MONTE CARLO (Reuters) – Andy Murray, in impressive form this season with three titles to his name, is ready to “let it flow” on clay and improve his miserable record on the slow surface.
Murray, ranked fourth in the world, has hired twice French Open runner-up Alex Corretja to coach him for the claycourt season.
Both men had the same agreement last year with Murray reaching the third round at Roland Garros, his best effort at the claycourt slam.
“He just brings something a bit different, certain drills and stuff, and tactically as well, that are fundamental on clay, that obviously he would have done playing and a lot of top guys do on clay now,” Murray told reporters on Monday at the Monte Carlo Masters, where he was handed a 6-0 6-4 third round spanking by Novak Djokovic last year.
“It’s nice sometimes to have a different opinion on things.”
The 21-year-old Scot is determined to reach the business end of tournaments on clay.
“It’s challenging, when I have never made the quarter-finals of a (clay) tournament before. I’m just working hard to just try and keep up with the top guys. I’m trying to reach quarter-finals and semi-finals of tournaments for the first time that I’ve never been past the second or third round of before, and that’s pretty exciting,” he said.
“It takes a bit of time to get used to the movement again. I haven’t hit a ball on clay since the French last year. So it comes down to getting used to sliding, not being 100 percent sure under your feet, it takes a bit of time but I’m hitting the ball well” he added.
Murray, who has a first-round bye, will start his tournament today or tomorrow against either Romanian Victor Hanescu or Spain’s Alberto Martin.
Last year’s US Open finalist knows he must be more consistent if he is to master a physically demanding surface.
“Physical strength is important because on the clay you need to be consistent with your mentality, with your strokes, and then the stronger you are physically it’s like you panic if you are feeling a little bit tired because you know you can get through the match,” he said. “And on clay that’s obviously more important than on the other surfaces because the points are longer.”
Murray added that keeping his composure was a key element for claycourt success, although he believes four-times French Open champion and world number one Rafael Nadal will again dominate on the surface.
“Sliding into the shots, spending as much time on the court as possible. Get used to the movement and feeling of changing the direction on clay,” he said.
“You need to just let it flow. When you try to force your movement on clay, that’s when you get all mixed up. Just try to be light on your feet.”
