A Disappointed but Enthusiastic Murray is Preparing a Bounce Back

Written by: Staff on 8th February 2012

A Disappointed but Enthusiastic Murray is Preparing a Bounce Back

Andy Murray of Great Britain reacts after winning a point during his match against Kei Nishikori of Japan, in the men's quarter final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Wednesday, Australia, 25 January 2011. EPA/JOE CASTRO |

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For the last two years February has seen Andy Murray hide away from tennis, the Scot’s dismay at losing Australian Open finals propelling him on a spiral of disappointment and dejection. But just a few weeks in the company of new coach Ivan Lendl has caused Murray to now maintain he definitely has what it takes to win that elusive major title.

“I am going to win one,” insisted the fourth ranked 24 year-old at a public Royal Bank of Scotland forum in Edinburgh’s National Museum of Scotland, mindful that the trio above him: Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are now all multiple major champions. I’m not saying I’m going to win six. But if I can get a few I can be remembered in the same breath as those guys.”

Murray’s confidence is bolstered by the input of Lendl who arrived just before the final of the Brisbane International and then mentored the Scot to a semi-final finish in Melbourne. With the former world no.1 in his camp, Murray is convinced he is closing the gap on the Serbian, the Spaniard and the Swiss.

He insisted “I made a big improvement in Australia. I’ve got a new coach, I only spent five or six days with him in Australia and I improved.”

While Britain’s depleted Davis Cup team play the Slovak Republic in Glasgow this weekend, Murray will be flying to Florida to link up again with Lendl for ten days of intensive practice. “I’ll go and spend a lot more time with him and work harder, and that’s really all that you can do,” he said.

Murray is naturally still reflecting on his exhausting 6-3, 3-6, 6-7, 6-1, 7-5 defeat to Djokovic which is now overshadowed in most people’s memories by the Serb’ 5 hours 53 minutes long final victory over Nadal two days later.

Momentum swings were numerous and Murray said: “There were a lot of ups and downs. He started much better than me, then I ended up getting back into the match. Some of the points in the third set were brutal. It was just a matter of a couple of points here and there. It was one of the longest matches I’ve ever played on tour, and probably one of the highest standards, too.

“In the final last year when I lost in straight sets to Novak, I didn’t play particularly well. This year was a huge turnaround and I played much better tennis. I was a few points away from winning the match and I came away from Australia feeling much more positive about my game.”

Murray, his elder brother Jamie and their mother Judy were speaking at An Audience With The Murrays. Jamie, the 2007 Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champion, maintained his sibling improved noticeably during the course of the recent Australian Open.

“I think Andy took so many strides forward in his tennis, certainly compared to last year,” Jamie said. “He showed a lot of people what he can do. He has a really great chance to go on, play like that again and hopefully win Grand Slams.”

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