INVARIABLY, where Andy Murray is concerned, the glass is either half-full or half-empty. In the fourth round of the US Open, Nikolay Davydenko played the best set of tennis anyone has produced against him, Murray performed like a drain. Davydenko was solidity personified, Murray tossed his towel around once too often.
Whichever way your breakfast stack crumbles, however, facts are facts and Murray’s US Open interest was rudely interrupted by a couple of bouts of morning tennis from the Russian to which the British No 1’s response contrived only monologues and indifference. Yesterday, in 36 minutes, Murray was on his way home, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0. It is a telling scoreline.
The teenager professed upbeat feelings, but dovetailing that with the manner of the start he produced both on Tuesday and yesterday takes some explaining. He preferred to study the bigger picture.
The opportunity to reach a grand-slam quarter-final is never a guarantee, although by the law of averages and given his innate talents, Murray ought to reach that stage one day. This winter, he will spend hours beneath the Florida sun, working with Brad Gilbert, his coach, and Mark Grabow, a fitness trainer, on the technical and physical requirements that are essential for his development. He said that we should suspend judgments until then.
From 2-0 and two break points ahead in the third set, Murray won a single game from the next 13 and yesterday was several degrees worse than Tuesday. He served first, threw in three double faults and each time a rally was extended beyond 20 strokes, the Russian prevailed. Murray’s mind was in a state of wander.
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“I did speak a lot on the court and that’s something I’ve spoken to Brad about,” he said. “Maybe, subconsciously, that’s what happens when I get nervous, I speak a little too much. I don’t know why I was doing it, but it’s something I’ve got to stop because it’s definitely not good for my tennis.
“But I’m not disappointed at all. I’ve had a great summer and couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’m not going to walk away from here with any negative thoughts.”