Andy Murray Accused of Using Gamesmanship to Upset Opponent
Wimbledon rival says Britain's No1 feigned injury
Andy Murray takes his second step towards what he hopes will be the Wimbledon final today after defending himself from accusations by his Latvian opponent, Ernests Gulbis, that he feigned injury during their match at Queen's last year. Gulbis felt Murray used a medical time-out to change the course of the tie before going on to win in three sets.
The British No1 injured his right thumb during a fall and also had problems with his neck, pulling out of his quarter-final against Andy Roddick the next day. However, Gulbis claimed yesterday that Murray did not have anything wrong with him. "He just broke my rhythm and I was not an experienced enough player to deal with that at the time," he said.
Responding to the 20-year-old's claim, Murray said: "That's very disappointing to hear. I never once used any of the rules that certain players have used to try to gain an upper hand in a match or to slow my opponent down. Definitely when I played him at Queen's that was not the case. I didn't know there was a problem but I couldn't grip the racket the following day. There are so many things in matches where guys take toilet breaks, injury time-outs, delay you sometimes when you are trying to serve and take a little bit longer between the points than they are meant to. It happens all the time. It's just part of sport."
Murray added he had never resorted to gamesmanship. "It's a form of cheating. It's bending the rules to gain an advantage. It's a bit like diving in football. It does go on and certain players do it and certain players don't. I'm one of the guys who doesn't do it."
Murray, third on Center Cout today, said he would have preferred to have won his opening match against Robert Kendrick in straight sets and was hoping for a more straightforward victory today. "It is sometimes good to have tight matches early in tournaments but, if I had won in three sets, I would have been just as happy as I am just now. At the US Open when I got to the final I had some tough matches right at the start and when I managed to come through them it gave me confidence. But the easier you win the better, normally."
Murray revealed that he and his brother, Jamie, had agreed to buy a share in Stirling Albion for whom their grandfather played. "I went to watch them a few times when I was younger and we used to play five-a-side at their training facility. It would be nice if they could stay alive but it's so tough nowadays. And it's not like they are doing a whole lot of winning either." Unlike him.
The British No1 injured his right thumb during a fall and also had problems with his neck, pulling out of his quarter-final against Andy Roddick the next day. However, Gulbis claimed yesterday that Murray did not have anything wrong with him. "He just broke my rhythm and I was not an experienced enough player to deal with that at the time," he said.
Responding to the 20-year-old's claim, Murray said: "That's very disappointing to hear. I never once used any of the rules that certain players have used to try to gain an upper hand in a match or to slow my opponent down. Definitely when I played him at Queen's that was not the case. I didn't know there was a problem but I couldn't grip the racket the following day. There are so many things in matches where guys take toilet breaks, injury time-outs, delay you sometimes when you are trying to serve and take a little bit longer between the points than they are meant to. It happens all the time. It's just part of sport."
Murray added he had never resorted to gamesmanship. "It's a form of cheating. It's bending the rules to gain an advantage. It's a bit like diving in football. It does go on and certain players do it and certain players don't. I'm one of the guys who doesn't do it."
Murray, third on Center Cout today, said he would have preferred to have won his opening match against Robert Kendrick in straight sets and was hoping for a more straightforward victory today. "It is sometimes good to have tight matches early in tournaments but, if I had won in three sets, I would have been just as happy as I am just now. At the US Open when I got to the final I had some tough matches right at the start and when I managed to come through them it gave me confidence. But the easier you win the better, normally."
Murray revealed that he and his brother, Jamie, had agreed to buy a share in Stirling Albion for whom their grandfather played. "I went to watch them a few times when I was younger and we used to play five-a-side at their training facility. It would be nice if they could stay alive but it's so tough nowadays. And it's not like they are doing a whole lot of winning either." Unlike him.
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