SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE
Andy admits latest comeback isn’t going to plan after crashing out to Zverev in Indian Wells
ANDY MURRAY admitted “something needs to change” after losing to Alex Zverev at the BNP Paribas Open.
The Scot matched the world No.4 for long periods of an entertaining thirdround tie and led by a break in both sets.
And the 34-year-old with a metal hip reported it was “physically the best I’ve felt for a while”.
But the German showed his class to win 6-4 7-6 to send Murray plummeting down the rankings outside the world’s top 170.
The Dunblane ace has not
three consecutive matches at an ATP Tour event since his last title at the 2019 European Open.
Murray will lose those Antwerp points in the next rankings and now faces a struggle to qualify automatically for January’s Australian Open.
The three-time Grand Slam champion arrived in his post-match press conference minutes after a frustrating defeat where he twice threw his racquet to the court.
And Murray said: “I’m not saying he played great either but I don’t think I played well. There were a lot of mistakes.
“There was some good stuff in there but it was mixed in with bad. There was no consistency.
“My average level was just not really there. It was either good or bad. I wouldn’t put that down as playing well.
“The positive for me to take from it is I obviously had opportunities again. I didn’t play a great match and still had chances so that’s positive. But I’m disappointed because I want to be winning these matches. I haven’t in the last few months. Something needs to change.”
Murray improved his winloss record to 11-10 in his injury-hit season and has progressed physically since the grass-court season.
He said: “It’s pretty hard playing top-level professional sport with a metal hip.
“There’s lots of compensation happening around that area, like the pelvis and the lumbar spine. I’d imagine my body is taking some time to get used to that.
“On top of that I’m not young either. I’ve played a lot of years on the tour, as well, so there’s some wear and tear in other parts of my body too.
“I felt good physically again at the end of 2019. I don’t know exactly what happened there but this is physically the best I’ve felt for a while.
“I’m battling my game a little bit. The consistency isn’t there.
“The decision making is not great in the important moments still.
“There are moments that I was – for the most part – very strong in and I haven’t been this year. So I’m disappointed with that.”