By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Saturday, August 5, 2023
So what's next for Andy Murray after what's been a season full of ups and downs?
Well, for starters, he's on his way to Toronto for next week's ATP 1000 Masters event where he's a past winner.
Yet the former World No. 1 and three-time major champion still finds himself in new waters in his career as he approaches yet another US Open.
First of all, let's start with the good news. Murray played a thrilling and captivating match against top seed Taylor Fritz in their early round encounter at the ATP 500 Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C.
Fritz won the over three-hour match 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-4. Yet it was a titanic struggle between both men.
That being said, the match delighted fans watching in person as each player had to mix up power and touch to stay ahead of the other.
However, for Murray, a player who prides himself on finding a way through razor-close matches, this loss proved challenging to take. Especially considering he's made a living from getting through very tight contests in the past.
After the loss, Murray could take some positives away, especially since he lost badly the previous time he played Fritz - last year in Montreal 6-1, 6-3. But only just.
"Well, I mean, in comparison to where my game was last year when I played Taylor, like, I was in a pretty bad place when I played him in Canada. I really wasn't feeling good with my game. So my game is in a better place. I have made some improvements," Murray said.
"But obviously you want to be getting through those matches. They were matches I have been used to winning. So, yeah, it's frustrating right now."
And there lies the rub for Murray now age 36.
On the one hand, Murray is proving that he can challenge many top 10 players on any given week. His anticipation and shot prediction against the top players is unparalleled.
In his match with Fritz, he read every point and shot delivered to him. That included using the rallies to set up potent forehand winners. Yes, forehand winners on a wing that was often his weaker side.
At the same time, Murray was never afraid to throw in clever forehand slices or even drop shots, again on what has often been considered his weaker shot.
But, in many ways, more is needed, especially against the very best, at least according to the rankings and his results.
Murray, before the Fritz match, was 10-10 on the year. As in the Fritz match, many of his ten losses this year were very close ones that could have gone his way. That includes his very competitive yet ultimately disappointing five-set defeat at Wimbledon to Stefanos Tsitsipas just a few weeks ago.
While Murray, is currently ranked No. 44, his ranking over the last 12 months has yet to climb into the top 30. To do that, Murray must find a way to turn any upcoming close matches in his favor for a win.
Murray will now enter the summer hard court swing hoping for a decent run in Toronto or Cincinnati to put him back into a seeded position in New York. And he may need that seed if he has any hope of making a deep run at a major he's won before.
Despite the struggles, there's still a summer of possibility for Andy Murray.
Let's see what happens.
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis