2011 Australian Open: The British Empire Strikes Back; Andy Murray faces Alexandr Dolgopolov
The British are possibly the most notorious underachievers in the sporting world. Be it cricket, football or tennis, they have fallen from an almost impregnable position to being minnows. In tennis particularly, they have fallen
far and long. From the days of Fred Perry, there has not been a single Grand Slam winner from the United Kingdom. The situation though, has looked on the verge of changing for a couple of years.
Enter Andy Murray, the best the British Isles have produced in 50 years, the 23-year-old Scotsman, who has done so much for tennis in Britain and yet so little. Murray, since his quarterfinal appearance at the 2008 Wimbledon has
been the sole vehicle of British hopes and dreams, as far as tennis is concerned.
Following the quarterfinal appearance at Wimbledon, Murray first won his first master’s tournament at Cincinnati and then astounded the world by getting to the final of the 2008 US Open. His road to the final included a victory
over future US Open champion Martin Del Potro, followed by one over the then world number two Rafael Nadal. Even though he lost to Roger Federer in the final, his mark had been made. Britain finally had a worthy son.
16 singles titles, two Grand Slam finals, two semifinals and 2 quarterfinals are what Murray has to his name thus far. His achievements are remarkable considering both his age and the fact that they come against players such as
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. He is one of the few people on the circuit to have recorded comprehensive victories against both Federer and Nadal, and has been as high as number two in the world in the ATP rankings. He is currently ranked
number five in the world, a ranking he often exchanges with Djokovic and Robin Soderling, as these three players fight it out for the third rank behind Nadal and Federer.
Andy Murray has a style of play unlike any other player of his calibre. He is unusually defensive, and prefers to play from the baseline, often opting to construct long rallies rather than finishing off points quickly. He is a
superb tactician, something that he employs especially well against Rafael Nadal, often obstructing Nadal’s play to his own ends. His double-handed backhand is formidable, and his pace, strength and stamina give him the ability to be as defensive as he needs.
Sudden bursts of speed often leave opponents reeling as Murray closes in for the kill, breaking his usual pattern of play.
Coming to this year’s Australian Open, Andy Murray has been in devastating form. Not having dropped a set yet, he has served superbly, with a high percentage of his first serves being in. Moreover, his winner count is unusually
high, especially considering the defensive nature of his game. His game against Jurgen Melzer has been the characteristic of his tournament so far with the match being brief and brutal, for Melzer that is. With Murray completely dominating Melzer’s serve,
the Austrian committed a plethora of unforced errors, which resulted in his serve being broken six times by his opponent. Next up, Murray faces Alexandr Dolgopolov, the Dark Horse in this year’s tournament quarterfinals today.
Looking at the way he has played so far at the event, it seems quite likely that Murray shall succeed in achieving a first Grand Slam victory, something he definitely has the potential to do. In addition, as the British public
looks on in hope, play continues at the Australian Open 2011.
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