Andy Murray says sorry after he is Slam dumped

Published on Sunday 31 January 2010 21:32

IN THE end, there was neither glory nor shame. Andy Murray's quest to grasp the crown from the king of tennis ended in defeat yesterday, but even his victorious opponent Roger Federer admitted the young Scot's day would come.

Defeated by an indomitable Federer in straight sets, Murray was overcome with emotion at the conclusion of the Australian Open final.

Apologetic to his supporters and rueful of chances squandered throughout the match, a player once deemed surly and charmless fought back the tears, leaving the celebrations to a man regarded as the greatest exponent of the game in the history of tennis. "I can cry like Roger," Murray said, in a reference to the Swiss star's tears after losing last year's final. "It's just a shame I can't play like him."

Murray may have left the Rod Laver Arena without the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup, but he acknowledged he had gained something else: the belief that, with every game and tournament, he is edging nearer to fulfilling his potential.

"I'm getting closer," reasoned the 22-year-old. "My results in the Grand Slams would show that. I've just got to keep working hard. It was pretty emotional at the end of the match, but I'm hungry to win one. It's something I've wanted since I was 16 or 17, but, so far, it has not been good enough. I'm sure one day it will be."

From his peers through to his fans in Dunblane, there is little doubt that soon, that elusive day will come, ending the agonising 74-year wait for a British man to triumph at a major.

They hailed his technique and spirit, his strength and grace. But above all, they realised that even such qualities were insufficient to overcome the mercurial Swiss, whose beautiful tyranny of the game now extends to 16 Grand Slam titles.

The conclusion of Tim Henman, the former British No1, was concise: "The two Slam finals Andy's played, he's played against the best player in history."

Despite rousing flashes of talent from Murray at the start and end of the match, Federer simply proved too good; the ingenuity of his shots matched by the power with which he struck them.

After two hours and 41 minutes, he won 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. Murray came tantalisingly close to turning the tide, with five points to take the match into a fourth set during a dramatic tie-break. Ultimately, however, he spurned each opportunity. That inability to capitalise on chances is perhaps one of the few things that separates Murray from Federer.

The latter had no doubt his opponent would soon take the final step to greatness: "He is a wonderful mover, tactician, great backhand. He has got everything you need to beat the best and to win big tournaments. He's extremely strong in his mind and I just feel like he's got the game. The question is when."

The answer, many believe, is when Federer retires. Having proved himself the superior of Rafael Nadal, and capable of maintaining his composure on court, some of the game's most respected figures believe Murray need only make minor changes to his game in order to reach the next level.

"Andy still sometimes expects opponents to lose finals. That doesn't happen – especially against Federer," said Boris Becker, a six-time Grand Slam champion. "Of the few chances he has, he needs to be more aggressive, but that's not his natural game. He likes to wait behind the baseline and wait for his opponent to take the initiative. He needs to work on that part of his game."

In Dunblane, where hundreds of Murray fans had gathered yesterday morning to cheer him on, the disappointment was tempered by a belief that, soon, they would have reason to hang out the bunting.

His family spoke of their pride at his performance, and said that, with every passing day, Murray was improving. Niall Erskine, his uncle, said: "Federer played so well – he was at his very best, and it was a challenge too far this time for Andy. He'd invested so much in the tournament and his goal was to win, and when that didn't happen, it all came out at the end."

He added: "Federer's been in that situation 20-plus times and knows exactly how to weather the storm, but Andy's getting there."

The star's grandmother, Ellen Murray, 76, hailed a "magnificent" display and said she wanted to give her grandson a "big cuddle" by way of consolation. "I felt for him when he spoke afterwards and saw his tears. I just wanted to give him a big cuddle. He did so well but met Federer when he was at his very best," she said.

First Minister Alex Salmond also paid tribute. "It was a gritty and determined performance from Andy and there certainly isn't any disgrace in losing to the best player ever to hold a racquet," he said. "He was typically gracious in defeat. Andy has done the country proud and his time will come."

Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy added: "He put up a brave performance against arguably the best player ever to lift a racquet, who is also playing at the very top of his game. His fighting spirit throughout has been both exceptional and inspirational. Andy will undoubtedly win Grand Slams in the future."

As his game continues to grow, bookmakers share the expectation that Murray will win a major eventually. Ladbrokes are now offering odds of just 1/3 that he will claim a Grand Slam.

For the man himself, the immediate future heralds a period of rest and recovery, before he assembles his close-knit team of trainers to further tweak his game.

• Andy Murray: Anatomy of a superstar

• Stuart Bathgate: Andy Murray's tactics vindicated in spite of final fall