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Andy Murray knows he needs to be better to progress at Wimbledon

Last updated on .From the section Tenniscomments120

Andy Murray

Andy Murray knows he needs to play better if he is to keep alive his hopes of winning his first Grand Slam.

The Scot struggled at times during his third round match with Marcos Baghdatis before eventually winning 7-5 3-6 7-5 6-1 in three hours and 13 minutes.

"I was very nervous, I knew it was going to be tough," said Murray.

"I was just kind of hustling my way through the match and I am going to need to play better, if I want to go deep into the tournament."

Speaking to BBC Sport he added: "I was really struggling. Even in the first couple of sets I was creating lots of chances but I was not feeling that comfortable on the court."

As well as struggling with the weather and his opponent, the world number four also found court conditions tricky - taking several tumbles, one of which almost proved costly.

Murray returned to the court after the break, while the roof was closed, with his knee strapped up, fuelling further concerns about his fitness.

"My knee was a little bit sore," he said. "I took a tumble towards the end of the second set, I slipped and my foot went from underneath me and when I cooled down a little bit, when we had the break with the roof, it was a little bit stiff.

"I had the physio work on it and put some tape on it and it was ok.

"I was struggling quite a bit with my footing early on, I changed shoes as well during the break and that helped."

Murray, who faces Marin Cilic in the fourth round on Monday, also experienced problems with his shorts, suffering a two-point penalty because the ball fell out of his pocket during play.

"It's happened before but not like that, it happened like five times in all," he said. "I'm blaming the shorts though, it wasn't my fault.

"It was annoying and it lost me two points so I need to make sure I have no problems with that during the next few rounds."

Following Rafael Nadal's exit from the tournament on Thursday, the pressure has been mounting on Murray to go one step further than he has previously managed in the tournament.

He has reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon for the last three years, losing twice to the Spaniard.

"As a player you are always conscious of what is going on around you in the draw but the draw didn't open up for me," he said.

"The draw opened up for Philipp Kohlschreiber and the guys that are in that part of the draw.

"If I get to the semi-finals then yes that will help, but it's silly for me to think Nadal's out so therefore I am guaranteed a place in the final - that's definitely not the case at all. I have got to keep my head focused on my next match."

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  • Comment posted by U15033032, at 13:29 1 Jul 2012

    #18 Pampered millionaire? You mean the ex-Dunblane student who grew up in a relatively normal family, moved away from home when young and worked incredibly hard to get where he is now?

    He was lucky with his talent and we'd all like his wealth, but he has worked to make the most of his talent. Try not to be so bitter and twisted, it may allow you to think rationally.

  • Comment posted by my_daughters_could_do_ better, at 13:37 1 Jul 2012

    The fact that Murray is playing alongside 3 of the best players ever may affect the public's opinion of him, saying he's overrated when one of them turns him over. That he's been to multiple GS finals is commendable. Only two other players outside the 'big 3' have won a GS in the last 5 years or so.

    Also he's still being judged by his 'anyone but England' comment. Get over it. Come on Murray!

  • Comment posted by More Like It, at 13:26 1 Jul 2012

    @13
    Murray has 22 career titles to his credit so far

    Since 2005, aside from Djokovic, Nadal & Federer, only Safin (Aus 2005) and del Potro (US 2009) have won Grand Slam titles.

    Having reached 3 Grand Slam finals, Murray has the game, is not overrated, but whether he has the memtality to win one remains to be seen.

  • Comment posted by U14966550, at 14:01 1 Jul 2012

    Murray is not, and never has been, overrated (except in that brief period where he was world no. 2). Eight Masters 1000 titles, three major finals and six semi-finals, each one lost to a former Grand Slam champion and world no. 1 (Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Roddick). I will never stop being amazed and puzzled by the near-pathological jealousy and self-loathing exhibited by British sports 'fans'.

  • Comment posted by dudesteven_g, at 13:31 1 Jul 2012

    Murray quite possibly never will win Wimbledon, and he may well never win a Slam, but that doesn't mean he's over-rated or rubbish. He's a very good tennis player, just not a superb player at the level of Federer, Nadal and now Djokovic.

    Why anyone wants to criticise, slate, feel sorry for him or whatever is beyond me!

  • Comment posted by U14435643, at 12:48 1 Jul 2012

    Wow, that's why we love sport! Why, sometimes, we even love Wimbledon.

    Watching events that you've never quite seen before - will Murray win? Will he get 'job done' before 11 o'clock? Or will it go past? How much?

    Add to that balls falling of pockets. Players sliping & sliding.

    I'd like to aplaud the sportsmanship of Baghdatis. I hope he doesn't get criticism for common sense on his part.

