• ATP Tour

Rusedski launches stinging attack on Murray

Greg Rusedski reached a grand slam final in his playing days © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Federer rips Murray apart in London
  
• News: Murray admits mistakes cost him dear
  
• News: Murray underlines his intent by outclassing Soderling
  
• Profile: Andy Murray

Greg Rusedski has again taken aim at Andy Murray's mental strength, insisting that the British No. 1 "urgently needs to sort out" the psychological problems that are plaguing his game.

Murray has been wildly inconsistent this season - a trend that has continued at the ATP World Tour Finals, where he was brilliant against Robin Soderling before capitulating in his subsequent match against Roger Federer.

Rusedski, himself a former grand slam finalist, believes that Murray will never triumph at a major tournament unless he can overcome the mental hurdles that are holding him back.

"He has all the ability and talent in the world - but the biggest question mark against Andy Murray remains his attitude and his mental strength," Rusedski said in his Mirror column. "Against Roger Federer on Tuesday, mentally he was very, very poor, with feeble body language.

"It was so disappointing because he went into the match as favourite and the expectation was huge. But Murray really didn't show up at all, to the bitter disappointment of all his fans in London.

"Sure, you can have off-days but the least you can do is show the public that you are trying your best to get around it. That didn't really happen for Andy. It is difficult to change the habits of a lifetime, but we are seeing it more and more, and he urgently needs to sort it out.

"Whether it's his mother, his girlfriend, his agent or his next coach, someone has to sit him down and say: 'Andy, this is unacceptable'. If he wants to win majors and be the No. 1 in the world, he has to be like Rafa and Roger. And there is no excuse for that performance.

"At the US Open, there was a lot of expectation - and the expectation was too much for him. Against Federer on Tuesday, he was the favourite but could not handle the expectation. He has got to find a way mentally where he blocks those things out of his mind while using the crowd to help him."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.