Murray Wages War : Djokovic Enjoys the Stage
Andy Murray could’ve and should’ve won this game. Coached by Ivan Lendl to “go to War’ he went into the match in great form, a great state of mind and having put more of the competitive hard yards in than the laudable Novak Djokovic. He started brilliantly and when on top lost the mind game and the match shortly after.
Towards the end of the second set Djokovic was a set down and being more than matched by a sublime Murray who looked the most likely winner. When he is under the cosh Djokovic is at his most dangerous. He relaxed, started to enjoy his tennis and play remarkable shots. He left nothing behind, he went for outrageous winners and got them. As Piers Newbery said on the BBC Sport website;
When I watch Djokovic I’m often reminded of D, a Thai Boxing client of mine. He believes he’s at his most dangerous when he’s behind. When his opponent is on top and feeling like he’s winning the contest he switches his focus internally. He thinks only about what his strengths are and applies them. He believes that he will exert enough pressure to reveal the cracks in his opponent’s technique and then exploit them ruthlessly. He’s confident that he can turn the momentum of the contest his way and his opponent, the dominator becoming the dominated, is crushed psychologically.
I tried to be more aggressive … So I went for my shots … came to the net quite often. I was quite successful in that percentage, so it worked well for me. I needed to be the one who dictates the play, and I’m really glad that I’ve played my best.
Boris Becker described this spectacle as it unfolded;
He won because he was prepared to lose. It’s almost if he says to himself that he might as well lose like a hero than a mouse. He seems to enjoy having a platform to show the world how the best player in the world reacts to that sort of situation.
In contrast Murray went to war and became a wounded soldier, complaining of blisters and seemingly holding a hamstring. He grew more frustrated as Djokovic turned the tables; the dominator becoming dominated. Piers Newbury again;
As I watched the contrast between the two players was fascinating. The World No 1 enjoying the stage, the occasion and his talent. Murray frowning, frustrated and failing. It occurred to me that the ‘War’ metaphor wasn’t working for Murray. So many athletes in elite sports forget to enjoy playing at the pinnacle they have achieved. Some of my biggest successes have come from reconnecting my clients with the passion they felt for their sport when they started out; refocusing them internally on the rare and coveted talents they have; to reignite in them the thrill of exhibiting those talents on the biggest stages in world sport.
This is not easy and I have huge admiration for Djokovic because in adversity he does this time and time again. I have posted on it before on at least three occasions. It’s a phenomenon.
Lendl, who has been excellent for Murray so far, most probably found the war metaphor helpful in his own career. Maybe he has fallen into the common trap of coaching himself rather than finding something more suitable for his charge. Murray is not far off and his post match comments were the best I’ve heard from him and I’m sure a credit to Lendl’s work;
The last few months have been the best tennis of my life – I made the Wimbledon final, won the Olympics, won the US Open, I was close here as well. It was close. I know no one’s ever won a Slam, the immediate one after winning their first one. It’s not the easiest thing to do and I got extremely close. So I have to try and look at the positives of the last few months, and I think I’m going the right direction. This is the first time I’ve beaten Roger [Federer] in a Slam over five sets. I think I dealt with the situations and the ebbs and flows in that match well. I felt much more comfortable on the court today than even I did at the US Open, so that has to be a positive.
This impress Formula language reveals a growing Champion’s mindset. Focusing on his permanent and growing strengths and the temporary nature of losing. All he has to do now is give peace a chance; enjoy the experience of sharing the worlds greatest tennis stages with Djokovic and play with a passion to match his talent.
The future of men’s tennis with these two great players competing in this spirit is mouthwatering.
impress Inspiration SurveyListening to the language of these two great players I would expect Murray to score a six and Djokovic two on our inspiration survey. Try it yourself to find out what this means and understand your own innate inspirational quality.
Sign up to our free NewsletterEach Monday, 6pm GMT the impress Coaching newsletter is published alerting subscribers to the news this week. Subscription is free, press the blue button to sign up.
More Reports on this Match:
Djokovic described the Wawrinka match as fun. He used that word in two different post-Murray match interviews. Murray is getting better all the time,but he can’t just program himself or re-program himself to say all the right things. He has to believe what he says and feel it too. Djokovic is enjoying the struggle while Murray appears to be having a limb amputated with no anesthetic.
Dj is enjoying the struggle and it shows. His self belief is as off-the-chart as his flexibility. He is a wonder. He is past grabbing his muscles and wincing or complaining about blisters. He is a living breathing tennis machine, albeit one with a lot of heart and a sense of humor.
Mary, I think you have a good point. Murray is fighting a war and it hurts. Djoko is having fun showing off. If Murray can start enjoying playing tennis at the highest level he may be able to compete with Djoko. Lendl will have to change his ‘War’ metaphor! Thanks for your comment.