![]() He may have lost in the first round, and for the first time in his career there, but he should leave New York emboldened by his performance and desperate for more.Emotional Andy Murray reveals he missed his gran's funeral to play in Davis CupĮxpectations will be tempered in Paris but another win or two – perhaps less gruelling than his four hours and 40 minutes on court against Nishioka – without any physical setbacks would be another positive step in what’s a long journey. Against one of the best players in the world, Murray has shown himself and all others what he is still capable of. The result, even in defeat, is priceless. ![]() Murray was frustrated with his recent level in the US, but for once he has been able to focus on improving his game rather than worrying about merely getting onto the court. That was not the case at Wimbledon, where he severely limited his training hours in order to manage a groin injury. His logic is simple and convincing: he has not forgotten how to play tennis.īefore the tournament, Murray said that over the past few weeks he has finally been able to train at a regular pace. ![]() As he has struggled through a relentless series of injury niggles over the past 18 months, Murray has constantly maintained that if he is able to figure out his body, he remains capable of playing to a high level, even if he does not quite know what level that is. After nearly five hours on court, he closed out the match. From that immediate deficit Murray fought until the death, but Tsitsipas crunched forehands and big serves each time he faced pressure. Then he immediately lost his serve at the beginning of the final set with a thumping forehand return. ![]() As he waited, Murray complained to the umpire and supervisor, Gerry Armstrong. Tsitsipas established a 5-0 lead then he held on for 6-3 to force a fifth set.Īhead of the final set, Tsitsipas went off for his second bathroom break and he did not return for seven minutes. As he began to shorten the points, his backhand thrived and Murray began to look laboured. Tsitsipas spent the break between sets receiving medical treatment on his foot, yet his discomfort only forced him to a higher level. He marched to his seat screaming to the crowd: “I’m not fucking done, let’s go!” Then, while serving out the set at 5-3 from 15-30 down, he followed a 92mph forehand winner with a slick serve and volley. First he saved four break points at 3-1 with a flurry of huge serving and inventive shotmaking. Instead of the tiebreak marking a turning point, Murray breezed to a 3-0 lead in the third set and he handled all challenges by playing with freedom. As he became distracted by them, barking towards his box, Tsitsipas played error-free tennis from 4-6 down to recover and take the tiebreak set. He had been sweating profusely so his shoes were soaked and slippery. But no vintage Murray match is without drama and at 5-3, Murray slipped. Throughout the second set, Tsitsipas’s own serve improved and he began to dictate more points with his forehand and the pair eventually found themselves deep in a tiebreak. His best set in four long years was topped off by an improved, pacier first serve that continually exposed Tsitsipas’s return of serve. Each time he sealed another game, he triumphantly raised his racket to the sky. He chased down drop shots, he pinned Tsitsipas in his backhand corner and he was decisive when he chose to step in and attack his opponent’s forehand.
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