It was heartening to see Andy Murray reach the Australian Open final this past weekend; his six matches providing a glimpse of his career - talent, class, grit, detemination. His run coupled with eventual winner Djokovic provided a showcase for the elite of the tennis world of which the aforementioned pair are a part of along with Nadal and Federer.
As heartening as it was to see his run to the final yesterday in Melbourne, it was equally as disheartening to see the run come to an abrupt end with a straight sets defeat, but please do not focus on Murray's shortcomings but instead look at the impressive performance of Djokovic who cantered to his second Grand slam title (twice at the same event) with a display of panache and command. Murray, like Federer in the semi-final, joins the other six as just another hurdle easily vaulted by a player on top of his game. I suggested to myself as such after seeing him dismiss of Tomas Berdych in his quarter-final, again in straight sets. Djokovic was unplayable at times the past two weeks - releasing forehands that were pinpoint in their accuracy and yet both graceful and brutal at the same time.
However, lets focus on our poor defeated Brit on this occasion. I am of the belief that Andy Murray has the game to win a Grand slam, and the next year is possibly the best time to do so; Federer is looking beatable, Nadal is having niggling injuries and will worry about consistency, and whilst Djokovic is the best player of the moment, like Nadal he will find it hard to maintain that level of form all season.
And yet I am conflicted and most probably worried by the career path that Andy Murray is following, because Djokovic has won two Murray is easily the best player on tour never to have won a major title. He has won Masters Titles and beaten all of the top three on numerous occasions now, and yet when he is in the main event he seems to freeze or find a player better than him. It is fair to say he was not the favourite in any of his three finals - 2009 US was his first, and he had to play a final less than 24 hours after a gruelling semi against Nadal; last year in Melbourne he found Federer in imperious form and yesterday, a player at the peak of his powers in his resurgent career.
I worry because I hope Murray does not become much like his fellow British and Scottish sportsman, Colin Montgomerie; who remains the best player of his era to never win a major. Monty had five genuine opportunities to win a major, and either due to play-offs or a better final round by a certain player cost him; only once can we say he threw it away, and that was Winged Foot in 2008, when the wrong club on approach forced him to bogey the hole instead of the par which would have won or got a play off with evenual winner Geoff Ogilvy (who, yes exactly).
The reason I say he has one year, is because the average age of first time major winners in tennis is 25, Murray hits that age this year. He will not win the French due to his naivety on the clay, though he is improving. It would be great to win at Wimbledon, though he always admits his game is better suited to the hard courts of Flushing Meadow or Melbourne, so will we have to wait again until a late Sunday night in September for Murray's eventual triumph.
I hope Murray does get his one major, one will do, only one otherwise he is just another Tim Henman; and unlike Monty who despite no major victories, did win the Order of Merit eight times and always had the fall back or plan B of performing when it mattered for Europe at the Ryder Cup, undefeated in singles play and a victorious captain in 2010 means Monty did not have a wasted career. Unlike Murray, who does not have the Davis Cup to inspire him (many pundits link Djokovic's role in Serbia's first Davis Cup triumph last month as reason for his new love for the game), as he remains the shining light of British men tennis and until he gets a proper supporting cast, he will not be able to make a crack at that other title.
So hopefully Murray can conquer his final ills and one day wrap up a Sports Personality of the Year, although knowing his luck, he will win Wimbledon the same year Wayne Rooney scores the winner for England in a major tournament or Ian Poulter wins the British Open.
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