Murray: too negative

Sometimes for me he is too defensive and doesn't come in enough and isn't aggressive enough.

Goran Ivanisevic
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Goran Ivanisevic will be Sky Sports' studio guest for the final of the Toronto Masters, live on Sky Sports 2 from 6.30pm on Sunday.

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Goran Ivanisevic told skysports.com that it is time for Andy Murray to make a genuine attempt at winning a Grand Slam title.

Murray's quarter-final appearance at this year's Wimbledon represented his best performance at one of the four tennis majors, but Ivanisevic believes the young Scot's negative tactics have held him back.

"Andy doesn't play his best tennis at the big tournaments," he said. "He's beaten the best players including Roger Federer, but never at the big tournaments and I think it is time for him to step up his game.

"Sometimes for me he is too defensive and doesn't come in enough and isn't aggressive enough. Players like Rafael Nadal are not going to miss by themselves you have to pressure them.

"He needs to lift his game a little bit and until he does he's never going to come close to winning a major tournament."

The former Wimbledon champion sympathised with the pressure that has been heaped on Murray as the only British player competing for titles, but revealed he does have the ability to win one of the Grand Slam events, if he is willing to adapt his game.

"It's not easy for him because of the amount of pressure he is under to win Wimbledon," he said. "Tim Henman used to have that pressure at Wimbledon every year and now Andy has it.

"But he is capable of winning a Grand Slam and I think his best chance will be either at Wimbledon or the US Open.

"I said from the first time I saw him play that he is a good player and I like watching him, but at the big tournaments he needs to produce better tennis and be more aggressive."

Murray has been criticised for his volatile nature on court with former players and commentators suggesting he must curb his temper if he is to reach his full potential, however Ivanisevic - who as a player was also prone to outbursts - does not feel this is the case.

Negative

"I don't think that is Andy's problem," he revealed. He is great on the court and I like him because he is fun. I mean you just have to look at how successful John McEnroe was.

"Sometimes (my temperament) did affect me because I did do it in a negative way, but if you know how to channel it into a positive way then it's fine."

Standing in Murray's way of becoming the first British player to win a men's Grand Slam singles final since Fred Perry in 1936 are the top three players in the world; Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

And Ivanisevic admitted that all three players are in a league of their own in the men's game at the moment in what many have described as a golden period for tennis.

"The three players ahead of everyone are Djokovic, Nadal and Federer and they have won all the important tournaments so far this year," he said.

"Those guys are controlling everything and everyone else is just trying to keep up at the moment.

Technically

"I think physically tennis has improved a lot in the last 10 years, but technically I would say it is the same."

Nadal and Federer played out arguably the greatest Wimbledon final ever this year with the Spaniard triumphing for the first time at SW19.

And Ivanisevic believes Federer's 264-week reign as world number one could be coming to the end.

"I think Nadal is now in a very god position to take the number one spot," he said. "Federer will have to win almost every tournament this year from now on.

"And although the faster surface at the US Open will suit Federer, Nadal will be going there with a lot of confidence having won Wimbledon and the French Open and I think he will finish the year as number one."

Goran Ivanisevic will be Sky Sports' studio guest for the final of the Toronto Masters, live on Sky Sports 2 from 6.30pm on Sunday.