PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

 

March 18, 2008

 

Andy Murray

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. So how was that for you?
ANDY MURRAY: I did we will to fight through. I was disappointed with my attitude, you know, during the match. I was getting really angry and I haven't done that this year. You know, I was just in a bad frame of mind.
You can sometimes snap out of it, but when you're playing against someone who's as frustrating to play against as him it was typical, but I was happy to come through in the end because I was not focusing as well as I should have been.
But, yeah, I returned well and played well on the important points in the first set and the third set. I said the other day it comes down to a few points against him, and it did today.

Q. Were you just in a grumpy mood or can you analyze why that might have been?
ANDY MURRAY: No, it's just one of those things. Sometimes -- you know, I've been like that in the past, but this year I've been absolutely fine, you know, had no problems with that.
But tonight I just -- yeah, I think I was disappointed with the way that I started, you know, just down to bad concentration, getting broken early on and then didn't quite snap out of it. But, you know, I think even when you are in a poor frame of mind, it's easy to sort of quit on matches and stuff. I didn't do that and I fought through really well in the end, and that was the most pleasing thing for me to do, even though I didn't feel like I is playing great.
You know, it's tough to feel like you're playing well against someone like him. I was just happy I managed to come through.

Q. How do you fight through that when you're fighting with your own mind as well as with the opponent?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I used to do it a lot when I was younger. It was just something that I kind of got used to. You know, it's pretty immature and something that, you know, is not very professional.
You know, I want to make sure that that's something that I get out of my game, because when you play against the best players, you need to be focused the whole way through the matches.
No, you know, I worked on it a lot at the end of -- sorry, the start of this year. You know, it's just been way, way better. You know, there's been matches in the past, last year, you know, for sure I was worse than I was on the court tonight, but it's something that I've decided that I want to get out my game and, you know, hopefully won't let it happen again.

Q. How do you work on it? Are there other things you can do in practice?
ANDY MURRAY: No. It's just something where, you know, when you lose a point, you know, you have to realize that you're obviously not going to win every point, and that's something that I realized a couple of years ago.
You know, but it's more when you're losing the big points, as well, you're going to lose some of big points, and you can't get too down on yourself, especially with my sort of game style. I do create a lot of opportunities, so I'm always going to have a chance to break and get back into matches.
It's just I guess it's sort of -- it's something that's your mindset set; that's all. If you say to yourself, I'm not going to get angry in this match, then you should just focus on the next point when the point is over, and that's how I've worked on it and that's been good so far this year.

Q. Is that something you worked on with the sports psychologist whose name I can't remember?
ANDY MURRAY: No. I didn't really speak to him too much about that at all, because I just think that that's something that you have to do yourself. You have to make sure that you're -- you know, no matter what the sports psychologists tell you, in the heat of battle, if you lose a tough point, you know everything you've spoken about with them, you know, you're not going to be thinking about that at that moment.
So it's just making that you stay cool on the court. I think with my sort of game and the way that I play, it's much better for me to be loose on the court than it is to be uptight.
You know, when I was playing against Federer in Dubai I had no nerves at all. Maybe it's -- maybe it was a nerve thing tonight, I have no idea, but it's something that I don't want to have happen again.

Q. Goran used to talk about having the three Gorans on court with him: Good Goran, Bad Goran, and Crazy Goran. Is it a bit like that with you? You're aware of the fact that you, with the game plan you've gotten, that it's going to be Grumpy Andy, as well, because you're going to be pissed off if you get it wrong?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I don't think, because I think that it's not been a problem this year. It's something that I've got rid of. In the past, for sure, it was a problem.
You know, I'm just a bit disappointed with myself that I let it happen tonight. You know, I'm definitely going to address it. I'm not particularly happy with myself for letting it happen.
In the past, I would maybe not necessary own up to it. Now I realize that it's not the right thing to do. I'm not going to let it happen again, because I don't think it's the right thing for my tennis.

