US Open 2015: The talking points from Andy Murray's early exit
Wednesday 9 September 2015 07:36, UK
Andy Murray lost in the US Open fourth round but what have we learned about the British No 1 from his elimination?
Sky Sports have pondered some talking points from his 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-0) defeat to Kevin Anderson on Monday night.
Temper, temper!
Murray's notoriously short fuse has, in the past, inspired some gritty victories and resulted in spiteful defeats and it was on full show in an explosive night against Anderson.
He was irked by his opponent's noticeably long comfort break prior to the third set, suggesting Anderson's dallying perhaps served its purpose, while Murray also unleashed his fury at an apparent missing water bottle.
His racquet smashes underlined his state of mind, and although one lucky fan experienced his gentler side by receiving the broken object as a gift, Murray's fury always looked as if it would inhibit him against Anderson. In the end, its significance in the eventual defeat can be debated but it certainly didn't aid his cause.
Silver service
Murray has deservedly built a reputation as one of the sport's great returners, the perfect machine to combat the big servers of this generation, but on this occasion he struggled to cope with the machine gun-like service from Anderson.
Standing at 6ft 8in, the South African's trademark weapon is no secret and Murray's 5-1 winning head-to-head record prior to the US Open suggests he is adapt at keeping Anderson at bay. The difference, on this occasion, was the subtlety and placement blended into the raw power.
The stats demonstrate that Anderson, more often than not, served wide and then surprised Murray with his serve-and-volley game. At one stage, his second serve speed was 108mph compared to Murray's 89mph - a frequent problem for the British No 1 that has seemingly been waiting to catch up with him.
Time on court
One of the fittest, quickest and most athletic players on the tour, a four- or five-set match usually benefits Murray due to his endless gas tank - but perhaps not when he strings three together during a week.
Having dropped the first two sets against Anderson, only a five-set slog would be enough for Murray to advance into the quarter-finals and that notion must have played on his mind, as well as aching limbs. The Scot will have dreamed of a swift Novak Djokovic-esque victory after battling to a four-set win over Nick Kyrgios and a five-set win over Adrian Mannarino.
Boris Becker, Djokovic's coach and a former US Open winner, had earlier claimed that a tough start would benefit Murray but even he surely didn't expect nine total sets in the Brit's opening two matches. Greg Rusedski, the Sky Sports expert, had warned Murray he wasn't winning quickly enough.
The physical toll of going through early scraps at Flushing Meadows may only have been felt after the first two sets against Anderson when Murray knew he had no choice but to drag his mind and body through the grinder again. This time, it was just too much.
Court out on Armstrong again
The second-string court at Flushing Meadows, the Louis Armstrong Stadium, might just be Murray's least favourite place to play tennis and it handed him another stinging reminder of that fact on Monday night.
The Brit's game is not suited to the conditions, which differ slightly to Arthur Ashe, the top court at the New York venue. The pace of the surface is too quick (enabling Anderson's vicious ground strokes which troubled him more than they usually would) and the run-backs are too short (limiting the Brit's running).
He has suffered on Armstrong before, not least in the run-up to his eventual US Open triumph three years ago. Anderson handed him a timely reminder of why his best tennis is played elsewhere.
Lacklustre finish
Unfortunately, an otherwise decent Grand Slam year drifted into obscurity with Murray's early demise at the final major tournament of 2015.
Defeat represents a significant low point largely due to Murray's own high standards - this is the first time he has failed to progress into at least the last eight of a Grand Slam that he has competed in since the 2010 US Open. Even if victory this year in New York wasn't achieved, Murray would have hoped for a much better result than losing to the world No 14.
The year began promising so much as Murray, seeded sixth, lost a four-set Australian Open final to perennial rival Novak Djokovic. Heading to the French Open, third-seeded Murray's progress was halted by the same player at the semi-final stage before a Roger Federer masterclass inflicted a final four defeat at Wimbledon.
The US Open, though, emerged as a wholly different story and leaves Murray with a stretch of three months to hone his preparation before the cycle restarts.
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