Wednesday May 27, 2009
Sanchez: Murray needs more patience to do well on clay
MADRID: Andy Murray has what it takes to go far at the French Open but he needs to be more patient and have faith in his talent, according to the head of the Spanish academy where he learned to play on clay as a teenager.
The British world number three, now 22, went to train at the Sanchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona at the age of 15 to try to improve his craft on the red dust, which remains his weakest surface and one on which he has never won a tour singles title.
“If he suffers and believes in his ability he could get to the final rounds but for that he needs to believe in his head, his heart and his legs,” said Emilio Sanchez Vicario, the academy’s co-founder and a twice doubles champion at Roland Garros.
“He has to be more patient, use his head more to be more consistent and make use of his talent to force the game more effectively,” added Sanchez Vicario, the brother of former French Open singles champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.
“He has to use his physical prowess, not just the strength he has built up but also be more resistant.
“That is key on clay. He has it but I am not sure if he knows how to show it or if he even knows he has it.”
This year has been Murray’s best clay season so far and he reached the semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters and the quarter-finals in Madrid before falling to French Open champion Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin Del Potro respectively.
He continued his fine form on Sunday in Paris with a 6-2, 6-,2 6-1 first-round demolition of Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela and will play Italian Potito Starace in the second round.
Sanchez Vicario said Murray had some problems getting used to the intensive regime in Barcelona but soon knuckled down.
“When he arrived he found it quite difficult to train intensively but he gradually learned discipline and dedication,“ he said. — Reuters
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