When Andy Murray won his first Slam title at the 2012 US Open it provided a long, collective exhale not only for himself, but for a whole country. After years of catching the proverbial bouquet of runner-up Slam trophies, Murray finally pushed through a complete Slam final to take the title over longstanding rival Novak Djokovic. Riding a wave of confidence that started by winning Olympic Gold in his home country a few weeks prior, that summer of 2012 proved to be a pivotal turning point in his career, a career milestone marker of sorts as Murray moved away from being a pure counterpuncher towards a more aggressive, assertive champion on the court.
The change in Murray’s game, whether credit is given to Ivan Lendl, Amelie Mauresmo, his mom, or Jonas Bjorkman, has been stark and career-altering. Gone is the snarky young Scot who baited his opponents into mistakes with countless returns down the middle of the court. Here now is a strapping, physically imposing man entering the prime of his career, wielder of a large forehand, deceptively dangerous backhand, and touch at the net that rivals anyone on tour.
The changes Murray has made in his game have been thoughtful and purposeful. Both Lendl and Mauresmo were vocal in their desires to see Murray move forward into the court more. In his win over Vasek Popisil today, Murray approached the net 23 times and won 21 of those points. In his victory over Ivo Karvolic he approached 27 times and won 23 of those points. By using his big forehand, flat backhand angles, and soft touch at the net, Murray is winning points quicker, which is important for any player, but even more so for a player like Murray who has been prone to injury. When doubt does creep into the mind of Murray (and this hasn’t happened a great deal this summer) we see him hold back on the court–ignoring attackable short balls, his feet pushing further and further away from the baseline. His ability to fight through these moments shows a confidence and belief in the brand of tennis he has been playing over the past couple of seasons.
Along with his newfound confident game has come a stronger, more confident, and comfortable bravado on court and with the media. Recently married, championed as a feminist in the media, and an ardent user of social media to connect with fans, Murray has never appeared so comfortable in his own skin or been so popular with the average tennis fan. When many made misogynistic comments about hiring a woman to coach a man on the men’s tour, Andy stood by his choice and his coach, winning over innumerable fans in the process. Even when returning from injury in 2014 and having initially questionable results, Murray seemed calm and confident in every press conference, having much belief in the game plan that would bring him back into the picture as one of the “Big 4”, and in 2015 that has happened. A runner-up finish at the Australian Open, coupled with a semifinal appearance at the French seems to have Murray poised for a big moment here in his home country.
Murray has had a fairly easy road this Wimbledon. Dropping only a random set to Andreas Seppi, and another to the hard serving Ivo Karlovic. After a routine 3 set win over Vasek Popisil in the quarters on Centre Court this morning, all eyes will be on Friday’s semifinal meeting with Roger Federer. The two have an even match history with each other– Murray having one 11 and Federer 12 of their previous encounters, but this will be the first meeting between between the two on grass since 2012 and both have had career renaissances and changes since then which only adds to the intrigue of the match.
A country will come to a standstill on Friday as it watches its beloved champion try and add to his legacy against one of the all time greats. Will Murray’s confidence and bigger game find its way to the court against arguably the all time greatest grass court player in history, or will his nerves creep in and revert him back to his passive, 10 feet behind the baseline counter punching self? If Murray can play his aggressive and complete brand of tennis on Friday, a victory may help the summer of 2015 be looked back on by future tennis pundits as another marker in an upward trajectory of Murray’s career.
Enjoy what you see? Check out our full Wimbledon coverage here.
Main Photo:
