Andy Murray insists he has put the disappointment of losing the Wimbledon final into perspective and after a solitary visit back to Centre Court is now fully focused on winning an Olympic gold medal for Britain.
The world will remember Murray’s post-final tears as he battled with emotion in trying to offer his thanks for the public support and he has admitted he found it difficult to sleep as intense regret flooded his mind.
But a secret trip back to the All England Club a couple of days later, on the pretext of collecting some training gear, helped the 25 year-old Scot’s mindset. “At first I cried a lot at home and was finding it difficult to sleep,” he said. “I didn’t touch a racket for quite a while, I had a few days off where I went go-karting with my friends and went to see comedy shows. But went back to Wimbledon and sat on Centre Court by myself for about half an hour.
“I spent some time reflecting on the final. I thought a little bit about the match and then was thinking what it will be like playing at the Olympics, because Wimbledon changed so quickly after the tournament, They had all the London 2012 backdrops at the back of the court and I guess that maybe got my mind looking forward to this event.
“If the Olympics wasn’t here I would have taken two or three weeks off, but I just took four or five days off and got back on the court.”
Murray has been back practicing with his support team for almost a week and now feels rejuvenated. “Getting back on the court has helped, I needed to make sure I got over the disappointment quickly,” said the player who lost in the first round of the Beijing Olympics to Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei.
“Last Olympics I played in Cincinnati a week before the Games started and arrived three days before. It was not ideal preparation and I did not understand how much the Olympics meant to me. After I lost, it hit me hard. This time I will be properly prepared.
In addition to singles action, Murray will also be playing doubles with brother Jamie. “’Winning a medal for your country is huge, you’re part of this huge competition and your feel part of the team, that you’ve contributed and helped towards it,” said world no.4 Andy who in Rafael Nadal’s absence will be the tournament’s third seed.
“There’s not been too many guys who have won the singles and the doubles, but I want to try and do it, playing in this competition with my brother is really a dream you never expect when you’re growing up.”
Topics: 10sballs.com, All England Club, Andy Murray, London 2012, Murray, Olympic Gold Medal, Sports, Tennis News, Wimbledon 2012