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Becker: Murray lacking 'X factor' in race to London

Andy Murray was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters third round by David Ferrer © Getty Images

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Andy Murray is still in search of the "X factor" that fired him to Wimbledon glory last summer, according to Boris Becker.

Murray's form has taken a battering since he defeated Novak Djokovic on Centre Court to be crowned 2013 Wimbledon champion. Surgery on a back problem in September last year was still affecting his ability to train this summer and a barren run of 14 months without a tournament win was only broken with victory at the Shenzhen Open last month.

Such problems have seen Murray slip to 11th in the world, leaving him with the unappetising prospect of failing to qualify for the season-ending World Tour Finals in London next month.

In a bid to scrape into the world's top eight and secure his place at the O2 Arena, Murray has entered the Vienna Open, in which he takes on Vasek Pospisil in the quarter-finals later on Friday.

While Becker insisted he could see Murray had the determination to reach London, he claimed the British No.1 was in desperate need of the magic he had under former Ivan Lendl.

"I've seen enough to suggest he's hungry again, focused again," Becker told the Times. "The question is, 'When will he break through again, because the opposition is not sleeping?'

"Also who's in his corner? The group he has is very good and know him well, but I did not see Amelie [Mauresmo] in China [at this month's China Open] - I don't know what that means. Lendl helped him a lot to break through the door, but I don't want to get too involved - I'm Djokovic's coach."

Becker did, however, venture as far as to point out that he coaches Djokovic, while Roger Federer is working with Stefan Edberg and Marin Cilic has called on Goran Ivanisevic - a trio of fortysomething coaches working with top players.

"I can only see results," he said. "[Murray] is playing a lot better than he was six months ago, but he had a couple of tight quarter-final losses. That plays tricks with your mind and you lose a bit of that winner mentality. Can he get it back? Absolutely, but he's looking for the X factor."

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