  • Comment posted by tinysteelorchestra, at 13:30 1 Jul 2012

    Some of these comments make me laugh. People, British tennis is in a parlous state as always! We've been spoilt with the likes of Henman or Murray reaching the second week 15 of the last 17 years, plus 7 semi-finals and counting. Yes, Murray can be frustrating but he's the best male player Britain has produced for 70 years plus. I'm enjoying it while it lasts, and good luck to him.

  • Comment posted by More Like It, at 00:07 2 Jul 2012

    don't worry Alex, most of England wants Murray to do well, just the idiots who want Anyone But Murray.

  • Comment posted by EdTennisFan, at 14:10 1 Jul 2012

    #15: so closing the roof was special treatment for Murray was it? Even though it happened on Thursday when Murray wasn't playing?

    If the AELTC wanted to give Murray an easier tournament, they'd have been better off putting him on first or second yesterday. They didn't.

  • Comment posted by U15033032, at 13:41 1 Jul 2012

    #21 "Andy Murray lacks two things that all the top players have or have had.........Bottle and Talent.......yes he has talent but not as much as Federer. Nadal and Djokovic"

    So he does have talent then? You're just annoyed with him because he's not quite as good as maybe the 3 greatest players the game has ever seen? He also carries the hopes of national very rarely performs below his ranking.

  • Comment posted by U14748538, at 13:18 1 Jul 2012

    @ 13 he has won 22 career titles by the age of 25 and has been ranked in the top 4 for over 3 years including a high of number 2 in the world. He's playing in an an era with 3 of the greatest players of all time and has beaten them all on multiple occasions.

    So what has he won? I would say quite a lot and yes he lacks a slam but 6 SF's and 3 finals is not bad for a work in progress.

  • Comment posted by U15033032, at 13:16 1 Jul 2012

    #13. The problem you have is you think people rate Murray as highly as Rafa, Novak and Roger when they clearly don't. Murray has consistently made it to the last 4 of the slams and won plenty of tournaments, as his ranking suggests he should. He has clearly established himself as the 4th best player in the world in an era of intense competition, which is an achievement in itself.

  • Comment posted by U6316693, at 13:02 1 Jul 2012

    Congratulations to Andy, who showed incredible strength to overcome all challenges with the burden of expectations and the ticking clock weighing down on his shoulders beside having to deal with a feisty opponent in Marcos. I was truly impressed. Wishing him the best of luck all the way through, I will be rooting for him from Canada.

  • Comment posted by Fairmindedcitizen, at 22:23 1 Jul 2012

    Andy is competing in an era of exceptional tennis players it's time the Great British public recognised that. We should be backing instead of bashing him. Good luck Andy your true supporters are with you win or lose. Thankfully I don't think for a minute you'll read all this rubbish. Some can't even spell your name! (Wuuf)

  • Comment posted by U15033032, at 13:06 1 Jul 2012

    #1. An uneducated comment. No more needs to be said on that.

    I was impressed with Murray last night, he handled all the different variables - deadlines, talented opponent, his shorts, knee issue - well and raised his game just when he needed to. He blew Baghdatis off court in the final set.

    I don't think his talent is in question, he's just unlucky to be playing the same time as the other 3!

  • Comment posted by More Like It, at 12:57 1 Jul 2012

    US and Aus will always be Murray's best chance of a Grand Slam, whether he has the mental attitude ton win one not sure. Watching him clutching at various ailments everytime the play gets tough is not promising.

    As for the comment he is overrated, that is daft. The world rankings don't overrate.

  • Comment posted by Lionwillow70, at 12:56 1 Jul 2012

    Andy Murray is a hugely talented tennis player - he just needs to get stronger mentally and emotionally and attack....then he'll win a slam.

  • Comment posted by DaveC, at 12:49 1 Jul 2012

    #1, overrated, really. On what basis do you judge that? He has been ranked in the top 4 in the world for a long time, and made the semi-finals of all 4 slams (and one final) in 2011. That sounds to me like he is rated precisely where he deserves to be. He isn't as good as the top 3 in the big tournaments because he needs to be more than a pusher against those guys and that's where he falls down.

  • Comment posted by jason, at 14:26 2 Jul 2012

    @108. Gov

    the Murray bashing has nothing to do with tennis and everything to do with football and a tongue in cheek comment andy made a very long time ago about england. I know.. it REALLY is that petty and ridiculous.

    oh and im just about as south as you can get on the mainland and a fan of TENNIS and a loyal murray fan. Dont judge us all because of a brainless minority ;-)

    C'Mon Murray!

  • Comment posted by U14355777, at 10:33 2 Jul 2012

    Murray has Grit, Determination and Talent, I hope he goes on here or in the near future to secure a Major Win. I don`t care that he is Scottish/British/Martian. He is very capable of making another Major Final, I hope then that he goes on to win it. When he wins I hope Murray says it is for him and his family and all his supporters and sticks two fingers up at all those that continue to doubt him!

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