Where does Andy Murray go from here? Only he knows
The Scot was clearly disappointed after losing to Tomas Martin Etcheverry in Melbourne but not totally despondent
Andy Murray (Icon SMI/Panoramic)
Second-guessing Andy Murray is something only for the foolhardy. While it’s inevitable at some stage that he will decide to hang up his racquets, trying to figure out when, or what he’s thinking, is usually not worth it.
The emotional, extended wave he gave to the crowd inside the Kia Arena at Melbourne Park on Monday after his straight-sets defeat by Tomas Martin Etcheverry may well prove to be his last action at the Australian Open.
Five times the runner-up here, he admitted afterwards that it was “definitely possible” that he may have played here for the last time. If it proves to be the case, it will leave a sour taste in the mouth for Murray at a venue where he has produced many of his best performances and countless memorable moments.
Speaking to the media afterwards, Murray was clearly disappointed, unable to put his finger on just why he couldn’t find the fight that he’s so famous for. His 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 defeat was as tame as it sounds. Except for when he broke back in the second game of the match, he never looked like winning it.
“It was a poor performance,” he admitted. “It was, like, very, very flat. It was an amazing crowd out there that were. I felt like they were trying to pick me up, support and get behind me. Usually I would always engage the crowd and get them going and bring some energy into the match.
“It was really just a flat performance. I don’t know exactly why that was the case because I’ve been feeling good going in. Played pretty well in Brisbane. Practised really well the last 10 days or so. Don’t know.”
Murray: I have an idea of when I’d like to finish playing
It’s five years since Murray had his hip operation and the fact that he’s out there at all is little short of incredible. He’ll still be ranked inside the world’s top 50 after the Australian Open, and he’ll have chances to get his ranking up in the coming months.
But the hardest thing for Murray to take will surely be losing to people he once would have considered easy pickings himself. Picking himself up must get more difficult every time something like this happens, something he admitted on Monday.
“I have an idea of when I would probably like to finish playing,” he said. “So much of that depends on how you’re playing.
“The time frame for that narrows when you play and have results like today. Look, I know that Tomas is a really, really good player. I’m aware of that. Even if I play well today, I can still lose the match. It’s just the nature of the performance that makes you question things.
“Yeah, I haven’t gained in belief from today’s match that at some stage I’m going to start playing really well again or winning tournaments or getting to the latter stages of major events. Last year was a slightly different story. Physically I held up well against two really good players. Yeah, very different situation sitting here. So the time frame narrows a little bit for me to get to a level that I want to be at.”
Murray’s achievements still put him at the top of the game historically
The sad thing is that it’s getting hard to remember quite how good Murray was, and that’s not meant as a criticism. It’s simply testament to how much he achieved and how great a player he was at his best. When he does eventually call it a day, we’ll realise, even more clearly, just what he did for British tennis and for himself. Three slam wins – two at Wimbledon – two Olympic gold medals, Davis Cup glory and the world No 1 ranking – these achievements put him right up there historically.
Murray was flat, no doubt, against Etcheverry but he also served poorly. His first-serve percentage was low, ay 52 percent, and he won just 33 percent of points on his second serve. Those are stats that don’t win many matches.
His movement was good, though, which will offer him reasons to be cheerful. Just like all great champions, he will find a way to forget this one, quickly, if he can get his mind looking ahead.
Murray is due to play in Montpellier the week after the Australian Open, while he would theoretically head to Indian Wells and Miami for the back-to-back Masters 1000s. Wimbledon, of course, must be the main aim for the summer, with the Olympics to follow on, but how he structures his schedule will be interesting to watch.
Murray has now lost seven of his last 10 matches. But he has earned the right to decide for himself when he quits, and the hope has to be that he finds some form in the coming weeks to give himself the chance of one big run somewhere, perhaps at Wimbledon.
Murray: I’ve already spoken to my family and my team about retirement
At 36, Murray is coming to the end of a glorious career, that much is clear. How long he plays remains to be seen. “I’ve spoken to my family about it. I’ve spoken to my team about it,” he said. “They’re very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to finish playing, when that would be.
“I haven’t made any definite decisions on that. Yeah, it’s obviously something that I need to think about and see exactly when that is. I have spoken to my team about it. I’ve spoken to my family about it multiple times. It’s not like it hasn’t been something that’s been on my mind.”
It’s likely that the next few days will be crucial for Murray and his thoughts about when and where he calls it a day. He surely won’t want to end things playing like he did on Monday and he knows from the way he’s been playing in practice and in some matches against top players, without winning them, means he is not that far away.
