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Tennis commentator Paul Annacone is of the opinion that Andy Murray needs to adapt to the modern needs of the game. While reserving high praise for the Brit's defensive skills in the past, Annacone is worried they might not reap the same rewards against today's top players who are far more athletic.
Andy Murray began his campaign at the 2022 Rotterdam Open with an emphatic straight-sets victory over Alexander Bublik in the opener. However, the former World No. 1 could not keep up with third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round.
Analyzing Murray's performance in the 6-3, 6-4 loss on Tennis Channel, Annacone remarked that it was time for the three-time Grand Slam champion to switch from his old habits. In this day and age where players are more powerful, the American was not sure the World No. 95's counter-punching skills would "cut it anymore".
At the same time, however, Annacone was confident that it was not beyond the Brit's capabilities. By tinkering with his game, the American believes Murray could mount a serious challenge against top players.
"The biggest thing is, old habits die hard. We know that Andy Murray likes to be reactive, he likes to be a counter-puncher and rely on those tremendous defensive skills, but it's not going to cut it anymore," Annacone said. "People are too athletic, there is too much power. He is going to have to find a way. And he can, because he has a big serve and he has one of the best two-handers out there."
Paul Annacone's colleague Prakash Amritraj also agreed with the sentiment. Amritraj opined in the same interview that the loss against Auger-Aliassime could serve as a good learning experience for the former World No. 1.
"It didn't look like his body let Andy Murray down there. I think he gained a lot from this [defeat against Felix Auger-Aliassime] on the learning side. He knows he has to go back to the well a little bit," Amritraj said.
Like Annacone, Amritraj also felt that Murray needed to "add a few more elements to his game" if he wanted to make deep runs in tournaments.
"He's going to have to bring out a little more firepower. He cannot rely solely on defense like he used to. His body may not be completely there, like it was, so he is going to have to add a few more elements to his game, against these top players," Amritraj said.
Andy Murray set to move into top 90 of the ATP rankings for first time since 2018
Despite his second-round exit at the Rotterdam Open, Andy Murray is guaranteed to get back into the top 90 of the ATP rankings when they are updated on Monday. A ranking of No. 87 will mark his highest ranking since coming back from a hip injury in 2018.
Up next, the three-time Grand Slam champion is scheduled to play at the Qatar Open from February 14-19. Having already won the tournament twice, in 2008 and 2009, the 34-year-old has been granted a wildcard into the ATP 250 event. The tournament will be headlined by World No. 12 Denis Shapovalov, and also features World No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut and British No. 1 Dan Evans.
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