Andy Murray says last few months have been ‘really disappointing’ and takes responsibility for results going into his off-season
Long seen as one of the most industrious athletes in the world, Andy Murray shocked reporters on Monday night by bemoaning his own work ethic after a demoralising defeat by 37-year-old Frenchman Gilles Simon.
In a miserable conclusion to what has been a moderate season overall, Murray served for a straight-sets win against Simon in Paris, but was broken and then collapsed to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 defeat in a welter of unforced errors.
Afterwards, though, Murray was not talking about forehands, backhands and serves. He was talking about the debilitating cramps that he began experiencing at 2-2 in the second set, and which created the backdrop for what became a spectacular implosion.
Above all, he was talking about his own failure to put in enough strength and conditioning work since Wimbledon. He remains a fierce competitor in a matchplay situation, but the same fire appears to have been lacking in his off-court preparation.