Doubles revival keeps Jamie Murray quit thoughts at bay
BRITAIN’S Jamie Murray is ready to step out of the shadow of his elder brother having finally rediscovered a winning doubles formula after 43 different partners in six years.
Teaming up with Australian John Peers has seen the 27-year-old enjoy his best season since 2007, when he won Wimbledon mixed doubles alongside Jelena Jankovic.
Murray and Peers have won three titles and, although they narrowly missed out on reaching next week’s ATP World Tour Finals at the O2, the upturn has lifted the Scot from 92 to 31 in the world doubles rankings and banished any thoughts of retirement.
“The divorce rate in doubles is really high as people are trying to find that perfect mix,” said Murray, who is set to play in London at the Statoil Masters in December.
“We have different styles, which means we can win our points in different ways. The other thing is that we get on well on and off the court – that’s so important.
“There have been a lot of downs over the last two or three years, but I’ve never seriously thought about calling it a day. You might say it sometimes in the heat of the moment, but I’ve learned a lot, and it’s all helped to get me where I am now, which is beyond what we would have expected.”
Jamie Murray will play in the Statoil Masters Tennis with John McEnroe, Tim Henman and Goran Ivanisevic at the Royal Albert Hall, 4-8 December. Hospitality packages from £179. Call 020 8233 5854 or email statoilmasters@imgworld.com. For more: www.statoilmasterstennis.com