As the 2014 tennis season draws to a close, Andy Murray's career stands at a crossroads. Returning from back surgery at the start of the year, it is fair to say it has been a difficult one for the man from Dunblane.
There was a failure to reach a Grand Slam final in a year for the first time since 2009, the split with coach Ivan Lendl, who had been widely credited for breaking Murray's Grand Slam duck and also a drop out the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time in six years.
There were some positives though for Murray, particular in the latter half of the year when his form post US Open saw him win three titles in five weeks to secure a place in the end of season finals in London. And despite not making a Grand Slam final, he still had quarter final appearances at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and a career equaling best semi final appearance at the French Open and he has risen back up to 6th in the ATP rankings.
However, after the excellence of 2012 and 2013, Murray's 2014 has been somewhat of a disappointment and there are now questions being asked over his style and mental capability on the court. So what does Andy Murray need to do in 2015?
The first thing Murray should be working on between now and the New Year for his game is to rediscover the aggression that made him a Grand Slam champion and a player to be feared by everyone else on the tour. Lendl encouraged Murray to go for more shots during his reign as his coach and it paid large dividends, as witnessed by millions when he defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win Wimbledon last year.
Now if he is to challenge the top three of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal once more as well as players like Nishikori, Dimitrov and Wawrinka then Murray must show at the Australian Open in January a different style of play to what we have seen throughout 2014. For example, his meek straight sets defeat to Nishikori at the tour finals in London, wasn't down to the Japanese player playing exceptionally well, it was also down to the fact that Murray never tried to dictate the game at the 02 arena. It was a similar story when he surrendered his Wimbledon title in a straight sets loss to Dimitrov in July.
Murray must surely recognise that what made him a Grand Slam champion and easily one of the top four players in the world (if not one of the top two between 2012-13) was his ability to go for more powerful ground strokes and get players running all over the court. Now, like earlier in his career, Murray is the one being hounded on court again.
Murray's serve has also weakened during 2014. His second serve has always been the weakest part of his game, but it has now regressed to the point where he is serving around 70-75mph and giving opponents free points on it. As for his first serve, it hasn't looked to be of the same strong standard as in years gone by, with Murray throwing away many service games after breaking an opponent. A look at the style and ball tosses of Wawrinka and Nishikori over the close season would benefit Murray.
As for the issues raised around Murray's coach Amelie Mauresmo, it is still too early to tell if it has been a success or not, but the relationship between the pair faces a critical test at the Australian Open in January. Failure to play well there and there will be louder calls for Murray to admit he made a mistake in appointing her and to perhaps bring back Lendl or even bring in John McEnroe as has been touted in some quarters.
Mauresmo needs to stamp her authority on the Murray game as well in the way Lendl did. As people like Tim Henman have pointed out, Murray's game seems to have lost it's identity under Mauresmo. If that means trying new things out that Murray hasn't tried before, then so be it if it works for him in the big matches. You just have to look at the way Stefan Edberg has got Roger Federer, at the age of 33 being more aggressive at the net to see how age is no limit to trying out new styles as a tennis player.
Murray's performance against Roger Federer on Thursday night raised serious alarm bells with Murray suffering his worst defeat in seven years and a first loss of a 6-0 set in four years. Having played so much tennis since the US Open in September, Murray may be suffering from a classic case of burn out, but his nine losses in nine matches against the 'big three' of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal in 2014 suggest other mental demons are at work with Murray once again.
Until the wins of Wawrinka at the Australian Open and Marin Cilic at the US Open this year, Murray was one of only two players to break the wins of the 'Big Three' at the Grand Slams and the only player to win multiple grand slams in that period apart from that trio. He was deservedly talked about in the same breath as those legends of the game and after winning Wimbledon in 2013, he looked set to win more Grand Slams.
At the age of 27, Murray still has time on his side and it is hoped he won't suffer any more problems with his back after undergoing major surgery at this time last year.
But consider this. Murray and Djokovic were born only a week apart in May 1987. Right now Murray must feel light years behind him.
Murray can contend in Melbourne in January where he'll be trying to win a first Australian Open title, but he needs a serious re think of his tactics over the next six weeks if he to achieve that goal.
