Eternal pessimist comes of age to be revealed as a winner in defeat
Ed Smith Commentary, Melbourne
1 minute ago
Forget the weary consolation of the plucky British loser; this was no ordinary defeat. Andy Murray came of age yesterday. He was heroic, even though a brilliant Novak Djokovic eventually won their duel over five brutally competitive sets.
The unavoidable question remains whether Murray can win a grand-slam title. But if that huge question is broken up into smaller pieces, the facts look far more optimistic. The same criticisms have pursued Murray for years. Here, he answered almost all of them. First, he was bold. He did not become passive and defensive under pressure. Murray went for his shots when he was on the brink of defeat and went for his shots on the cusp of victory. He relished risk-taking in a way that he never has before. He must do that. It is highly unlikely, against players such as Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, that he will win a grand-slam tournament by default, by hanging in and hoping for the best.
Second, he played with joy. In a single instant, Murray — and the match — came alive. Trailing 2-1 in the second set, having been broken three times in five service games, Murray was offered a high smash to put away. He leapt into the Melbourne sky, feet level with the net cord, and thundered his smash so hard into the court that the ball flew deep into the crowd. It wasn’t about winning the point; it was about self-expression.
Before the joyful smash, Murray looked beaten. After it, he broke serve, won five of the next six games and captured the greatest set of his career. Murray says he is determined to control his emotions better. This match should persuade him of an overlooked truth: one way to control your emotions is to lift your spirits. Mental toughness is not always about grimacing — joy can be a form of bravery, too.
There was self-reliance, too. The old Murray was prone to self-pity when events turned against him. The moaning at his support staff, the disconsolate shrugging, the sardonic self-criticism: all banished.
Tennis insiders believe that Murray wouldn’t dare blame his box now that Ivan Lendl is sitting there. It may be simpler still — Lendl may have persuaded Murray that he is his own master. That is the most important skill in coaching, to empower players rather than creating a dependency culture.
Above all, Murray was superbly brave. Every time Djokovic knocked him to the canvas, Murray jumped up counter-punching. Down a break in the final set, Murray had to hold serve to stay in the match, and he did it with passion and steel. He then turned defiance into attack, immediately breaking Djokovic and levelling the match. Murray showed an appetite he has never revealed before — not just an appetite for victory, but for battle. Everyone wants to win, but few relish the journey that leads to it.
Murray didn’t save face last night, or hang on, or put up a fight. He was fully one half of one of the finest matches played in this arena. Murray deserved victory. They both did.
Sadly, of course, only one player can get what he deserves. But it is the duty of serious sports followers to celebrate great performances — comfortably deserving of victory — that end in defeat. This was one of them.
Something has changed about Murray. Not only has he grown as a player, he has grown up, full stop. He arrived early for the press conference, as though he wanted to face up to another challenge straightaway. He was inevitably disappointed, but not remotely disconsolate. He talked of being more mature, more fearless. The words came naturally because they reflected reality.
When he plays like this, it is hard to believe that Murray can be stopped from winning a grand-slam title. This can be the pivot in his career. One day, he will remember a balmy, still evening in Melbourne as the moment he realised the full extent of his ability. Hearing it from others is one thing, knowing it from within is quite different.
An Australian crowd, like no other, can sniff a winner and here they warmed to Murray as one of their own. That is one of the highest compliments in sport. Murray leaves Australia a champion. Not the type of champion he yearns to be, it must be admitted, but he is closer than ever to that, too.
Ed Smith Commentary, Melbourne
1 minute ago
Forget the weary consolation of the plucky British loser; this was no ordinary defeat. Andy Murray came of age yesterday. He was heroic, even though a brilliant Novak Djokovic eventually won their duel over five brutally competitive sets.
The unavoidable question remains whether Murray can win a grand-slam title. But if that huge question is broken up into smaller pieces, the facts look far more optimistic. The same criticisms have pursued Murray for years. Here, he answered almost all of them. First, he was bold. He did not become passive and defensive under pressure. Murray went for his shots when he was on the brink of defeat and went for his shots on the cusp of victory. He relished risk-taking in a way that he never has before. He must do that. It is highly unlikely, against players such as Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, that he will win a grand-slam tournament by default, by hanging in and hoping for the best.
Second, he played with joy. In a single instant, Murray — and the match — came alive. Trailing 2-1 in the second set, having been broken three times in five service games, Murray was offered a high smash to put away. He leapt into the Melbourne sky, feet level with the net cord, and thundered his smash so hard into the court that the ball flew deep into the crowd. It wasn’t about winning the point; it was about self-expression.
Before the joyful smash, Murray looked beaten. After it, he broke serve, won five of the next six games and captured the greatest set of his career. Murray says he is determined to control his emotions better. This match should persuade him of an overlooked truth: one way to control your emotions is to lift your spirits. Mental toughness is not always about grimacing — joy can be a form of bravery, too.
There was self-reliance, too. The old Murray was prone to self-pity when events turned against him. The moaning at his support staff, the disconsolate shrugging, the sardonic self-criticism: all banished.
Tennis insiders believe that Murray wouldn’t dare blame his box now that Ivan Lendl is sitting there. It may be simpler still — Lendl may have persuaded Murray that he is his own master. That is the most important skill in coaching, to empower players rather than creating a dependency culture.
Above all, Murray was superbly brave. Every time Djokovic knocked him to the canvas, Murray jumped up counter-punching. Down a break in the final set, Murray had to hold serve to stay in the match, and he did it with passion and steel. He then turned defiance into attack, immediately breaking Djokovic and levelling the match. Murray showed an appetite he has never revealed before — not just an appetite for victory, but for battle. Everyone wants to win, but few relish the journey that leads to it.
Murray didn’t save face last night, or hang on, or put up a fight. He was fully one half of one of the finest matches played in this arena. Murray deserved victory. They both did.
Sadly, of course, only one player can get what he deserves. But it is the duty of serious sports followers to celebrate great performances — comfortably deserving of victory — that end in defeat. This was one of them.
Something has changed about Murray. Not only has he grown as a player, he has grown up, full stop. He arrived early for the press conference, as though he wanted to face up to another challenge straightaway. He was inevitably disappointed, but not remotely disconsolate. He talked of being more mature, more fearless. The words came naturally because they reflected reality.
When he plays like this, it is hard to believe that Murray can be stopped from winning a grand-slam title. This can be the pivot in his career. One day, he will remember a balmy, still evening in Melbourne as the moment he realised the full extent of his ability. Hearing it from others is one thing, knowing it from within is quite different.
An Australian crowd, like no other, can sniff a winner and here they warmed to Murray as one of their own. That is one of the highest compliments in sport. Murray leaves Australia a champion. Not the type of champion he yearns to be, it must be admitted, but he is closer than ever to that, too.
