Scotland-born British professional player Andy Murray has captured two Wimbledon titles in his illustrious career. However, the former World No. 1 seemed to have gassed out during the last sets with his face to face against Georgian and 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili a few weeks ago at the grass courts of the Grand Slam tournament. Just as it seemed like Murray was on track to a berth going into the second round, his advantage during the match suddenly faded after leading in the first two sets 6-4, 6-3. Right after, the resilient Basilashvili went on to display a more aggressive style of play by winning seven straight games that won him the third set 7-5, forcing a fourth set that saw him regaining momentum and control from Murray. Fortunately, the Scot regained his composure just in time to get rid of the wobble in his gameplay to win the final set 6-3.
Fans who saw the match are now asking: does Murray have enough left in his tank both physically and mentally to carry on with his future matches in the second round? We all know that the champion has bounced back many times in his career, especially after having undergone serious hip surgery two years back. The real question is if his match with Basilashvili was a sign of his decline in performance or the resilient spirit we know of him.
Murray admitted that there was a time after the third set that he faltered in dealing with the pressure but was happy that Basilashvili’s seven consistent game wins didn’t stop him from emerging victorious. Nevertheless, he considered it one of the few matches that saw him choke with pressure going into the fourth set.
Murray’s uphill battle
Sir Andrew Barron Murray, who is now 34 years old this year, held the top spot of the ATP world rankings for 41 weeks in 2016. He has three Grand Slam singles titles to his name including two in Wimbledon back in 2013 and 2016, and another one at the 2012 US Open. He has made 11 major finals appearances and has won 46 ATP singles titles to date.
Before rising in the ranks, Murray was coached by his mother Judy and his brother Jamie during his early years. He was a bit of a late bloomer moving into Spain’s Sánchez-Casal Academy for training when he was 15, starting his professional career after his contemporaries Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had already made their marks as champions in men’s tennis.
By 19, Murray made his top 10 debut and three years later, joined the ranks of Federer, Nadal, and Novak Djokovic as the top four players who dominated the sport. Although carving his way into the winners’ circle, Murray struggled in his earlier years especially when he faced one of the top four champions. He lost three major finals to Federer and another one to Djokovic but was able to avenge his loss to the latter in 2012 with his win at the US Open. The title served as his first big breakthrough in the sport making him the first British Grand Slam singles champion since Virginia Wade captured the title in 1977. Murray also avenged his losses against Federer by winning their contest at the 2012 London Olympics wherein he captured the gold in the men’s singles final.
From 2012 to 2016, Murray was a consistent major finals participant including his two wins at Wimbledon. The Scot displayed his best form in 2016 as World No. 1 when he qualified for three major finals and won his second Wimbledon title while also defending his gold medal for men’s singles at the Rio Olympics making him the only pro with two Olympic golds. Everything was going well for Murray until the following year when he faced Stan Wawrinka at the French Open and a stubborn hip injury started flaring up, eventually causing him to fall out of the top 100 by 2018 with only a few game appearances on tour.
Resiliency as a weapon
From then on, what fans saw in the all-court player who shines with his returns of serve and playmaking was quite ephemeral during his matches, though his resiliency in each one is also evident. Today, Murray is still regarded as one of the best and most consistent two-handed backhand players around. Playing with an embattled spirit hounded by injuries, the champion refuses to give up and remains competitive when it matters.
It’s undeniably the love for the game within him that pushes him to give his all in every match. Even at a younger age, no matter what he plays with his brother Jamie, Andy has understood the elements of winning, losing, and the true value of competition which makes him a natural player who strives to excel with every game.
After his match with Basilashvili, the press could sense an emotional win for the Scot through his uplifted mood and the evident pride for his achievement. Most importantly, Murray expressed that he will continue to play and win despite the many challenges in the four years since he last won a match at Wimbledon.
Of course, it doesn’t help to be asked time and again if his appearance in this year’s Wimbledon will be his last, even though Murray had already made it clear that he will continue playing and bring the highest level of his game to every match. Come to think of it, what he showed everyone during the game is no small feat for someone with a hip injury and won an important match against one of the hardest hitters in the tournament going into the second round, despite not having played many competitive matches lately.
There’s no doubt, however, that Murray’s match against Basilashvili gave everyone a peek into the Scot’s spirits and how cheers from the crowd continue to fuel his resiliency. Somehow, gaining three wins in a slam match within four years gave Murray a chance to relight that flame within him that pushes him further into the later rounds of the tournament. It’s probably safe to say that Murray has finally regained his championship-level match play going into the final stretches of his match against the Georgian.
Judging from that match, we saw two things: one of Murray’s best serving performances since his hip surgery, and that he still has the power and composure with 13 aces in the first two sets. It appears to be evident that we’ll be seeing more of Murray’s excellent form on court in upcoming titles as he continues to grow stronger with every match.
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