Nick Bollettieri thinks this could this finally be Andy Murray's year at Wimbledon, but first he has a few reminders for the Scot.
I would hate to jinx it for Andy Murray, but if he can play his game, Great Britain’s major-title drought could end this year. Greats like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer haven’t been sharp throughout the first two rounds, and Novak Djokovic isn’t known for his grass-court expertise. Andy Roddick is always a force on grass, but his return game raises questions late into Grand Slams. That leaves Murray as a strong contender to head deep into the fortnight.
Whether it was because the Queen was in attendance or because much of England was still focused on the John Isner-Nicolas Mahut drama, Murray’s had a royal performance against Jarkko Nieminen. He displayed Isner-like concentration during the three-set affair, while staying loose and going after his shots. I haven’t seen Andy play this well since the Australian Open. His chances are looking better by the day. However, I do have some key points for the 23-year-old if he is going to finally capture the dreams of Britain.
Play Percentages First
Don’t get me wrong, I love the power game, but Murray needs to go for percentage on his first serve. Murray sometimes gets caught only going for aces rather than letting his dominant ground strokes attack weak returns. He should look to hit certain targets in the box and let the grass court do the rest. Pete Sampras was the exception to the rule, but second serves will get you in trouble on the ATP tour. Andy should take some pace off the first serve and let the rest of his game do the talking.
Drop the Drop Shot
When an opponent is out of position and you are inside the baseline, I’m all for the drop shot. But Murray tends to rely on it too much. Brad Gilbert, a good friend of mine, used to hate when Andy used the drop shot. It would get him into trouble at key points in the match. If Britain’s favorite son can instead stick with his powerful game off the baseline, he’ll go far.
Mind the Offense
One of Murray’s greatest qualities is his biggest downfall. He’s known for being one of the best counter-punchers in the game, but he relies on his soft hands and ability to defend way too much. As he finds himself deeper into the tournament, that defensive style of play will only hurt him against the likes of Federer, Roddick and Nadal. He must trust his world-class backhand and striking forehand and edge closer to the baseline to put pressure on his opponent. If Murray can consistently bring an offensive game plan to Centre Court, I don’t see many players getting past him on the grass.
Focus on the Court
With the Queen showing up to matches and the media monitoring on his every movement, it must be hard for Andy to stay focused. He has to make sure he doesn’t let the outside pressure and attention affect his game. But with the way he’s been playing and the armor of his top competitors weakening, the Scot could keep Murray Mount packed for another week.
Nick Bollettieri of the IMG/Bollettieri Tennis Academy has trained many collegiate and professional players, including 10 who reached the world No. 1 ranking.