Long before Andy Murray and Tomás Martín Etcheverry appeared inside Kia Arena, line after line of spectators wrapped around the stadium in anticipation of seeing an all-time great on a stage on which he has achieved so much.
What they witnessed, though, was a sad shadow of that player in the final stages of his career as Murray was dismantled 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by Etcheverry, the 30th seed, in one of his most crushing losses of the past four years.
One year on from the unforgettable sight of Murray dragging himself back from the brink of defeat through two marathon five-set matches to reach the third round, the world No 44 departed Melbourne Park having offered minimal resistance, a defeat that will only elicit further questions about his future. Murray has now lost seven of his last eight matches and he has started the season with a 0-2 record.
Murray opted to collect himself and wait before dissecting his performance to the press rather than immediately walking from the court to his media conference, as has often been the case during his career. Even with some time to digest his performance, he could not explain why he played so poorly and his demeanour was so flat.
“It was a poor performance,” said Murray. “It was very, very flat. It was an amazing crowd out there that were … I felt like they were trying to pick me up, support and get behind me.
“Usually I would always engage the crowd and get them going and bring some energy into the match. It was really just a flat performance. I don’t know exactly why that was the case because I’ve been feeling good going in. Played pretty well in Brisbane. Practised really well the last 10 days or so. Don’t know.”
Etcheverry was one of the most improved players on the tour last year and his rise from outside the top 80 to his current ranking of No 30 was driven by his big serve and heavy forehand. While he looked to use those weapons from the beginning, constantly aiming to take the first strike and dominate from inside the baseline, Murray was reduced to grinding and retrieving from behind the baseline, with little control over the exchanges.
The opening game set the tone as, after a tough, gruelling service game, Murray lost his serve. Although he eventually broke back, the 36-year-old played another poor service game at 4-4, missing first serves and watching forehands fly past him as Etcheverry took the initiative at a decisive moment.
Any hope of a gritty response quickly faded. As the match endured, Murray’s level only continued to drop. Unforced errors flowed freely from his racket, his strokes dropped short and he offered minimal resistance as the Argentinian continued to dominate every exchange.
Even more dispiriting than his desperate level of play, though, was how he comported himself throughout. There was no fire or visible fight. There was not even any of his typical rage. As the games rapidly fell away from him, Murray maintained a passive, neutral expression, as if he had already accepted his fate.
Although he ended last season in an extremely difficult position, the losses piling up as he admitted that he was not enjoying himself, in the days before this tournament Murray had appeared to be in a much better headspace. He was not sure if his attempts to be kinder to himself and more composed on the court may have contributed to his flat, timid disposition. Maybe he had overcorrected his behaviour. He was too calm.
“I didn’t feel unbelievably frustrated whilst I was playing,” he said. “I was trying to stay a little bit calmer. I don’t know. I don’t know if that was a reason for me not playing well or not.”
Murray said that he had identified his serve as the source of many of his problems and he was satisfied with the hard work he had undertaken to improve it in the off-season. In the end, those efforts came to nothing. His serve was completely picked apart and he was broken six times in total.
After a final forehand crashed into the net, Murray shook Etcheverry’s hand, packed his bag and departed the court with his head bowed. It was only as he reached the court’s entrance that he paused, his face displaying an array of emotions, before making a point of saluting every corner of a crowd, perhaps for the final time in Australia.
Beyond falling short of his own personal goals, Murray noted that his disappointment stemmed from his failure to reciprocate the love he received from the crowd.
“Today they all showed up again and gave me brilliant support. I didn’t give enough. I felt like I didn’t give enough back and I’m disappointed with that because they have helped me a lot over the years in matches here. They were definitely there to try to do that again for me today. I didn’t use the crowd and their support to my advantage like I should have done. I’m disappointed with that.”
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