With the dust now fully settled on a superb
year for Andy Murray, the 25-year-old Scot will not have long before it all
starts again and this time he needs to get off to a victorious start.
The opening slam of the 2013 season will be
the Australian Open in Melbourne and having twice managed to get to the final
it is imperative that Murray goes one better this time at the Rod Laver Arena.
Having finally broken his duck by winning
the US Open in New York earlier this year, it is important – especially
considering the talents of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and the returning
Rafael Nadal – that Murray starts to win regularly.
There is no doubt that the Brit has what it
takes to really dominate in the game. He is strong hard court player, and with
two of the four slams on that surface, along with the home support on the grass
of Wimbledon, he realistically can win three of the four slams regularly.
It is, however, hard to see his game ever
being suited to the clay of Roland Garros, a point that has found some support
on Betfair.
So, despite Djokovic hanging on to the
number 1 ranking for the second successive year, Murray’s time is now. Winning
in Australia will not be easy. But it is a real chance to show that he is not a
‘one hit wonder’.
Modern day tennis is about accumulating titles,
as Federer and Nadal have shown, with Djokovic now getting in on the act.
Murray has already achieved what would be
for some players an insurmountable amount in his career so far, but he truly
does have the chance to be a great.
His strength and stamina is now of
Djokovic-esque proportions and his technique is flawless.
With Ivan Lendl in his corner, the only
part of the jigsaw that remains not completely connected is his mental
toughness. Back-to-back slams straddling 2012 and 2013 will make it a fully
connected picture.
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