Andy Murray ready to take fiery start in the 2012 ATP season – Tennis Special
British number one, Andy Murray, has announced that he has fully recovered from his last month’s agonizing injury and is restless to make a fiery start at the 2012 ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) season. The reigning world number four was struck by a groin injury after his opening match loss at the season ending grand finale, the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, in London, forcing him to pull out from the mega event in disappointment.
The 24-year-old cited that he physically 100 per cent fit at present and is aiming for an impactful start in the next ATP season. The Scott will be taking off 2012 from Brisbane International, an ATP World Tour 250 event, along with other top class players, including Gilles Simon, James Blake, Radek Stepanek, Marcos Baghdatis and Jurgen Melzer. With the defending champion, Robin Soderling not playing the tournament, Murray will lead the competitive field in Brisbane. The Briton will be making his debut at the Brisbane International and desires to take the title for getting the required winning impetus for the year’s first Grand Slam title, the Australian Open, later the same month.
“I've recovered from the groin injury I had and I'm looking forward to next year,” Murray told. “I feel good. I've played well in Australia for the last couple of years and one of the main reasons I come to Miami to train is because the conditions are perfect to prepare for it. I need to get a little bit better and make sure that physically I'm as strong as I can be at the end of the tournament. But the surface over there is very good for me and I do like the conditions and the warm weather so, hopefully, I can have another good run.”
Murray has been in sublime form throughout the 2011 season, finishing with a 56-13 winning record and five ATP championship titles in his bag. The Briton reached at the third spot in the South African Airways ATP World Rankings after claiming three successive titles in October but couldn’t hold on to it by the year end. His unfortunate departure from the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals gave ample opportunity to the former world number one, Roger Federer of Switzerland, to reclaim his world number three spot from Murray in November, pushing down the Scott one place to finish at number four.
Murray’s drought in the Grand Slam campaigns in 2011 as well. Despite of winning 21 ATP championship titles and being in the Top-5 for three successive years, the Briton is still fruitless in his Grand Slam voyages. He had three opportunities in the finals to claim a Major tournament title but he was choked under pressure every single time, failing to accomplish the task.
The 24-year-old reached his third Grand Slam final this year at the Australian Open but was dumped in straight sets, 4-6, 2-6, 3-6, without posing any serious challenge to the later world number one, Novak Djokovic. Murray was eliminated in the semi-finals of Roland Garros, Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, every time at the hands of Rafael Nadal.
Tennis legend, Richard Krajicek has cited that 2012 ATP season will surely witness a Grand Slam victory from Murray but a large number of tennis critics think the other way round. The world number four has extraordinary tennis skills and is certainly worthy of bagging a Major title, but it his convention of losing his way under pressure situations needs to be fixed first. Murray’s all three Grand Slam final losses have been in straight sets, depicting the level of bewilderment the Briton faces in big matches. Nevertheless, Murray is really confident for a positive start to the coming ATP season.
Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in the article are the writer’s own personal views and have nothing to do with bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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