	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WIMBLEDON

June 25, 2009

Jamie Murray

LONDON, ENGLAND

MURRAY-HUBER/De Voest-Kops-Jones
2-6, 7-6, 6-1

Q. I guess it's been a struggle lately, hasn't it?
JAMIE MURRAY: Yeah, it's been tough. I mean, this year has been hard for me, and it's been not many sort of wins on the board or whatever this year.
Yesterday was a bad match I played again. I was really disappointed obviously to do it at Wimbledon and stuff. You know, it was nice to come back out today and manage to pull through a win.
I didn't necessarily play the best tennis I've ever played, but we fought hard. Liezel played a really good match and came out with some great shots when it mattered, and then we came out with a great third set.

Q. Is it may just trying to get some confidence back?
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, of course. The more wins you get, the more confident you become. Still a long way to go before I get that back to, you know, feeling great on the court again.
But a win is a win, and we'll take it and move on to the next round and try and get another win there.

Q. How hard has this year been? Because it seemed that obviously you were on an upward curve. It was going great.
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I mean, I improved, you know, the last two years always my ranking and stuff. But I knew this year was going to be hard because with the way the rankings and stuff had changed for this year and the fact that I was probably going to be chopping it and changing partners a lot.
You know, at the start of the year, you know, I didn't really get many wins, even though I was actually playing quite well. Then it sort of slowly got worse and worse. I mean, my ranking's dropped a lot, and it will continue to drop the next few weeks, which is the price you pay for not winning matches, I guess.
It's just something you've got to deal with in sport and get on with it, I think, and keep working hard or work harder or whatever, just do whatever you can to get back to where you were.

Q. Does the fact that the rankings dropping, does that then make it more difficult to get...
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, of course. The problem now with the system is it's so -- you know, if you're up there, you know, if you're up there, then it's hard to get out of -- you know, to lose it, to be honest, you know, after this year.
Because nowadays if you're playing the challengers, one of my friends or two of my friends, you know, they've been playing the challengers and some tour events they've been sneaking into. They've won so many tournaments, but they're only 50, 60 in the world. The last four weeks, five weeks, they've been in the finals of every tournament they've played.
It's tough to move up quickly if you're only playing the challengers, because the tour guys are getting so many points for winning less matches. So it's hard to get back up there if you're just playing challengers.
So it's going to be a long road, I would have thought for me, but you've just got to -- that's the way it is, and you've just got to fight your ass off to get the wins and get back up there to give yourself the chance to play the tour events, and then when you have that chance you've obviously got to win matches again.

Q. Have you doubted yourself about your ability? You said obviously you were playing well at the start of the year.
JAMIE MURRAY: Well, I mean, I think the more you lose and the less things go your way, of course you doubt yourself. But I think the thing is that things have gone -- I guess things have gone pretty well for me the last two, three years in my career. You know, I've won some big matches in my career and I've been in some top teams.
I know how to play. I know I can get up there because I did. I got to 26, 27, something like that. It's not unbelievable, but it's a pretty good effort. I think, you know, it's just a case of trying to find it again. You know, you've just got to get yourself out there and back yourself.
I probably haven't really been doing that much the last couple months, and sort of not playing as aggressive as I should be and doubting what I've been doing, not really committing to what I need to do.
I guess it happens sometimes. I'm sure it happens to everyone at some point in their career. Again, you know, in the basis of a 10-, 15-year career, it's only six months of tennis. There's a lot more tennis left in my career, I hope.
It's just something you've got to fight through and try and come out a better player from.

Q. Presumably with your family you're able to talk to Andy or able to talk to your mum. What kind of advice have they been giving?
JAMIE MURRAY: Obviously my brother wants me to do very well, and I guess it's not fun for him to see me losing most weeks. But I speak to my mum a bit. Again, they're not around -- my mum is not around all the time. People get the wrong impression sometimes, because at Wimbledon or Queen's and stuff she's always on the TV so people think she's there. But 90% of the time she's not there and I'm with my coach.
You know, I talk to him about things, and, you know, I think I understand what I need to do and how I need to get there. But I just -- you know, it's just a case of going out and putting yourself on the line in matches and going 100% at it and not holding back.
You know, maybe you don't play as well as you would like, but at least you're doing the right things, and one day it's going to click for you and then things will be back to normal and you'll start getting wins on the board and confidence and whatever.
But I think if the way I played sort of the last couple months is not going to get me get back to where I want with my tennis. I'm not interested about the ranking right now but more just sort of getting my performance back and my sort of state of mind when I'm on the match courts.

Q. In that concert, how important is the mixed doubles here?
JAMIE MURRAY: It's big, because it gives me the chance to get out there and play in front of the crowds and put myself out there and try and win some matches and feel good about my game.
You know, today probably wasn't the best match I've ever played, but we fought hard as a team. In the end we got through, and I look forward to the next round.

Q. Here it is a great lift, isn't it, the crowd?
JAMIE MURRAY: I don't know if you watched the match, but the crowd out there was a joke how good it was. So much noise, such a great atmosphere, and it was inspiring to play in. That's what it should be like for British players when they're here.
It was great at the end when we left, and we got a big ovation and big cheers. Still, it's 9:30 at night and people were still there to watch us come out and play. It was an exciting match, and I hope they enjoyed it.

Q. Is your relationship with Jonathan going to be long-term?
JAMIE MURRAY: No, no. He's playing with somebody else after Wimbledon. It was only just going to be for the grass season. Yeah.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297