Q. You managed to change your mindset at the end, because at the end you played some of your best tennis and came up with those three incredible forehands. Had you sort of sorted yourself out by then mentally?
ANDY MURRAY: I was annoyed. There was some really good points at the end. I was just annoyed that I had got broken back. Again, because it's something that I had done for a long time in the past, I've found ways to use it as a positive and I kind of just channeled all my energy into the shots that I was playing, and I didn't pass particularly well until right at the end of the match. Yeah, it was some pretty awesome shots that I hit to break him.
You know, maybe in a couple years ago I wouldn't have done that if I didn't have the experience of sort of going through matches like that. You know, but that was the whole match. I was just disappointed with my attitude.

Q. You've got Tommy Haas next. He's just won through. That match you played here last year was quite some match. How do you remember that?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, it was, well, obviously a really good match. I guess one match point and, you know, hurt myself a bit as well. You know, he's just coming back from shoulder surgery and he's started playing well again this week.
Yeah, I mean, obviously going to be a difficult match, but one that I feel, if I play well, I've got a good chance of winning.

Q. Obviously, as you mentioned, it was quite an eventful match. What is it that kind of helped you get through that match, and how important was it as a learning experience for you 12 months ago?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I think it is sort of like in 2006 I lost a lot of tight three-set matches, and then I started 2007 and it was kind of when I started to come through those matches. This was one of first ones that I won in three sets.
And I don't know if it was this match in particular or not, but after this one I went on an unbelievable run or something. I didn't lose a three-set match until Rome when I lost to Gilles Simon.
After that match I had a really good records in three-set matches and it's sort of stayed that way. I don't know if it's anything to do with that match in particular, but it was definitely the start of my three-set run.

Q. You've got a new racquet?
ANDY MURRAY: I do.

Q. What's the difference between the one you got now and the old one?
ANDY MURRAY: Obviously the cosmetics on it are a bit different. I played with the old Head racquet for about five years, I think. You know, and obviously I didn't particularly want to change. But I had never really tried or been given enough time to sort of try a racquet to get used to them before the start of the year, because you don't want to be sort of chopping and changing right at the start of the season.
At the end of last year, you know, I got to practice with a lot of different Head racquets, and I worked with them pretty closely to find the right one. Basically it's pretty similar to the one I used to play with. Obviously the cosmetics are different. My string pattern before was 20/18, so a fair amount of strings in it, which is the most you get in racquets, 20/18.
This one is 19/16, which makes the holes a bit bigger, which therefore you lose a bit of control but have some extra power.
That's -- I think that's helped quite a bit as well. You generate more power without having to work that much harder for it. I've normally had pretty good control, so I didn't feel like I lost that much.

Q. Did get much more input this time being a bit higher up the food chain in terms of your ranking?
ANDY MURRAY: It was in my contract that I didn't have to change racquets, you know, and at the end of this year I wanted to make sure that I -- because I was even saying in the middle of last year that I wanted to, after I hurt my wrist, that I wanted to make sure that I wasn't, you know, missing out on trying different things and racquets.
Because obviously some of them it's going to be much stiffer. When you hit the ball it could put a lot stress on your shoulder, elbow, and wrist, and I wanted to make be sure that I didn't really have that problem.
This racquet now is a bit more flexible because of the fewer strings. But it wasn't -- I don't think it was a ranking thing, it's just I never had to change racquets in the past.

Q. Did you notice any difference in how your wrist felt when you were working with the different types of racquets?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I think just before when you -- well, you can feel it. If you play with a racquet that has 20/18 and you string it at 60 pounds, you know, when the ball hits it there's literally -- I mean, it's so hard when it comes off the racquet.
Then that's what obviously makes it that much easier, which makes it very difficult on your arm. But when you play with a 19/16 and you string it at 60, it's a little bit looser. And the ball is sort of -- is a little bit more -- it's like a little bit more of a trampoline effect, so it's not -- I don't know if I'm explaining this well, but it's not so -- like if you hit it with a 20/18 racquet it's like that (banging on table.)
Whereas if you use a 19/16 and string at the same tension, it's got a little bit more give in it. That obviously isn't as stressful on your wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

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