Andy Murray must learn to choose his commitments wisely to avoid a repeat of his 2014 ATP World Tour Finals exit, according to his former mentor Sergio Casal.
Andy Murray must learn to choose his commitments wisely to avoid a repeat of his 2014 ATP World Tour Finals exit, according to his former mentor Sergio Casal.
Murray was beaten 6-0, 6-1 by Roger Federer in his Group B match at the O2 Arena last month, which was the Scot's worst result in seven years.
His seventh successive qualification for the World Tour Finals needed a mammoth run of tournaments in Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna, Valencia and Paris, and it may have contributed to the eventual collapse against Federer who needed a mere 56 minutes to dismiss him.
Casal, who mentored and coached a teenage Murray during his years at the Sanchez-Casal academy in Barcelona, feels the Scot has to work smarter in 2015.
Speaking at the academy's visit to York, where it delivered a series of performance player, coach, and adult workshops, Casal said: "He needs to choose well. I think he did about five [tournaments] in a row before the World Tour Finals. It's difficult to play more than three for these guys. More than three, it depends on the player.
"At the beginning, when you are young, it's good that you play everything; it is the best way to learn. At 18, 19, 20 we used to play 36, 37 tournaments. The more you get a better ranking, [the more] you have to choose little bit; he has to do that.
"He took the risk maybe with that match [against Federer], I don't know what happened."
It has been a transitional year of sorts for Murray, not least with Amelie Mauresmo having been taken on as coach in June, following his separation from Ivan Lendl. In late November, Murray parted ways with long-term coaches Jez Green and Dani Vallverdu, the latter having been a friend since their teenager days together in Barcelona.
Nevertheless, Casal is confident Murray remains in prime condition to challenge for more grand slam tournament titles, despite the pressure that comes from having been Britain's most successful tennis player of the Open era.
"These guys play a lot; they play a lot of years at high level with pressure from sponsors, press, the country, and they get tired," Casal added. "As far as you are getting older, you are fit, but it's tough to recover. From one day to the other one, when you wake up it's different to when you were in your 20s.
"Murray is still very young: 27 is good. He's at his peak. You mature well, you don't do mistakes as when you were a junior. He has three, four very good years left."
Sergio Casal was speaking at the Sanchez-Casal academy's UK coaching tour, held in conjunction with Down The Line Sports. For more information: www.sanchez-casal.com and www.downthelinesports.com
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