Why Murray needs a real feat on clay

Victory would be a defining achievement

JUST before two o’clock this afternoon, Andy Murray will take a last look at a photo of his daughter Sophia and then walk out on to Court Philippe Chatrier to try to win the French Open final. The same ritual worked for him at the Italian Open three weeks ago, when he achieved a rare victory over Novak Djokovic to claim one of the most prestigious titles outside the Grand Slams.

This, however, will be very much different and more difficult. And it is not an exaggeration to say that victory on the terre battue of Roland Garros would be the finest achievement of the 29year-old Scot’s career.

The US Open was a historic breakthrough, Wimbledon the prize for which he will be forever remembered, the Olympic gold a significant adornment and his Davis Cup heroics for Britain the most unlikely of triumphs.

But for a player coming out of Scotland to win on this most alien surface in the most physically gruelling of the majors – this year more than any – would top all that in terms of pure sporting effort.

If you doubt it is the hardest to win then look at Pete Sampras, Boris Becker, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and Stefan Edberg, all of whom found it a challenge too far.

That has so far been the case for Djokovic as well and it is his almost obsessive desire to win this title that offers Murray his best shot at success this afternoon.

There have been signs in the past month that the pressure has been telling on the world No1 in his sometimes irascible behaviour. He is playing to further strengthen his claims to greatness by holding all four Grand Slam titles — like the man who will present the Coupe Des Mousquetaires today, Rod Laver, did in 1969.

From the Serb’s point of view, the last person you would want to see at the other end when faced with this task is Murray. If anyone can tip Djokovic and his combustible temperament over the edge then it will be the nearest thing he has to a rival right now.

‘The more you can make any of the top players work, the better. I will try to do that at the beginning of the match. It’s really my job to make it as difficult as possible for him so that hopefully he has a few doubts, which all athletes get at different stages,’ said Murray, who is a week older than his opponent.

That was what he set out to do in Rome but while that win was excellent it came in favourable circumstances. Djokovic had already been softened up by playing a long match the night before against Kei Nishikori and was tired and tetchy. He will be properly rested this time.

Murray’s only other victory over him since Wimbledon 2013 was in Canada two years ago, when the Serb was yet to peak before the US Open. When he has been at his best he has dominated the rivalry. Despite that dominance, Murray says he has enjoyed his head-to-head with a player he first encountered aged 11. ‘I beat him in the Wimbledon final and the final of the US Open and at the Olympics. I’ve lost some tough matches against him, in Australia especially. But elsewhere it’s been OK. When you look back at the end of your career, I think it’s nice to have had someone you have shared a lot of those same moments with.’

The long and winding journey Murray has had to this final has been a fascinating tale in itself.

Yet he thinks it goes back way further than that. ‘There’s not many tennis players that have come out of the UK and played well on the clay. The decision I made to go to Spain when I was 15 to train for a couple of years. I’m not saying that’s necessarily the reason I’m here today, but if I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t have got that base I gained over there.’

It is surely going to be very physical match, and one aspect definitely in Djokovic’s favour is he has spent five hours fewer on court through this undulating fortnight marked by rain delays and scheduling chaos.

Murray was within two points of losing in his first round to the oldest player in the draw, Radek Stepanek, but his subsequent progress has not surprised him.

‘I didn’t have a funny feeling, I just know having played these events before, how you can feel at the beginning and how you can end up playing at the end of it. Sometimes you play great at the start and it doesn’t always finish that way, but to be in the first French final after the way I was playing 10 days or so ago is a big change.

‘I didn’t necessarily expect to be in this position a couple of years ago. But from 12 months ago, the belief that it was possible to win here was there, I was pretty close last year.’

That match, a five-set defeat, is probably the best reference point for today. He is second favourite, but if he can mix it up like against Wawrinka, if Djokovic gets tense, then anything is possible.