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James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
The tennis calendar starts with the Australian Open. Murray finished as runner-up last year in this competition, losing to Federer in straight sets. He did, however, become the first British man in 72 years to reach more than one Grand Slam final. With hard courts being Murray’s best surface and having rested over the Christmas period, the Australian Open perhaps offers Murray his best chance of winning a grand slam this year.
Competitions in Dubai, Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, followed by the Madrid Masters, present opportunities to win Masters Titles but in all these competitions last year Murray crashed out in the early rounds. Murray has six Masters Titles to his name already and it goes without saying he would love to win more, but only when he wins a Grand Slam will he be classed among the tennis greats.
The French Open, played on clay courts, has been dominated over the last six years by Rafael Nadal; Despite reaching the fourth round last year, Murray’s inconsistent results on this surface make it difficult to see how he could beat such a talented clay-court player if he were to reach the final.
Summer sees tennis professionals flock to London for the third Open of the year, Wimbledon. A British man has not claimed this title since 1936 but Murray gained the support of the whole country last year when he narrowly lost 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 to Nadal in the semi-finals. The British public will be expecting him to at least equal this feat this time around but many still question whether Murray can compete with the likes of Federer and Nadal on the low-bouncing surface.
Murray is the current champion of the Canadian Masters, which he won in both 2008 and 2009, and will want to defend his title this year. This will depend on his ability to stay fit as the season draws to a close. Having been hampered in the past by ankle and wrist injuries, combined with perennial questions about his ability to be at his physical peak at the business end of tournaments, Murray has changed his fitness team numerous times. The formula seems to be working now so let’s hope he avoids more time on the side lines this year as consistency is vital for good results.
Since finishing as runner-up to Federer in the 2008 US Open, Murray hasn’t had much success in that competition. 2009 saw injury cut his participation short and in 2010, he was knocked out in the third round. The hard courts compare to those of the Australian Open and should be a good surface for Murray; however, complaints about scheduling and heat always accompany Murray’s appearances in the US Open. Is the season too tiring and crowded for the tennis players or is Murray just not quite at his best yet?
Murray claimed a second title last year with victory against Federer, for the first time ever, in straight sets in the Shanghai Rolex Masters. This proves he has the ability to beat the best and hopefully will inspire him with confidence next time he faces Federer.
The tennis year ends with the Tour Finals in London. Murray’s loss in the semi-final to Nadal saw him slip from fourth to fifth in the world but this is still a fantastic position to start the year. Having been consistently in the top five since 2008, Murray has clearly established himself as one of the world’s best players; with great assets, such as his serve and pace, and wins over the top players, he has proved he can compete with the best and I believe 2011 will see him break his Open duck.
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