Murray pleased with developing maturity

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 13:02

The 22-year-old fifth seed delivered on a perfectly-executed gameplan to nullify the imposing threat of the 6ft 9in American’s serve and claim a 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 6-2 win. Afterwards the Scot said his ability to outwit his opponent at crucial times had been pivotal to his success, especially when he was tested early.

“A lot of that comes with experience, knowing what to do on the important points, the best way to go about playing certain opponents,” said Murray who joined the ATP Tour in 2005. “When I was down I hit a lot of winners, served smart, I was just thinking the whole time.”

It was an unyielding display of all-round tennis from Murray as he made just eight unforced errors in a shade over two hours on the Rod Laver Arena court.

Murray will next face a top-of-the-bill clash with defending champion Rafael Nadal, but for now he was content to focus on his performance against Isner which had loomed as a tight affair when the Scot had to fend off a set point in the first set before taking it in a tie-break.

It proved a key moment as Murray’s superior fitness told thereafter and he ran away with the match.

“I guess it’s a maturity thing,” he added. “You learn to deal with the tight situations better and your focus holds for longer.

“Sometimes in the past when I was sort of 18 or 19 I might have been getting worked up or not thinking about what I should be doing on the next point and worrying about what happened in the past.

“Now, it’s just focus on each point. So you make the right decision more often.”

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