Andy Murray out of US Open
British No.1, Andy Murray, fell at just the third hurdle yesterday on his quest to secure his first Grand Slam title. Following routine wins in the first and second rounds, third round opponent and 25th seed Stanislas Wawrinka was considered a tricky obstacle rather than a challenger that could land a fatal blow to Murray’s hopes.
But Murray was way out of sorts and struggled to maintain any rhythm or gain control of the match. Wawrinka’s big hitting and aggressive play meant the Swiss No.2 was dictating the pace of the match as Murray sunk more and more into the passive tennis so many have blamed for holding him back.
Despite the Scot taking the first set following Wawrinka’s wobble when serving for the set, he failed to seize control and looked short of spark and any energy. At times looking injured or ill, Murray’s usual movement and never-say-die attitude deserted him, allowing Wawrinka, who was too suffering from injury problems, to close out the match relatively easily.
Murray’s attitude and temperament were as much to blame for this loss as his actual tennis on the day. Indeed John McEnroe claimed Murray was: “Fighting himself as much as Wawrinka,” as his frustration boiled over.
After the match Murray was quick to credit his opponent, insisting: “He played better than me. There's not much more to it.” This following questions on his fitness and frame of mind.
This was a tournament Murray was deemed second favourite to triumph in, behind only Roger Federer, but his first Grand Slam title continues to elude him, and on this evidence, he’s as far away as he’s ever been. He still hasn’t recaptured the form of the Australian Open this year, where he reached the final, and perhaps hasn’t quite psychologically got over that devastating defeat at the hands of Federer.
There’s plenty more Grand Slam opportunities for the world No.4 but they are slowly ebbing away. Next year is pivotal for sure - a new coach, new mindset and new tactics are all arguably needed. We may well see a very different Andy Murray return for next year’s Australian Open.
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