PATIENCE IS not a virtue normally associated with hyperactive and ambitious young sportsmen (and it is certainly not the strong suit of commentators, pundits and spectators) but it is a valuable asset nonetheless. And Andy Murray knows its worth.
For the past couple of years, Murray has been keeping the faith, promising that his best was yet to come and in the early hours of yesterday morning, he proved his point, defeating Novak Djokovic, the world No.3, 6-3, 7-6 to reach the semi finals of
the Toronto Masters. It was the Scot's first victory over his Serbian rival after four successive defeats and marked another important step in his development. In victory he demonstrated a maturity that should help to propel him higher up the world rankings than his current ninth position.
Djokovic is a week younger than Murray. They are now 21 but during their junior days and first months on the professional circuit, the two were always compared to gauge the level of the other's progress. Then, as Britain's No.1 lost most of the summer swing last year through injury, Djokovic took off up the rankings. He had flirted with the position of the world's No.3 for a few weeks but finally established himself in the role by beating Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to take the title in Canada 12 months ago. He has not been budged from his place in the pecking order since.
"It's a big win mentally for me," Murray said. "The last three times I played him, I lost pretty badly so to close out the match in the tiebreak when he's definitely, I think, probably got the best tiebreak record on tour, was a really nice way to finish.
"To win against someone like Djokovic who has played great this year and is by far the third best player in the world is always going to be a big win. It gives you confidence, especially when you've lost to him four times beforehand. I want to try and keep this sort of form going and get through my first final of a Masters Series."
To get to that first final would mean beating Nadal, whom he was due to play early this morning. The Spaniard has not been beaten in 27 matches, a run that stretches back to the middle of May and on three different surfaces. He last met Murray at Wimbledon and absolutely walloped the Scot in the quarter finals. Then again, not even Federer could stop Nadal in SW19 this year. But regardless of the result against Nadal, Murray has made another move towards becoming the player he believes he can be.
Before he took on Djokovic, the Scot had warned that he needed to be at his very best to win. He had struggled in the third round, taking three sets to beat his great friend, Stanislas Wawrinka, and knew that he could not afford any more lapses in concentration.
"If I play the way I did in the first set, I've got a chance of winning," Murray said. "If I play like I did in the second set (against Wawrinka] I'm going to get killed."
So, when it mattered, Murray heeded his own advice and played a blinder from start to finish against Djokovic. Taking a 3-0 lead in the first set, he eased himself into a position of authority and then, as Djokovic fought back, he did not let the momentum slip. Even the loss of his serve at the start of the second set did not distract him and taking the tiebreak by the scruff of the neck (he led 6-1 before serving out for 7-3), he earned his reward.
Murray's development was always going to take time. Able to play both aggressively or defensively, he is still trying to find the perfect balance between biding his time and going for the jugular. It is a pleasant problem to have but it cannot be solved in the space of a couple of good results.
Djokovic, on the other hand, has found his perfect game plan. Using explosive power on every shot and tapping into the supreme confidence he has gained from winning the Australian Open title in January, he plays pretty much the same game on every surface. He has enjoyed a fabulous run over the past year but eventually his peers will devise a plan to unpick his defences. Against Murray, no player is ever quite sure what they are going to face – and that is one of the Scot's great strengths.
Djokovic, too, is a vastly different character to Murray. He is good and he is not shy of advertising the fact. As a result, there is a slight edge creeping into his matches with the top two. But while he may be streets ahead of the chasing pack, in the past few weeks Djokovic has slipped further behind Nadal in the chase to reach Federer at the top.
Murray, meanwhile, says little. He is a very confident young man, but he still knows his place. He also knows that his time will come and until then, he is keeping his powder dry.
"I think when I get to 23 or 24, that's when I'm going to be playing my best," he said. "I think when you have a lot of options in your game, especially when you're young, you can make some more mistakes and get a little bit confused on the court sometimes.
"With each match and each tournament, I'm starting to get closer and closer to understanding the best way to play my game. I'm sure in a couple years, when I have that experience, I'll be playing very good tennis."
Patience, Andy, patience.
