Murray Suffers Great Disappointment, But He Will Bounce Back

Written by: Staff on 10th July 2012

Murray Suffers Great Disappointment, But He Will Bounce Back

epa03300974 Andy Murray of Britain pose with his runner-up trophy following the men's singles final of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 08 July 2012. EPA/JONATHAN BRADY |

As the thick black cloud of abject disappointment gradually dissipates in Andy Murray’s mind after his Wimbledon final defeat, the positives of the 25 year-old Scot’s campaign begin to sink in and his determination is now stronger than ever before to end a 76 year wait for a British male Grand Slam singles champion and claim Olympic gold for his nation on the same Centre Court.

“Sunday was painful, but the prospect of attempting to win a gold medal is already spurring me on,” maintained Murray who accepts the fact he will not have coach Ivan Lendl in his corner for the Olympics but re-iterated the influence of the former world no.1 is closing the gap between simply being a Grand Slam contender and a champion.

“He’s made a big difference in the way I prepare for the majors, which is something I felt I needed or was maybe missing,” said Murray. “Things are going in the right direction but there is much more to come.

“We spoke after the final but decided it wasn’t the right time to analyze. He just said be proud of yourself and the way you fought. But then was not really the time for us to talk about it.”

Murray’s post-final tears and emotional speech made front page news and dominated the nation’s television and radio talk-ins for 36 hours after the loss to Roger Federer and the runner-up maintains he will be a recluse for the best part of the week.

However he broke cover just once to write his column for the BBC and revealed: “It is hard to describe the disappointment of losing a Grand Slam final, let alone as a British player at Wimbledon with such incredible home support.

“You try to stay calm, hold it together and congratulate your opponent before thanking the fans, your team, the tournament staff and so on. If only it was that easy.”

Murray admitted a degree of embarrassment about his show of emotion in his on-court interview with Sue Barker, regardless of the fact it was a seminal moment in the change of the British sporting public’s adverse perception of the often surly Scot.

But he continued: “Having invested so much effort and received unbelievable backing, it is difficult to control your reaction. The last thing you want is to cry on court, but there we go.

“This tournament, the public and my family and friends all mean a great deal. I’m more determined than ever to make sure I’m the guy lifting the trophy next time round. And clearly I’m getting closer. It was the best I’ve played in a Grand Slam final and the best I’ve felt on the court. I was more composed and I won a set.”

Murray maintained he will start work soon on his Olympic preparations but first he needs a break to rest his body and totally clear his mind. “The next 10 days or so are vital because the Olympics is fast approaching,” he said. “I certainly won’t pick up a tennis racket this week and I don’t know if I’ll stay in the country. The weather here is so bad.

“There’s a good chance I’ll try to find some sunshine; I may fly to Miami or go somewhere in Europe with my girlfriend and our dogs.

The disappointment will linger for as long as it needs to, it’s not a process I’ll rush. Sometimes getting back on the court quickly might work, but it can also have completely the opposite effect. I have to take the right amount of time off, let my body and mind fully recover.”

Topics: Andy Murray, British tennis news, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Wimbledon defeat