Murray's Mountain

So yet another Grand Slam has drawn to an end and Murray is nowhere in sight.

This is not an inditement of his flaws, merely an observation. Murray came mighty close at the US Open and the subsequent Wimbledon to conquering the his Grand Slam daemons, but each time has fallen short.

Either bad luck or inspired opponents have come between him and the holy grail of any young hopeful.

However, this US Open champion has a commodity that Murray can never attain or recover- Juan Martin Del Potro is younger at 20 years old and is being heralded as the potential future of mens tennis.

Murray is no longer the young, no longer the hopeful. He cannot merely threaten to fulfill; he must succeed in conquering.

Murray has had bad luck- Cillic was inspired, Roddick at Wimbledon- a man in the form of his life and Federer, well...

Murray certainly has the capacity and game to win, but he has been unlucky one too many times for him to be so certain of the Grand Slam that has been earmarked for him by so many.

Bad luck can stack up and a man's destiny can slip from a his grasp. Bad luck then seems like destiny and a man destined to win can become doomed to fail.

Although Murray's understated interviews and dour voice reveal very little about the man's desire and hunger for Grand Slam glory, it is certain that the more time passes the more desperate he will be for what his talent is owed.

Murray's game is built on the counter punch and the break- both relatively defensive weapons. His skill is astounding and tactical nous unparalleled, but it might also prove his downfall. Murray is not proactive; he absorbs and reacts and so will never dominate his opponents in the manner in which Del Potro, Nadal and Federer can.

Murray must learn to become more aggressive before he can win, must learn to fear defeat more that he fears not winning.

For the time being Murray the "fox" is anxiously looking over his shoulder at the slavering pack of hopefuls snapping at his heels. Let us hope he is overtaken with silverware in his hands.