World No 1 on a roll since US Open exit to Kei Nishikori
Thursday 17 November 2016 16:07, UK
With Andy Murray on the brink of his first semi-final appearance at the ATP World Tour Finals since 2012, we ask just how that once jittery second serve has become such a potent weapon...
Murray only needs a set against Stan Wawrinka on Friday to guarantee his passage through to the semi-finals at the O2 Arena for the first time since 2012.
He came out second best to Kei Nishikori at the US Open but defeated the Japan No 1, in three hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday.
But expect to see a different Murray to the one who went down in five gruelling sets at Flushing Meadows in early September when he goes up against Wawrinka.
The 29-year-old Scot has since won titles in Beijing, Shanghai, Vienna and Paris in the space of five weeks to send him to the top of the rankings.
The improvements in his game under the guidance of Amelie Mauresmo, Jamie Delgado and Ivan Lendl in 2016 have helped him refocus and implement subtle tactical changes to his game around the time of the Monte Carlo Masters - including his service action and ball toss.
Since then, he enjoyed a remarkable summer by winning Wimbledon for a second time and holding on to his Olympic crown with victory in Rio.
"I made improvements to my second serve which then freed me up for more pace on my first serve," Murray told Sky Sports Tennis analyst Mark Petchey at the Sky Pad, on Monday.
Asked about his average second serve speed increasing by six per cent in the space of 12 months, he added: "It was technical. I worked on some things and changed a few things around which has made me feel more comfortable.
"I feel like I have more cover and control on the ball and that also allowed me to hit different serves on the second serves, rather than predominantly going to the backhand. Also having the confidence to hit a 96 mph serve close to the line, which maybe I wasn't doing last year."
In 2015, Murray won 52 per cent of his second serve points, but since May that percentage went up to 56 per cent and during the US Open it was as high as 65 per cent before his shock quarter-final exit to Nishikori.
His average second serve speed in 2015 was 86 mph, whereas this year, it has shot up to 92 mph with 22 per cent unreturned. Overall, he's now winning 55 per cent of points on his second serve compared with 51 per cent last year.
That's four per cent more points on his second serve, and in the modern game, that's the key difference between winning or losing a championship match when it comes to the big points.
Murray has not had it easy during his four tournament winning-streak either. Since the US Open, he has protected his second serve and staved off quite a few break points.
There's also plenty of variety to his game now. Last year, Murray dropped his second serve in short 44 per cent of the time, while 38 per cent were one metre inside the service box. He would only risk a deep serve 18 per cent of the time.
In 2016 leading up to his US Open defeat, Murray was only dropping in short serves 32 per cent of the time, with 23 per cent going deep and 45 per cent one metre inside the service box.
He has also added variation and disguise to his action with 57 per cent of his second serve placement containing top spin, 34 per cent using slice while just nine per cent are flat.
Murray's first serve numbers on hard courts have also gone up with quicker points and unreturned serves a big difference.
Pre-US Open his average speed was 115 mph, but since then it's shot up three miles per hour to 118, helping him win three per cent more points. Thirty-six per cent were unreturned pre-Flushing Meadows, but that's now an impressive 42 per cent since.
If the Briton continues in the same rich vein of form, few can doubt his vulnerability on second serve again, and that coveted world No 1 spot will be hugely deserving of a man who has had to make huge sacrifices to make it to the top of his game.
Check our game-by-game coverage from all group matches at the ATP World Tour Finals in London - including Andy Murray v Stan Wawrinka - on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
