Tennis News: Andy Murray Struggling With Negativity, Temper

Andy Murray’s place in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings has dropped considerably in the 2014 season and despite winning a title for the first time in months, the British no. 1 player admitted that his general attitude inside the court has affected his play.

"It is something I still need to work a lot on. It wasn't really a problem at the beginning of my career, but it has increasingly become an issue and a part of me,” Andy Murray said via tennisworldusa.org, of his negative attitude of late costing him precious ATP points as he landed 12th in the world in mid-September 2014 his lowest since being ranked 14th five years ago.

“I improved a lot on that aspect, especially over the last two or three years, when I started working with Ivan Lendl.”

Lendl, a former pro tennis player himself who has won 8 Grand Slam titles, was hired as a coach by Murray in 2011 but the partnership ended last March 2014.

In June 2014, Murray has tapped former women’s singles world no. 1 Amelie Mauresmo of France although the unlikely pairing is not for the long-term and just part-time according to reports.

Except for the winning the 2014 Shenzhen Open earlier in Sept. 2014, Murray has not won an ATP title— major or minor— this season.

Murray beat Tommy Robredo, 5-7, 7-6 (9), 6-1 in the final of the tournament in Shenzhen, China but couldn’t go all the way to the Grand Slam titles in the Australian Open (quarterfinals, lost to Roger Federer, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 3-6); French Open (semifinals, lost to Rafael Nadal, 3-6, 2-6, 1-6); Wimbledon Championships (quarterfinals, lost to Grigor Dimitrov, 1-6, 6-7 (4), 2-6) and the US Open (quarterfinals, lost to Novak Djokovic, L 6-7 (1), 7-6 (1), 2-6, 4-6).

"I managed to fight and to win a title. I really hope I am going to be able to repeat myself and win another big title before the end of the year,” Murray added in the same article.

Murray is referring to the championship of the 2014 Beijing Open, where he already beat Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz, 6-7 (11), 6-4, 6-2 in the first round. Murray will face Pablo Cuevas in the second round on Thursday.