Well before Andy Murray and Tomás Martín Etcheverry showed up at Kia Arena, crowds of people eagerly lined up around the stadium, eager to see a legendary player on a stage where he has accomplished so many great things.
However, what they observed was a disappointing representation of the player in the later part of his career. Murray suffered a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 defeat at the hands of Etcheverry, the 30th seed, marking one of his most devastating losses in the past four years.
Reworded: One year after the memorable moment of Murray’s remarkable comeback from near defeat in two grueling five-set matches to make it to the third round, the 44th-ranked player left Melbourne Park with little resistance and a loss that raises more doubts about his future. Murray has now lost seven of his last eight matches and has a 0-2 record for the start of the season.
Murray chose to take a moment to gather his thoughts and refrain from addressing the press about his performance. This was a departure from his usual practice of going straight from the court to the media conference. Despite having some time to reflect, he was unable to provide an explanation for his subpar playing and lackluster attitude.
Murray described the performance as subpar and lacking energy. Despite the enthusiastic crowd, he felt they were trying to boost his morale and show their support.
“I typically enjoy interacting with the audience and motivating them to bring energy to the game. However, this time, it was a lackluster performance. I’m not sure why that happened as I felt confident beforehand. I played well in Brisbane and had good practice in the last 10 days. It’s a mystery.”
Last year, Etcheverry demonstrated significant improvement on the tour and climbed from rank 80 to 30, thanks to his powerful serve and strong forehand. He consistently utilized these strengths, seeking to take control of the match and dictate play from the baseline. In contrast, Murray struggled to keep up and was forced to play defensively from behind the baseline, lacking control in the rallies.
In the first game, the tone was set when Murray lost his serve after a challenging and exhausting service game. Despite managing to break back, the 36-year-old struggled again in his service game at 4-4, failing to make first serves and conceding forehands to Etcheverry who took control at a crucial moment.
All possibility of a determined comeback disappeared rapidly. As the game progressed, Murray’s performance deteriorated. He made many unforced errors, his shots lacked power, and he put up little fight as the Argentinian controlled every rally.
Even more dispiriting than his desperate level of play, though, was how he comported himself throughout. There was no fire or visible fight. There was not even any of his typical rage. As the games rapidly fell away from him, Murray maintained a passive, neutral expression, as if he had already accepted his fate.
Despite finishing the previous season in a challenging situation with consecutive losses and a lack of enjoyment, Murray seemed to have a more positive mindset leading up to this tournament. He wasn’t sure if his efforts to be gentler with himself and more composed on the court may have resulted in his subdued and hesitant demeanor. It’s possible that he had overcorrected his behavior and become too calm.
He stated that he did not experience extreme frustration while playing. He tried to remain calm, but he is unsure if that affected his performance.
Murray acknowledged that his serve was the root of his difficulties and was content with the effort he put in during the off-season to enhance it. However, despite his hard work, his serve proved ineffective as he was broken six times throughout the match.
Following a missed forehand that hit the net, Murray shook Etcheverry’s hand and left the court with a lowered head. However, before exiting through the court’s entrance, he stopped and showed a range of emotions on his face. He then made a gesture of acknowledging all sides of the crowd, possibly for the last time in Australia.
Aside from not meeting his own individual targets, Murray expressed that his letdown was due to his inability to show the same level of affection that he received from the audience.
“Once again, they appeared today and offered me incredible support. However, I felt that I didn’t reciprocate enough and I am disappointed in myself for that. They have been a great help to me in past matches here and were undoubtedly trying to do the same today. Unfortunately, I did not take advantage of the crowd’s support like I should have. This has left me feeling disappointed.”
Source: theguardian.com
