Rod Laver supports Andy Murray’s Grand Slam attempts
Tennis legend Rod Laver, the last man to hold all four Grand Slam titles, just voiced his belief that British Number 1 Andy Murray has it in him to win at least three Grand Slams. However, the difficult part will be winning his first Major title. Laver, who is also the only tennis player to win all four titles in the same calendar year twice, also believes that Murray’s victory will be affected by the way in which he handles the British media and public’s hopes for him.
Andy Murray’s Grand Slam run has been the subject of a great deal of scrutiny. He has reached three Grand Slam finals, and has been unable to win a single set in any of these title matches. His most recent failure was at the Australian Open last week.
Laver, when asked about his chances, said, “Winning the first one is probably the toughest that you’ll ever come across, but it’s a matter of don’t let the English public take hold of you and say you’re a failure because he’s certainly not that. I know the English and Scots want him to be a Grand Slam champion and he is just one tick away from winning.”
He also added that Andy Murray’s progress is not to be slighted, saying, “Being in the final three times is a great effort… [but] if your aspirations are too high you’re always going to fall short.” Rod Laver also feels that Murray does not need a full-time coach, especially after he put a stop to training with Miles Maclagan. However, many of his fans do not share this opinion and feel that Murray should employ a coach for all his training.
Former World Number 2, Alex Corretja has currently been working with the World Number 5. However, Laver expressed the opinion that a Grand Slam victory was not entirely dependent on coaching methods. He announced this on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportweek, saying, “That really comes from within you. I don’t know whether a coach can tell you how to do that. The three finlas he’s been in are going to give him just that little bit more experience when he’s against some of these top players. I don’t think he should be ashamed of his performance.”
The Scottish tennis player has been a favourite for quite some time, and fans have been rooting for him. Although Novak Djokovic defeated him at the 2011 Australian Open, polls show that avid tennis fans still believe that Andy Murray will come across his first Grand Slam victory within this year. He has shown great improvement in the past, and British fans have their hopes up high for the first national Major champion since Fred Perry.
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