Murray: I’m feeling sharp
Originally published on 17/01/15
The Australian Open is one if the two Grand Slam titles Andy Murray has yet to win – the French Open is the other – but in other respects it is one of his most successful tournaments.
In his last five visits to Melbourne the Scot has reached the final three times and failed to make the semi-finals only once. The only year when Murray failed to make it to the last four was in 2014. Making his return to Grand Slam competition after undergoing back surgery the previous autumn, he lost in the quarter-finals to Roger Federer. Looking back, nevertheless, it was quite an achievement to go that far in the tournament.
“I have never come back from surgery before,” Murray said last week at the Hopman Cup in Perth. “I did not know how I was going to respond against the best players in the world over five sets. It was tough and I actually played quite well there, but mentally the build-up to it was quite challenging. I have had much better preparation this year. My body feels better, so that is a good sign.”