Where does Andy Murray go from here?

[Kirijax]

After a rough 2014 when he was coming off of a back surgery and getting dumped by Lendl, Murray was having a great 2015. He made the finals of the Australian Open, won two Masters at Madrid and Montreal, finally beat Djokovic, and won a couple of clay court tournaments for the first time ever. He also was married and is not expecting a wee one next year. Even in Davis Cup, Great Britain has a really good chance to take the title this year. All Murray needed to do to top it all off was a USO title. But today he was upset by Kevin Anderson in the 4th round. It's the first time he has lost before the quarterfinals in a slam since 2010 USO.

Where does Murray go from here? Does he take the next step up and take a couple of Grand Slams and challenge Djokovic for the No. 1 ranking next year? Will he end up with 5 or six slams to his name before the next generation rises up? Or will he fall back, never winning another Slam and never reaching the No. 1 ranking? The end of 2015 could be very important for Murray with the Davis Cup, some tournaments to defend and the WTF.

Where does Murray go from here?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think he goes back to Scotland as that is the venue of DC, his next event.

 

[brokenshoelace]

He'll continue to put on consistent results and go deep in majors. I think last night's loss was just one of those "$hit happens" losses, as opposed to a sign of more worrying issues. I mean a few weeks ago he was winning Montreal and reaching the Cinci semis.

So I wouldn't worry about Murray having a 2014-type year in 2016. The tour is pretty weak right now as far as legitimate contenders, and Murray is still clearly head and shoulders above most. The problem for Andy is that little bit of extra that you need in the tail end of majors to go that extra mile. It seems like he just doesn't have it. Even in the majors that he won, good as he played, he wasn't spectacular. He played his game, was sharp, smart, etc... but you don't watch him and see him really stepping up the aggression or playing an irresistible brand of tennis the way Federer, Novak and Nadal have done in majors. Ultimately that's really what separates them from him.

 

[Kieran]

He needs a kick in the kilt. That's where he should begin. Then he should beg Lendl to either come back, or to recommend somebody useful to warm the seats in his players box...

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

good thread. i voted 2 or more but never #1, but i really think it's 1 or 2 but never #1. good old Andy has disappointed me too many times.

finally beating Novak after what felt like half a decade, even if he struggled to get it done, gave me a little hope (and being a Fed fan first, i could forgive him for getting cut up with the SABR)... but it seems he won Montreal just to get our hopes up before he disappoints yet again - for as Bane said, there's no true despair without hope.

nonetheless, i agree with broken (and Kieran of course, regarding the kick). he will be head and shoulders above most, over the course of a full, healthy year. but winning a big one, let alone ever climbing to the top, are a whole other thing.

 

[Busted]

Murray's sort of in the same boat as Nadal. He needs another gear\a Plan B. He's got to stop being the beeyotch in every match. Playing defense is fine, but every point? He's sort of reminding me of a taller Michael Chang trying to compete with Agasssi and Sampas. Plays great defense, is trying to serve bigger, but in the end just doesn't have enough fire power to consistently take out the big guns.

 

[Kieran]

Murrays situation is nothing like Nadal's...

 

[brokenshoelace]

Murray's sort of in the same boat as Nadal. He needs another gear\a Plan B. He's got to stop being the beeyotch in every match. Playing defense is fine, but every point? He's sort of reminding me of a taller Michael Chang trying to compete with Agasssi and Sampas. Plays great defense, is trying to serve bigger, but in the end just doesn't have enough fire power to consistently take out the big guns.

Yeah, no.

 

[Mile]

To "Big Three" tail in 4th row.

 

[herios]

Beside the fact that Anderson took it to a new level yesterday, without being so nervous as he usually is, in Andy's case the story was "chicken came home to roost".
That was a tired TB he played in the 4 set with some unusual UE at that stage and unable to put enough first serves in.
Too much tennis in this event and too much over the summer altogether.
He is fit all right, but not "that fit". He should shorten his matches, not lose casually so many sets.

 

[herios]

He needs a kick in the kilt. That's where he should begin. Then he should beg Lendl to either come back, or to recommend somebody useful to warm the seats in his players box...

Mauresmo has nothing to do with his loss yesterday. It is all Andy's undoing. Anderson raised his level and matched Andy, who could not take it to another level.

 

[herios]

He needs a kick in the kilt. That's where he should begin. Then he should beg Lendl to either come back, or to recommend somebody useful to warm the seats in his players box...

Mauresmo has nothing to do with his loss yesterday. It is all Andy's undoing. Anderson raised his level and matched Andy, who could not take it to another level.

 

[nehmeth]

Crazy Andy continues to scream at the invisible shadow people encroaching on court, annoying most of the non-Brit tennis world; hires Todd Martin to help him with his 2nd serve and disappears from the top 10.

 

[Kieran]

Beside the fact that Anderson took it to a new level yesterday, without being so nervous as he usually is, in Andy's case the story was "chicken came home to roost".
That was a tired TB he played in the 4 set with some unusual UE at that stage and unable to put enough first serves in.
Too much tennis in this event and too much over the summer altogether.
He is fit all right, but not "that fit". He should shorten his matches, not lose casually so many sets.

Too much tennis over the summer? He's played one less match than Novak, so that doesn't bode well.

Andy's problem this year hasn't been fitness. He's a young lad, he can run around a bit...

 

[DarthFed]

28 isn't a young lad for tennis especially when Murray has been a top player since 2008. I think Toronto and Cincy took a lot out of him. He played a lot of matches and many were grueling battles even if they were just best of 3. Andy also has played the most matches on tour this year.

This year may have ended up looking a lot like 2013 if he didn't run into a scorching Federer in the Wimby semis. I think Murray is back to where he was before 2014 even if he didn't win a big one this year.

 

[Kieran]

28 isn't young? WTF is 34? :laydownlaughing

 

[herios]

Beside the fact that Anderson took it to a new level yesterday, without being so nervous as he usually is, in Andy's case the story was "chicken came home to roost".
That was a tired TB he played in the 4 set with some unusual UE at that stage and unable to put enough first serves in.
Too much tennis in this event and too much over the summer altogether.
He is fit all right, but not "that fit". He should shorten his matches, not lose casually so many sets.

Too much tennis over the summer? He's played one less match than Novak, so that doesn't bode well.

Andy's problem this year hasn't been fitness. He's a young lad, he can run around a bit...

he was never as fit as Novak, that is part of the reason why he lost to him so many matches in recent times. And yes, he was tired last night, both physically and mentally.

 

[herios]

28 isn't young? WTF is 34? :laydownlaughing

Roger is an exceptional dude, even if you will not admit it.

And Roger spends 25% the effort on court as Andy does.

 

[Kieran]

He's certainly exceptional...

 

[El Dude]

i voted 2 or more but never #1, but i really think it's 1 or 2 but never #1.

This.