No logical reason to explain Andy Murray’s implosion

After one particular point during the most catastrophic mid-match collapse of his career, Andy Murray gazed towards his support box and mouthed the three words on every non-rabid French witness’ mind: “What is happening?”

In literal terms, what was happening to Andy Murray is that he was stuck bang in the middle of an eight-successive-game losing streak that started from the seemingly unbreachable confines of a 6-2 2-0 lead and ended with him down 6-2 2-6 4-6. Instead of fulfilling his intentions of banishing the previous day’s demons, Murray merely picked up where he left the first two sets off in his first round battle against Radek Stepanek.

As on Monday, Murray fell behind the baseline, he sprayed unforgivable forehand errors around the court and struggled to hit the ball out of his opponent’s strike zone. Worst of all, after being bossed around the court in the first round by the oldest player in the draw, his second round collapse came at the hands of a French wildcard ranked 164 and competing in his first ever ATP-level tournament.

Just before Mathias Bourgue arrived on court to face Murray, his coach brandished a video of Muhammad Alii stating his intention to box in front of big crowds and only big crowds. In front of the first big audience of his career, an inspired and emotional Bourge proceeded to play like he never wanted to see another small court in his entire life.

For two hours, the Frenchman ticked every single tennis-related box that could possibly be ticked. He served strongly and at a high percentage, he attacked and spun up wicked, heavy forehands above Murray’s strike zone, he executed brilliant angles and dropshots from his backhand side, and he held his high level together with great movement. On paper, he was nothing compared to Murray, but the reality couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Those are the facts, yet Murray’s question remains unanswered. There is no logical reason to explain his opening two matches.

As he arrived in press, the confusion still clearly lingered in Murray’s mind. As the British ensemble of journalists prodded him with questions on his physical and mental state, hoping to elicit an explanation for his opening performances, the exchanges began to closer resemble a psychological and physical evaluation. And one which Murray came up all clear.

“Potentially, yeah. Like I said, it was a pretty stressful couple of days. Coming back the next day and playing, it's not easy,” he said after one such question, mulling over the possibility that he was mentally drained from Tuesday’s recovery. “But I didn't start the match that way. Normally you would think that you would start the match off a little bit flatter. There was a period there where I was a little bit flat. But I don't know if that (was just) because I was missing balls.

Murray’s conclusion that the previous match didn’t affect him mentally mirrored the clear explanation to any physical doubts. Playing for three days in a row certainly isn’t ideal, yet all tennis players’ bodies are conditioned to playing successive matches over best of three sets. Murray spent a little over two hours on court for the Monday portion of his match and a little over an hour the following day, both of which would be standard for a non-slam tournament.

Speculation has lingered throughout the week about the split between Murray and Amelie Mauresmo possibly clouding his senses, yet he hasn’t looked overly irritable at any point throughout his two trials and after his first match, Murray emphatically and convincingly rubbished the claims of a rift. When the Frenchwoman, who works with the French host broadcasters, appeared on screen to ask him two questions, Murray responded with a beaming smile.

It’s doubtful that Murray will figure out the reason for his poor start to the French Open, but it’s not an explanation he needs to seek out. The reality of competing in tournaments at the highest level of professional tennis is that no preparation and practice can fully prepare a player for the matchplay environment. The trick to advancing in them is to approach them with tunnel vision and look forward. Once again, the only relevant fact is that Murray remains in the tournament, and despite his tennis, his mentality when dealing with these crises has been entirely positive.

Murray’s chances deeper into the draw are certainly damaged by his opening rounds. It’s difficult to imagine Bourgue would have been quite so confident had the Scot not struggled so much in the previous day. All eyes are on Murray and his fellow top players, and all future opponents should take heart from the vulnerability that Murray has shown this week against inferior players. Moreover, in a world where no man has ever won a slam with more than three five-set matches in their legs, Murray has already played two.

Luckily for Murray, his next match at Roland Garros will not be a proper tennis match. Both players will serve and if either man returns the ball, they will end the point shortly after. Though Ivo Karlovic has compiled a 13-year reputation of being the one player no top players should want to face, it’s a prospect that Murray understandably seemed quite relieved about. The vast majority of points will be no more than two shots long and, regardless of the length of the match, the third round will be incredibly forgiving on his body if he is able to pass onto into the second week.

Whether or not Murray will be able to summon up a decent level of tennis against the opponent that gives opponents no margin for error in the biggest points of every set remains to be seen, but despite his level of play over his first two matches of the tournament, it’s significant he is he’s still there to try.