Doubters spur me on, says Andy
THERE was once a time when people seriously doubted whether Andy Murray would ever win a Grand Slam. Now that he has done it three times over, they are wondering if he will ever win another one. Such is the lot of Britain’s greatest living sportsman.
Murray is in a strange period in his stellar career where, having given his all to become world No1 for the first time last year, the effort to do so apparently knocked the stuffing out of him.
A poor start to this season by his usual standards, including his early exit from Queen’s allied to a troublesome hip, brought the doubters to the fore again as Wimbledon swung into action. Does he still have the drive and desire to add to his majors tally? Would he even make it past the first week at SW19 in defence of his crown?
So far, he’s replied in the best way possible, sailing past the challenges of Alexander Bublik and Dustin Brown.
Flamboyant Italian Fabio Fognini will provide a bigger threat on Centre Court today, but Murray admitted that those who have doubted him recently have provided him with a source of motivation, something that has been lacking at times this year.
‘There are different stages in the year where someone says that you can’t do something or people think that you’re struggling, or you might be coming towards the end,’ he said.
‘Those things, they can help. Like before the French Open, when I’m in a “terrible” place in terms of my game and I’m not playing well, having that little bit of extra motivation can be good.’
World No 28 Fognini will test that new-found resolve, even though he’s more at home on clay than grass. Wimbledon is the only grand slam at which he hasn’t made the fourth round, but he produced an eye-catching straight-sets win over big-hitting Czech Jiri Vesely on Wednesday.
The Italian can unleash explosive winners off both forehand and backhand and has won half of his previous six meetings with the Scot.
‘He’s always dangerous,’ said Murray. ‘He’s very solid off his forehand and backhand side, but he can also hit winners from both sides.
‘A lot of guys maybe have a big forehand and are maybe more consistent on the opposite wing, whereas Fabio can hit winners off both sides. He has good hands at the net.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever played him on grass. He moves extremely well on the other surfaces. I don’t know how well he can move on grass but he certainly can play well.
‘I remember watching when he was up a couple of sets last year on (Feliciano) Lopez. Lost in five sets. Lopez is obviously a very good grass-court player. So I expect it to be very tough. When Fabio is switched on, he’s really, really tough to beat.’ He was certainly switched on last time they met in Rome in May, when the Italian was comfortably the better player in a 6-2, 6-4 victory. He also beat Murray in straight sets in the quarterfinals of Davis Cup in 2014 and gave him a scare in the third round of the Rio Olympics. Hopefully, the world No 1 should have too much for him on a day when fellow Britons Jo Konta, Heather Watson and Aljaz Bedene are also bidding to make the second week.
While Murray would love to have their company in the latter stages of the tournament next week, it will not bother him too much either way.
‘It’s a good thing when there are more Brits around but it doesn’t change how I go into the matches,’ he admitted.
‘I’m used to having played deep into the second week at Slams and there not being any Brits there.
‘Whether I’d feel differently the middle of the second week if there were a few Brits left, and it’s maybe a little calmer, that’s possible.’