Last Updated on December 20, 2021
British tennis player Andy Murray has prepared well for next season and hopefully he will play well at the Australian Open. Former ATP number one Andy Murray reached the finals of the exhibition matches against fellow British player Daniel Evans and Rafael Nadal. In his final match the Englishman lost to Andrey Rublev of Russia 6/4, 7/6.
Rublev. Relentless. 🏆#MWTC | @AndreyRublev97 pic.twitter.com/xlYYTccAIn
— Mubadala World Tennis Championship (@MubadalaWTC) December 18, 2021
“He played three great matches at this tournament, played well in the final. He’s been fantastic all season long. It’s a tough match against him,” Murray told Tennis 365 after the match.
Murray has not won a title since 2019 and currently sits 134th in the ATP rankings. Rublev is ranked fifth on the year this season.
Fond memories of the Australian Open
With the Australian Open 2022 coming up in mid-January, Murray will have another opportunity to prove himself. He has played in the finals five times but has not taken a single title.
“I think I still deserve the Australian Open trophy, but I’ve never managed to win a decisive match there.
I’ve played there a few times in the finals, but I’ve never taken that chance. Of course, that’s a problem that needs to be solved. Nevertheless, I have great memories of Australia, I feel great there,” Murray was quoted as saying by Yahoo Sports.
After surgery on his hip, many tennis fans were convinced that Murray can not return to the tennis tour, but he proved that he can still play at a decent level. In an interview with Eurosport, Andy talked about his attitude toward ending his career.
“At this point, I just want to get the most out of everything I do. I’ve talked to a lot of guys who are done. They said there’s no substitute for tennis, so you’ve got to try to enjoy being able to go out on the court. That’s my goal.”
Attitude towards сoronovirus vaccination
All tennis players who want to participate in the Australian Open need to be vaccinated against coronavirus. Some have already withdrawn from the tournament because of the mandatory vaccinations. Murray commented on Eurosport that Serbian Novak Djokovic may miss the Australian Open due to the mandatory vaccination.
“I was surprised by such a decision, because I think vaccines are safe. Some people say they are ineffective because they don’t work with new strains, but that’s the case with many diseases. For example, every year we are offered the flu shot, but it is constantly being adjusted to reduce the risks.
I believe the vaccines are safe and effective, and it would be foolish not to go to Australia for that reason. However, the tournament is getting closer and we still don’t know how things stand. Novak probably doesn’t want to take the shot. Would I be surprised if I found out tomorrow that he wasn’t going? Probably not.”
