Some ghosts refuse to leave Andy Murray alone. One is Roger Federer – but then the inimitable Swiss has haunted all his peers for a decade and more – and the other is Murray’s Scottishness. Neither should be issues but they are and both spectres surfaced on Friday as the game’s best eight players left standing gathered on the south bank of the Thames before the ATP World Tour Finals, which begin at the O2 Arena on Sunday.
First, Scotland. Murray sighed when asked the inevitable: had his support of Scottish independence in the recent referendum cost him English fans – especially when playing the much-loved Federer?
“I haven’t so far [had any adverse reaction for his referendum decision],” he said. “But, look, the crowd has always given me very good support when I’ve played here and when I’ve played at Wimbledon and Queen’s, throughout my whole career. So I hope this week that that’s the same. But, if not, I’ll do my job, give my best effort regardless and hopefully win back some fans.”
In truth he cannot always rely on the crowd’s support and they were shamelessly (and shamefully?) behind Federer when the pair met in the 2012 semi-final, even after Murray had won Wimbledon.
Murray on Friday did not quite call Federer tennis’s equivalent of Graeme Hick – cricket’s fabled “flat-track bully” – but they were at odds about why he has never beaten the Swiss in his hometown finale in three attempts.
“I think the reason he’s difficult to beat is because he’s incredibly good on these courts,” Murray pointed out. He’s a fantastic indoor player. He has been his whole careerWhen you play indoors and there are no elements to deal with, he’s one of the most talented players, one of the best shot-makers, so when there’s no wind or anything, or sun or whatever to throw him off, when he’s on his game, he’s extremely tough.
“He has a great record as well in this competition [six trophies in 12 finals]. He obviously likes it a lot. He’s a great tennis player. In my opinion, that’s why he’s very difficult to beat here. But hopefully I’ll be able to do it this week.”
Federer, however, does not think Murray is at all inconvenienced by either the court or the support. “I was actually quite surprised how well I’ve played him here in the past, because I thought it was going to be hard,” he said – which might be interpreted as a backhanded compliment.
“I thought maybe on a couple of occasions I was going to lose as well but things went very well for me against Andy here in the past. I don’t think necessarily the surface is crazy helpful for me or for him. I think it’s a very even court for any player. He plays well indoors and there’s no reason for him not to do very well here. He’s shown that in the past.
“We’ll see when we play in the second or third match. But clearly having him drawn into my group it’s always going to be tough. I’ve had a difficult head-to-head with him and clearly playing him in London is always a bigger challenge than somewhere else in the world, I would say.”
Murray opens the tournament against the US Open runner-up, Kei Nishikori, on Sunday afternoon, having won all their three encounters; Federer features in the evening match against Milos Raonic, who played perhaps the best match of his career to beat him in the Paris Masters semi-finals last week.
