Andy Murray has defended and praised Mirra Andreeva after the teenager's mentality was called into question by an Australian Open commentator.
The Brit is not currently competing at the opening Grand Slam of the year. Unfortunately for his fans, Murray suffered a disappointing first-round defeat. This was a fourth consecutive loss for him.
It was a tough setback for the three-time Grand Slam champion, and Murray admitted that he may have played his final Australian Open match. However, that has not stopped the 36-year-old from watching the tournament after his exit.
Murray watched Andreeva take on Diane Parry in the third round. The 16-year-old found herself in huge trouble against the Frenchwoman and trailed 5-1 in the final set after what had been an error-filled performance until that point.
But incredibly, the teenage sensation managed to fight her way back. She began playing incredible tennis, barely missing a shot and hitting many backhand winners. It led to Andreeva stunningly winning the deciding set 7-6.
Murray noticed something he did not like when Andreeva fell 5-1 behind. This was a commentator saying she needed to improve the mental side of her game after watching Andreeva berate herself while not playing her best.
Although Murray did not name the commentator he disagreed with, the Scot still outlined his thoughts in a post on his X page while also lauding Andreeva.
"Maybe the reason she turned the match round is because of her mental strength. Maybe she turned the match round because she is hard on herself and demands more of herself when she is losing/playing badly? Winner."
Murray often had outbursts at himself during his prime, before following it with terrific tennis to turn round matches that looked lost. Hence, he can empathize with Andreeva's emotions, and understand how they can be used to play better.
0 Comments