grand Slams, Hero, Lot, Match, Rock Star, Roger Federer, Scot, Straight Sets, Tennis, United Kingdom, Wimbledon, Winston Churchill