Murray points finger at media for heated atmosphere against Berdych

MELBOURNE—Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych turned on each other and then the media in a rancorous match in the Australian Open quarterfinals, with the Scot suggesting that the tension on court had been prompted by questions from the press.

With Murray's former assistant coach, Dani Vallverdu, now coaching Berdych, there seemed to be an added edge between the two players, though Murray had been reluctant to discuss the impact of the switch going into the match. When the two players exchanged breaks in the first set, Murray appeared to look at Berdych's box and pump his fist, and in turn received a stare from Berdych. Murray's fiancee, Kim Sears, was also captured by television cameras apparently swearing at Berdych:

"You wanted there to be tension. It's completely normal for that to happen," Murray told the press following the match. "I sat in here the other day and got asked more questions about Dani than I did about the match I just played. So you wanted there to be tension. Yeah, because of everything that's gone on it's kind of a natural thing to happen. If you learn how the brain works, it's completely natural for that. So kind of expected, and, yeah, had planned for that to be the case as well."

Berdych won the first set in a tiebreaker and said something as he and Murray crossed at net, prompting Murray to make a complaint to the chair umpire. The Czech told the umpire he had said, "Good play, Tomas," which appeared to fit what was seen in the replay shown on television.

Berdych minimized the impact of the coaching switch, saying, "It was a big match generally. That's how it is, I mean, when you're playing Andy Murray for a semifinal of a slam. What else you need to get more attention? So I think it's a big match anyway, and that's what I felt on court."

The world No. 7 repeated that he had not said anything to Murray at the change, saying, "I say to myself, ‘Well done, Tomas.’ That's it. That's what I said. I think I'm allowed to do that when I win a set." Asked about the way he had looked at Murray during the set, Berdych said, "No. Again, I mean, where should I look? Really, guys, don't try to make any big deal about it. That was a match as any other else, and that's it."

Murray, asked about Sears' comments towards Berdych, said he had heard what happened. "Again, when there's a lot of tension surrounding something, which you created, then it's completely normal that, yeah, the whole first set everyone was tight," he said. "My physical trainer, physio, I'm sure for Dani it was uncomfortable. Even Tomas, who very rarely says anything on the court, there was tension there for him, as well."

On court following the match, Murray again suggested that external speculation had led to the atmosphere, saying, "Me and Dani have been friends since I was 15 years old and I felt that was a little bit unnecessary."

However, Murray's coach, Amelie Mauresmo, said the world No. 6 was personally affected by seeing his childhood friend in the opposite camp during a Grand Slam semifinal. "It was tough for Andy to see Dani [in the box] working with someone else so soon following when they broke up," she told French press. "Especially a match like this.”

Mauresmo, a Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, praised Murray for regrouping after losing the first set.

"I think the atmosphere in the team is really good and he also calmed down last night," Mauresmo told BBC Sport. "Apart from that tension [in the first set], he was really composed; highly motivated in a good and positive way. Of course the situation is not happening every day and for the first Grand Slam of the season, at this stage of the tournament, playing against Tomas with Dani in the box, I guess it was very early for everyone and a little extra tension.

”Everyone calmed down after a while and the tennis on both sides was able to express itself."

Murray prominently cited Mauresmo on court following the match, saying "a lot of people criticized" him for selecting her as his coach, and that they were now "showing women can be good coaches as well." He also mentioned Madison Keys’ success with Lindsay Davenport in her coaching team.

"I'm very thankful for Amelie for doing that," Murray said, referring to her coming on board. "I think that was a brave choice from her to do it and hopefully I can repay her in a few days."

He indicated that had also been motivation for him in this encounter. "I said the other day, I got asked all the time about my ex-coach working with Tomas and no one was interested in anything I was doing with Amelie or the way I was playing or anything," the 27-year-old told the press.

Murray now plays in his fourth Australian Open final.

Kamakshi Tandon and Matt Cronin contributed to this report.