Why we’ll grow to love Murray
WILD-HAIRED, growling, swearing, petulant and shambling are words used by a lot of Britain’s traditional tennis followers to describe Andy Murray, but it is time to acknowledge they are also looking at a winner.
In another year or two, they will be as devoted to the 20-year-old Scot as they were for men with the same attitude and looks, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.
Murray is now ranked the world’s ninth-best player after winning his fourth professional tour title in Qatar on Saturday, but he arrives in Australia today with the top five in his sights.
He is maturing fast and in taking out his occasional practice partner, Swiss No2 Stanislas Wawrinka, to complete a powerful opening week to the year, Murray showed he is stronger in mind and body.
His serve is a much greater weapon now but, as he said two years ago when many questioned his fitness and injury niggles, he needed time to develop physically. And although there is more to come, Murray now has the strength to match the skill.
Wisely, Murray is skipping the tournaments in New Zealand and Sydney where most of the top-30 players are to be found this week seeking form before the first Grand Slam of 2008 in Melbourne starts next Monday.
He will be in the Kooyong tournament in Melbourne, an elite eight-player event being played on the Plexicushion surface being used for the first time this year at the Australian Open.
Here he mixes with Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, David Nalbandian and Fernando Gonzalez, who are all ranked above him, and also with Ivan Ljubicic, Tommy Haas and the experienced Marat Safin.
Murray now walks in this company with total respect from the others, who know he is a young lion to fear.
A year ago Ljubicic defeated Murray in straight sets in Doha but the destiny of the £85,000 winner’s cheque this time underlined the change in fortunes.
Wawrinka had also beaten Murray twice in previous meetings, but admitted after this 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 defeat: “He was too good for me. He is playing very well and he looks even better this year.”
A wrist injury kept Murray out of the French Open and Wimbledon but, frustrating as that was for him, it may have been a benefit in giving him a rest and thinking time. He showed strength of character off the court by ending his time with American coach Brad Gilbert, preferring to assemble a travelling team which can not only help him improve but also help create the right environment on the road.
That includes the laid-back Miles Maclagan, who partnered Tim Henman in the Davis Cup for Britain in 2002 but never hit the heights as a singles player and retired from the tour in 2000.
Gilbert’s era was another part of the Murray jigsaw which he will feel will be completed only when he holds a Grand Slam trophy, although Australia looks too hot and too early for him.
“It’s great to win here,” said Murray. “I have never won a tournament in the first week of the year – so it’s going to be really good for the confidence. It was important for me to make the final so I get seeded in the top 12 because if you’re ranked between 13 and 16, you get drawn to play the top-four seeds in the fourth round of the Australian Open which obviously is not the best to do.
“So by winning here my ranking will move up a bit and I’ll have a slightly better draw (on Friday) in Melbourne, hopefully.”
World No2 Rafael Nadal raised fitness concerns for the Australian Open after he was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 in only an hour by fourth seed Mikhail Youzhny in yesterday’s Chennai Open.
The Spaniard was clearly showing the effect of his marathon four-hour semi-final win over compatriot Carlos Moya the previous day. He called for medical attention trailing 4-1 in the second set and then went through the motions as Youzhny completed his fourth career title win.
