• Chris Wilkinson

Closing the gap

Andy Murray's grand slam duck continues © Getty Images

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Britain's 75-year wait for a male grand slam champion continues after Andy Murray's Australian Open challenge melted in the heat as Novak Djokovic reclaimed the title he won in 2008.

Djokovic came bursting out of the blocks and got on top early and Murray never really got into the match. He looked jaded and had lost the spark and the energy that got him into the final.

It is easy to try to over-analyse the match, but the simple truth is Djokovic played better and he deserved to win. As with his defeat to Federer in last year's final Murray was beaten by the better man. Nadal and Federer, and now Djokovic, seem to be able to step it up a gear when they need to. Murray is yet to learn how to do that.

What could Murray have done differently? His serving was poor and he could have fought harder, but take nothing away from Djokovic, who has worked hard on his game over the last year and he was rewarded with his second grand slam title. It is easy to look at what Murray didn't do, or what he should have done, but credit to Djokovic, he deserved the victory.

I think the gulf between Federer and Nadal and the rest of the top ten is closing. Nadal is the clear No. 1 at the moment but he has a lot of points to defend and there is always the danger he gets injured again. Federer has played some great tennis in the last few months but his reign of terror is over - he doesn't have that aurora of invincibility about him anymore. Murray, Djokovic, Robin Soderling and Thomas Berdych are all going to be breathing down their necks and it could be a great year for men's tennis.

Murray is still only 23 and has plenty of time on his side. Ivan Lendl lost four finals before going on to win eight slams, and Andre Agassi lost three finals before winning Wimbledon in 1992 - and went on to complete a career Grand Slam.

With Murray it is a mental block. There is no doubt he is capable of winning - he knows he can beat the best players in the world. His time will come. Federer's dominance has ended, Nadal will struggle to stay fit and healthy for a whole season, and Djokovic is unlikely to be able to maintain his current level all the time. Murray won't win the French Open, but I think he could win Wimbledon or the French Open this year.

Finding himself a coach should be a priority for Murray. Regardless of the team around him he is one of the best players in the world, and with his current set-up he made it to the final in Melbourne, which is no mean feat. But he is lacking that little bit extra to get over that final hurdle.

You have got to look at every aspect of your game, and Murray has now got to three slam finals without winning a set. Something needs tweaking, and it could just be that he lacks that guidance and experience of someone who has been there before. He needs someone with grand slam experience and it could be just what he needs to get that first major under his belt.

Murray and Novak Djokovic are closing the gap at the top of men's tennis © PA Photos

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I can understand why he wants to take a break and forget about tennis for a while, but if he takes too much time off he will struggle. He didn't play much after the Australian Open and it didn't go to plan - the lack of match practice really showed and he didn't really get going again until Wimbledon.

I would like to see him get back out on court sooner rather than later and put this latest setback behind him. If there are aspects of his game he needs to work on, then he needs to put those changes into practice at the lower-level tournaments and not just rock up at the big events and expect to reach the final - that is a very risky strategy.

Man of the moment
The player of the moment is definitely Alexandr Dolgopolov - he really made a name for himself in Melbourne. His victory against Robin Soderling - He has a great forehand and he moves well around the court - he will be one to keep an eye on in the coming months - currently ranked No. 46 in the world I would expect him to break into the top 25 this year.

Aussie Kim makes herself at home
She may not have been the top seed at Melbourne Park, but there was little surprise when Kim Clijsters won the women's title. She was always the favourite for me - she has the big match experience and that's what counted in the final.

Like Murray, Caroline Wozniacki remains without a grand slam to her name. The danger for Wozniacki is she ends up like Dinara Safina who was world No. 1 in 2009 without winning a grand slam, and she has since tumbled down the rankings and can't string two wins together now.

Justine Henin's retirement is a shame, but this could be the year we start to see some new blood coming through. The same names have dominated the sport for so long now, and with 2011 likely to be Clijsters' last season on the tour and with Serena and Venus Williams nearing the end of their careers we could see the new generation of women's tennis start to break through.

Chris Wilkinson is a former British No. 1

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