LOST IN FRANCE
Andy crashes out after tame display at Roland Garros
ANDY MURRAY last night vowed to have ‘a long, hard think’ about an unusually insipid performance after losing in straight sets to Stan Wawrinka in the French Open first round. Defeated 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 37 minutes, it was the 33-year-old Scot’s joint worst Grand Slam defeat of his distinguished career. In conditions so cold and damp that Murray wore leggings under his shorts, he served poorly throughout and was left helpless as his return to the clay courts proved a chastening experience. Insisting he will ‘keep going’
however, Murray said: ‘I served under 40 per cent first serves in the court — that’s just not good enough, especially against someone as good as Stan. ‘It’s not for me the sort of match I would just brush aside and not give any thought to. There are obviously reasons behind a performance like that. ‘I think that’s the worst defeat of my career in a Grand Slam. I don’t feel like the conditions are an excuse for it. So I’ll need to have a long, hard think and work out what happened.’ Murray also admitted that he had tried to be calmer on court after regularly showing his frustration during matches in the recent Cincinnati Masters and US Open. ‘It was something that was brought up to me and I tried to sort of keep my emotions in check,’ he said. ‘I don’t know whether that affected me in any way or not, but that was probably why it was quieter than usual.’ Much had been made of old foes Murray and Wawrinka being drawn together again three years after a brutal semi-final at Roland Garros proved the end of the Scot’s right hip. But the 35-year-old Swiss star breezed through, with his opponent having only previously won as few games at a Slam match in a 2014 semi-final in Paris against Rafael Nadal. Murray said ahead of the tournament that he still believes he can win titles, and there is certainly no lack of appetite, with the Scot planning for an immediate switch to indoor hard courts. He remains confident he can still play at a much higher level, saying: ‘I wouldn’t expect to physically be the same as what I was before I had the op. ‘But, in terms of ball striking, there is no reason that I shouldn’t be able to do that from a technical perspective. ‘There have been matches that I have played since I came back where I hit the ball well. It’s going to be difficult for me to play the same level as I did before. I’m 33 now. ‘But I’ll keep going. Let’s see what the next few months hold.’ Murray’s physical limitations have led many observers to ask whether he should be trying to play a more offensive game, and the two-time Wimbledon champion admitted he was considering it. He said: ‘It’s something I have looked at. But it’s a difficult one, because the way that I play, if you consider when I play my best tennis, I know what that looks like. ‘To totally change the way you play the game is hard. I need to play better to allow me to play the right way, I think.’