Exclusive: Andy Murray missing some ‘aggression,’ says top analyst
Barbara Schett wants to see a lot more ‘aggression’ out of Andy Murray as he embarks on what could be a make-or-break year for him.
Murray is still trying to regain some semblance of his former level after coming back to tennis after a career-threatening hip injury.
He made a lot of progress in the rankings last year and he will be expecting to do the same in 2023 and, speaking exclusively to Tennishead ahead of the Australian Open, which is live and exclusive on discovery+ and Eurosport, Schett explained what he needs to do better if he is to achieve it.
“Andy, I feel like is not as aggressive, and he should be a bit more aggressive, I think,” Schett told Tennishead.
“He played some good tennis last year, in Sydney he reached the final and in Stuttgart on the grass. I think the Grand Slam events are the hardest ones, we know the older you get the harder it is to recover.
“Your body needs longer to play at a higher level against players of such a high calibre. But I admire his passion for the game, and I am looking forward to that first round match.”
That first round match will be a very difficult one for Andy Murray, with him drawing Italian Matteo Berrettini.
It is just about the last draw he would have wanted, and Schett agrees he will have to pull off a real shock to progress.
“Considering who he plays in the first round it is very hard for me to say he is going to have an amazing Australian Open.
“You know Matteo Berrettini has played some phenomenal tennis already this year, I have watched every single match that he has played. Even though he lost to Tsitsipas and Fritz, you know Tsitsipas he should have probably beaten him, it came down to a few points here and there. And I think he just ran out of gas against Fritz.”
“It is a tough first round, also the way he (Berrettini) plays, he has got that huge serve that he gets so many free points from. We know Andy’s best shot is probably the return, he is probably one of the best returners out there, but I am not sure he is going to neutralise Berrettini’s big serve and he has also got that huge forehand.”
“Everybody is going to watch that clash, it wouldn’t surprise me I they put it on in the night session. That is a huge hurdle to overcome, but I respect him that he is still out there trying to compete and still enjoying it.”
Watch every match from the Australian Open live and exclusive on discovery+, Eurosport and the Eurosport App
Join >> Receive $700/£600 of tennis gear from the Tennishead CLUB
Social >> Facebook, Twitter & YouTube
Read >> World’s best tennis magazine
Shop >> Lowest price tennis gear from our trusted partner
