By Nick Wright
If this is the last time Australian tennis fans get to witness Andy Murray, he has set about ensuring he will put on a spectacle – even in defeat.
The 36-year-old former world No.1 showcased what has become a trademark of the British battler – grit and determination – in the opening two sets of his Brisbane International loss to Grigor Dimitrov.
Eventually, the Bulgarian world No.14’s class overpowered his rival, closing out a 6-4, 5-7, 2-6 victory at Pat Rafter Arena.
“The last bit of last year I felt really proud, I felt I had a gutsy effort and I just wanted to carry that on,” Dimitrov, the 2017 Brisbane International champion, said of his form leading into the Murray clash.
“It’s never easy … you put a put more pressure on yourself to start well, and as soon as I came out here I felt a little restless.
Andy Murray shows his frustration at the Brisbane International.Credit: Getty
“But I had to keep fighting, I had to keep finding my shots and keep believing. I just really want to enjoy every single time I get out here, and I don’t want to take it for granted.”
Murray has declared he can still contend with the game’s elite, and despite a torrid run with injuries in the past five years – most recently a knee concern which forced him to withdraw from the Davis Cup in November – would continue to play until his love and form diminished.
At times, he looked in vintage touch, showing plenty of will and guile to win a seesawing opening set.
However, eventually, he was worn down, and whether the forthcoming Australian Open is his final hit-out down under could depend on how he solves such fade-outs.
“The body’s old, but I still love it – I’m still loving the training and the travelling and everything,” Murray said upon his arrival in Brisbane.
“It’s a little bit tougher now being away from a young family. But I feel good enough to compete with the best players in the world, and I’ll keep playing until I feel like I can’t do that any more.”
It took until the 10th game for a break point to emerge on Monday night, with a series of back-court rallies across the opening exchanges keeping the crowd enticed.
A Dimitrov double fault, followed by an unforced error with a backhand into the net, gifted Murray a pair of set points, which he closed out at the first chance.
While the three-time grand slam champion struggled to pick up the Dimitrov serve – out-aced 13 to four – his ability to stay in the point forced errors from his counterpart.
Grigor Dimitrov proved too good for Andy Murray on Monday night.Credit: AP
Even giving up his first service game – a battle lasting more than 10 minutes to go 4-5 down in the second set – he bounced back on the next game, before Dimitrov powered on.
Murray endeared himself to the Australian public with those traits, yet his results at the forthcoming major in Melbourne have become synonymous with a cliche: always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Five times he has reached the final at Margaret Court Arena. Five times he has fallen short to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
But for the way in which he has fought – from his tour debut, to his health crises to his most recent Brisbane defeat – he has garnered praise from one of his most famous rivals.
Rafael Nadal, who will make his comeback from a 12-month absence due to a hip injury of his own on Tuesday, has been a regular foe of Murray’s, having defeated him in four grand slam semi-finals.
Ahead of his showdown with former US Open champion Dominic Thiem, Nadal said what his old sparring partner had been able to achieve was “something that’s very difficult to make happen”.
“He demonstrates an amazing passion and love for the game. After a very tough surgery he went through, he held the passion and the working spirit to be where he is today,” Nadal said.
“When you achieve all the things that Andy achieved for such a long time, and coming back knowing that it will be super difficult to come back to that level of tennis and accept the challenge and accept the situation, it’s something that goes beyond the game.
“It’s a very positive example of passion, it’s a positive example for the kids about how somebody with everything he ever wanted, achieved everything and still held passion for the game.”
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