Last week we kicked off the Tennis season with a look at the 2011 end of year top 10, as well as some to look out for in the year ahead. This week we take an in-depth look at world Number four Andy Murray.
Murray’s first full year on the circuit was 2006, his first ATP title come the same year , the SAP Open hosted in San Jose California. Murray’s end of year ranking at the end of 2006 was world number 17. In 2008 he again made good strides as he won another two titles including retaining the SAP Open that he won in 2006 and finishing just out of the top 10 finishing number 11.
Murray’s breakthrough year came in 2008 when he not only won his first two masters titles in Madrid and Cincinnati respectively, but he also made it to his first ever grand slam final at the US open where he lost to Roger Federer. Murray also ended the year in the top 4 for the first time a ranking he has never been lower that at year end since.
2009 was Murray’s best year to date in terms of titles won, he won six tour titles including a further two Masters titles this time in Canada and Miami. It was always a year in which Murray reached his career high ranking of world number 2 on the 17th August. It was another solid year, in which Murray further established himself as one of the worlds very best.
In 2010 Murray had more heartache at a grand slam final this time losing to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open final, it was another nearly moment although like against Federer in the US Open he didn’t really threaten in the match when it really mattered.
In many ways 2011 was Murray’s best ever season on tour not only was he just one title short in terms of his best ever year tally, he always made it to every one of the four grand slam semi final’s going one better at the Australian, losing in the final to Novak Djokovic who as everyone knows had a year for the ages winning three out off the four grand slams.
In his career Murray has won eight masters series titles beating all three of his great rivals at some pint along the way, add that to the three grand slam finals as well as two semi final appearances at the end of year world tour finals and you have a very impressive career thus far.
Many will point to his three grand slam final losses and say that they show that he is not a true top class world beater, when in though it really says how unlucky he has been so far in his career. He has only lost to the three very best players of his era and two in Federer and Nadal that are already secure as two of the best ever, Djokovic could well join them. The point is that if Murray had played in any other era he would of won at least a couple of grand slam titles by now and may even have been the dominant player of many previous era’s.
Murray finally has a full time coach in former world number one and serial major winner Ivan Lendl, the effect that Lendl can have on Murray can only be positive. Lendl is in many ways the ideal coach for Murray at this time in his career he like Murray suffered great heartache in his first few grand slam finals before going on to win eight. Look for Murray to reach another grand slam final this year and possibly win it, if that happens this article will no longer be about the greatest player never to win a grand slam but rather one of the greatest to only have won one, Murray story is far from over.
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Murray’s first full year on the circuit was 2006, his first ATP title come the same year , the SAP Open hosted in San Jose California. Murray’s end of year ranking at the end of 2006 was world number 17. In 2008 he again made good strides as he won another two titles including retaining the SAP Open that he won in 2006 and finishing just out of the top 10 finishing number 11.
Murray’s breakthrough year came in 2008 when he not only won his first two masters titles in Madrid and Cincinnati respectively, but he also made it to his first ever grand slam final at the US open where he lost to Roger Federer. Murray also ended the year in the top 4 for the first time a ranking he has never been lower that at year end since.
2009 was Murray’s best year to date in terms of titles won, he won six tour titles including a further two Masters titles this time in Canada and Miami. It was always a year in which Murray reached his career high ranking of world number 2 on the 17th August. It was another solid year, in which Murray further established himself as one of the worlds very best.
In 2010 Murray had more heartache at a grand slam final this time losing to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open final, it was another nearly moment although like against Federer in the US Open he didn’t really threaten in the match when it really mattered.
In many ways 2011 was Murray’s best ever season on tour not only was he just one title short in terms of his best ever year tally, he always made it to every one of the four grand slam semi final’s going one better at the Australian, losing in the final to Novak Djokovic who as everyone knows had a year for the ages winning three out off the four grand slams.
In his career Murray has won eight masters series titles beating all three of his great rivals at some pint along the way, add that to the three grand slam finals as well as two semi final appearances at the end of year world tour finals and you have a very impressive career thus far.
Many will point to his three grand slam final losses and say that they show that he is not a true top class world beater, when in though it really says how unlucky he has been so far in his career. He has only lost to the three very best players of his era and two in Federer and Nadal that are already secure as two of the best ever, Djokovic could well join them. The point is that if Murray had played in any other era he would of won at least a couple of grand slam titles by now and may even have been the dominant player of many previous era’s.
Murray finally has a full time coach in former world number one and serial major winner Ivan Lendl, the effect that Lendl can have on Murray can only be positive. Lendl is in many ways the ideal coach for Murray at this time in his career he like Murray suffered great heartache in his first few grand slam finals before going on to win eight. Look for Murray to reach another grand slam final this year and possibly win it, if that happens this article will no longer be about the greatest player never to win a grand slam but rather one of the greatest to only have won one, Murray story is far from over.
Join the site people and leave some comments
Tweet us @sportsworld365
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