Andy Murray

[chirpychirpy]

I've supported Andy Murray all along, but after staying up late last night to watch his dismal showing in the US Open I've lost faith in him. i now join the army of people who predict he'll never win a Grand Slam. Wawrinka and his coach did their homework, worked out a way to beat Murray, and Murray couldn't take it...in any sense. He was pathetic. Such a pity because he has such talent. But I now feel it's time for him to take on a tough new coach, ditch Mum and the gang of sycophants in his box, and harden up before it's too late. It should be a case of 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going', but Murray just goes out of a tournament - a major one anyway. What do you think? And please, none of that boring inaccurate reflection on his World Cup misquote...

[jno]

did his neck in or something, didn't he? It happens to athletes - you have to be in peak condition and you can't always be.

[lesblue]

On his day, as good as any in the World. But doesn't have the consistency to match his talent. I think you summed it up perfectly: "When the going gets tough..." I'm still convinced that he will win a major.

[Hopkirk]

Everyone has an off day. Even the big boys.

[New Judge]

Quite true. The issue is, how each of them deals with it.

To win a Slam you need to play and win seven matches in a fortnight. The best players have the ability to do that and manage to triumph even on the occasional off day that they all suffer. That is, they can play badly but still scrape a win. Murray does not. He achieves a couple of good victories and then loses to a relatively unknown player because he had an off day.

Even Murray himself is now doubting that he will win a Slam. I identified him about three or four years ago as what my mother would call a “sickly child”. He is prone to minor ailments which give him “off days” and he does not seem able to work through them. Further, he cannot, it seems, go a fortnight without suffering from one of those afflictions.

I have a sizeable wager with one of my pals, placed two years ago, that he will not win a Slam event before the Olympics start in 2012. (In fact, I believe he will never win one, but we had to make a cut off point for the sake of the wager).

He has seven more chances, but I think my money is safe.

[Hopkirk]

I wish I was as fit as that sickly child!

[craft1948]

I don't think he has the mindset to be a great champion, which given his racket abilities is quite sad. Federer used to lose it big time, but this was when he was a teenager, and he soon realised it wasn't doing him any favours. Time Murray took on a decent sports psychiatrist, and definitely ditched the mother.

[New Judge]

Of course he's certainly very fit, hopkirk.

The description my mother used was more to describe children who suffer minor ailments and illnesses which seem to debilitate them more than they might do most children. As has been said, all players, including the very best, suffer from minor illnesses and injuries and cannot be expected to go for two weeks completely free from them. The difference is that those at the top somehow manage to weather those storms and still come out with a win. But alas Andy Murray does not.

[hopalong]

He is BORING dore. He's the tartan version of Tim Henman. So far and no further. He wil NEVER win a grand slam

[PokerMan]

i support anyone that he is playing against