He may have failed in another bid to win a grand slam title, but at Roland Garros yesterday Andy Murray completed a campaign in which he may have learned another valuable lesson that may help him make history.
It is well documented that the Scot has arrived in tennis at a time when it has never been tougher to win a grand slam title. He reached the world’s top four as arguably the most stylish tennis player of all time and the most athletic were both at their peak.
Just as it has looked like both Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal could be becoming slightly more vulnerable than in the past, Novak Djokovic has put together a staggering run of victories – his hopes of equalling John McEnroe’s 1984 record of 42 successive wins dashed after Federer’s semi-final win last night.
Yet Murray has reached the final of the season’s first grand slam in Australia and gone further in the second than he ever has before.
In reaching yesterday’s semi-final he also showed a strength of character that should finally end all questioning of his attitude as he coped manfully with a debilitating ankle injury to win not only the match during which it happened, but the next one from two sets down when he was clearly inhibited.
As for those who continue to criticise his tendency to vent his feelings when disappointed, they really must pay attention to what happens when he does. Unlike most sportsmen who distract themselves with such outbursts, the 24-year-old has a McEnroe-like capacity to produce some of his best tennis immediately after becoming emotional.
Admittedly with all players increasingly aware of the importance of sports psychology, opponents may draw some encouragement from Murray letting his feelings be known, but increasingly they must be more likely to be concerned about what his likely response will be.
During this week Brad Gilbert, his former coach, meanwhile, suggested that his injury may have helped Murray by taking pressure off him, while there is also a view that sportsmen can sometimes become more focused when injured.
The big gain from that ankle problem may, however, be the way it forced Murray to play.
Over the years, former champions have repeatedly called on him to be more aggressive in his shot-making, believing that he too often plays within himself rather than unleashing the full power and range of shots available to him. It is one thing onlookers offering their opinions and quite another for a competitor to learn the lesson for himself, however.
Particularly in his last-16 meeting with Victor Troicki, that match for which his participation was doubtful due to injury and during which he was two sets down, Murray must surely have found out just that little bit more about what he is capable of doing under the most intense pressure.
In the era in which he is operating he will need everything to be absolutely right if he is to win a grand slam title, but this past week can only have improved his chances.
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