In need, perhaps, of a new shot of inspiration and energy following three first match losses in consecutive tournaments, Andy Murray made a visit to the famous Fifth Street Gym in Miami this week, following his elimination in singles and doubles from the Sony Ericsson Open on Key Biscayne.
Just a block away from South Beach, Murray had the privilege to observe WBA Heavyweight champion David Haye, contender George Groves and former Super Middleweight champ Andre “The Matrix” Dirrell work on their boxing skills at the gym founded by the Hall of Fame trainer Angelo Dundee. Murray, who has an apartment base in Miami but hails from Scotland, is such a keen observer of the sport that he immediately recognized a former top 10 heavyweight contender when he entered the gym for a workout.
Haye commented about being visited by Murray on his web site www.hayemaker.com. “It was great to have Andy stop by the gym and see how George and I were getting on. I’ve met Andy a few times in the past and not only is he a great guy, he’s also very knowledgeable about the sport of boxing. In fact, he even recognized (former heavyweight contender) Fres Oquendo as soon as he stepped inside the gym. That’s a test of anybody’s boxing knowledge, and Andy passed it with flying colors. I’m sure Fres was delighted to be recognized, too.”
Haye is also a mutual supporter of the 23-year-old Murray, who despite having won 16 career ATP singles titles, including the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open, is mired in the worst slump of his career. “I’m a big supporter of Andy and tennis in general, and love nothing more than going down and watching a few games at Wimbledon in the summer. Andy is the best player we’ve had representing Britain in a long time, and I’ve got no doubt his first major Grand Slam win is just around the corner.â€
Haye is presently training for his major Heavyweight title unification clash with Wladimir Klitschko, which will take place in late June or early July.
Murray, who has trained in boxing, keenly follows the sport on TV and the internet, commented to the BBC about his experience with Haye and others at the Fifth Street Gym. “The one thing you can learn from boxing is the intensity. In any individual sport, being intense is very important, and for them they need to concentrate for every second or else they’re going to get hurt. Obviously, in tennis we don’t have that problem, but the intensity is certainly something we can learn from, and also the attitude of everyone in here. So humble and working hard – it’s great to see.”
Back on his feet following shock KO defeats to the unheralded Donald Young and Alex Bogomolov Jr., Murray will attempt to re-find his winning tennis form on the clay courts of Monte Carlo or Barcelona in April. He is currently ranked #5 in the world.
Murray meets boxing champ in Miami
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