Filed under: Tennis
As starts to the year go, few sportmen have endured a worse one than Andy Murray. But his decision to accept a wild card for next week's Monte Carlo Masters is further evidence the British No.1 is mentally on the road to recovery.Despite his recent travails, the Scot last week proved he hasn't lost his dry sense of humour following his April Fool's Day Tweet that friend Ross Hutchins would be his new coach, because he felt he required "another yes man".
Then, on Monday, arrived another boost. Although he has failed to win a match since January, he somehow climbed back up to fourth in the world rankings - crucial in ensuring he does not have to meet Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer until the semi-finals - after Robin Soderling surrendered a glut of ranking points in Miami last week.
And now comes the news Murray has decided to commence the clay-court season earlier than he had initially planned, by taking a wild card for the Masters Series event, which boasts an all-star cast including the world's top three players.
It is a brave move but one which was necessary. The only way that Murray, who has been practising on clay in London with Sergiy Stakhovsky, is going to end his four-match losing streak - the worst of his career - is by facing his demons head-on and playing matches.
The second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, is fast approaching and the Scot must have his game in order by the time Roland Garros commences on May 22.
Winning has become a mental block for Murray, who has failed to even take a set off Marcos Baghdatis and qualifiers Donald Young and Alex Bogomolov in his matches since being thrashed by Djokovic in the final of the Australian Open in January.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/04/06/how-jimmy-connors-would-put-andy-murrays-career-back-on-track/
Thierry Henry Thomaz Bellucci Tim Clark Tomas Berdych Torsten Frings
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