• ATP Tour

Hard yards paying off for Andy Murray

ESPN staff
December 24, 2012
Andy Murray's work ethic helped him claim major glory in 2012 © PA Photos
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Andy Murray believes hard work has been the key to his success in 2012 and he will carry the work ethic into an assault on the majors in 2013.

After agonising defeats in grand slam finals, Murray emerged from the shadow of Fred Perry with victory at the US Open. That brilliant, five-set win over Novak Djokovic came on the back of his Olympic gold medal in London and Murray admits he initially found it difficult to pin down the reasons why he made the breakthrough.

On reflection, the world No. 3 is convinced his success is down to the sheer effort he has put in to get to the top of the game.

"it is hard to explain the reasons behind that final breakthrough," Murray told Sky Sports News. "But there have been years of hard work and tough losses. I had experience of that, so that was what kind of drove me on to get there."

Murray beat Roger Federer in the Olympic final, a matter of weeks after losing to the same player in the Wimbledon final, and it handed him a sense of belief.

He said: "The Olympics was great, the atmosphere was incredible. I took a lot of confidence from that going to the US Open. I managed to find a way to win that.

"I was extremely motivated. After I'd lost a lot of tough finals, I was thinking 'was that hard work worth it? Was I good enough to win one?' It was physically very demanding so it meant all that work was worth it.

"So it motivated me to go away and work hard again. I will go into the off season very hard and be motivated to be ready for the Australian Open."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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