• What the Deuce

Murray still nursing a monstrous Melbourne hangover

Andy Murray and Roger Federer were both in red-hot form at the Australian Open © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Murray looking to rediscover magic in Monte Carlo
  
• News: Murray at a loss to explain 'unacceptable' form
  
• News: Murray stunned by Fish
  
• News: Murray falls apart in Indian Wells
  
• Profile: Roger Federer | Andy Murray

What a difference a couple of months can make. Back in January at the first Grand Slam of the year, we saw the women's game struck by an epidemic, as seed after seed fell by the wayside.

Fortunately the men's game gave us the final we wanted, though sadly not the result Britain craved. Andy Murray didn't drop a set as he cruised through the early stages, seeing off former world No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals. Britain had not had a Grand Slam champion in 74 years. Just one man stood between Murray and history.

But it was not to be, and Roger Federer demonstrated just why he is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, playing almost invincible tennis to deny Murray that elusive Grand Slam.

Federer was simply unbeatable on that day. Murray too played his best tennis in Melbourne, and against any other opponent in that final he would have won. But just two months later it is a very different story.

At Indian Wells last week, Federer was a shadow of his superlative best as he squandered three match points to lose to Marcos Baghdatis in the third round. It was his first tournament since the Australian Open after withdrawing from Dubai with a lung infection.

Even Federer is permitted to show signs of rustiness, but his performance against Baghdatis showed more worrying signs than just lack of fitness and match practice. It was an inconsistent display by Federer, and what is even more surprising is that he lacked the killer instinct.

But just two months later, Murray is struggling to emulate that form © Getty Images

Enlarge

It was the first time in nearly four years that Federer had let a match slip from his grasp after holding match point. Federer knows what it takes to win, having more than adequately demonstrated since taking the No. 1 spot over six years ago. Fitness and shot selection will slide with lack of matches, but the hunger and desire will not fade.

Meanwhile, Murray's exit in the second round in Miami showed signs of man still struggling to come to terms with his defeat in Melbourne. Normally after a defeat, a player will put their finger on what went wrong, or focus on an area of their game to work on - their serve, their shot selection or perhaps their fitness. They will go back to the practice courts and use the defeat as motivation to improve.

But how do you get over a defeat knowing that no matter how fast your first serve was, or how quickly you could move across the court, the result would have been the same? Following his defeat to Fish, Murray admitted that he is struggling to put his finger on his slump in form.

"You can kind of get away with playing badly," said Murray after the defeat. "I don't really mind that but mentally the last few weeks I've been really poor and it's unacceptable."

Murray needs to take heart from the Roger Federer who crashed out of Indian Wells; the world No.1 also has his off days, and as Murray himself has shown, he is beatable.

So what now for Murray? The British No. 1 will slip down the rankings following the loss of his 1000 ranking points that he earned winning in Miami 12 months ago. Last year Murray picked up 1600 rankings points from Indian Wells and Miami; this year he will have a measly 205.

The tennis circus now moves to Europe for the clay court season, and with just four wins under his belt, it is not going to be easy.

With three Masters Events on clay (Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid) coming up before the French Open in May, there are a lot of points up for grabs and on clay, not traditionally Murray's favoured surface, he now has two months to find his game before the English grass-court season kicks off - the defence of his title at Queen's and then the small matter of Wimbledon.

Whether it is a lack of match practice, a technical issue or, as Murray suggests, a mental obstacle that needs addressing, whatever it may be, the British public simply won't accept any excuses if he fails to deliver on the hallowed turf at SW19.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.