"I was embarrassed, even when I won a game" - Andy Murray recalls his 6-0, 6-1 loss to Roger Federer
One of the most lopsided defeats of Andy Murray’s career came at the hands of Roger Federer in 2014. In the round-robin match at the season-ending ATP Finals, the Brit lost 6-0, 6-1 in just 56 minutes.
During a recent conversation with Gael Monfils on the Frenchman’s new Twitch channel, Murray recalled his nightmare outing against one of the greatest players of all time.
Roger Federer had raced to a 6-0, 5-0 lead in that match, and looked set to inflict the ultimate humiliation of a double bagel on the Brit. But Murray found his serve just before the finish line, ensuring he won at least one game and adding a tiny bit of respectability to the scoreline.
During the conversation with Monfils, Murray revealed that he felt embarrassed even after putting his name up on the scoreboard.
“It was absolutely horrible-ugly,” Murray recalled. “I felt a little bit embarrassed on the court. I was down 6-0, 5-0 and I managed to win a game and lost 6-0, 6-1. I was embarrassed, even when I won the game – the match was over, the match was done."
Andy Murray had to beat Roger Federer in straight sets that day to be able to qualify for the semifinals. But the home fans in the O2 Arena were left bitterly disappointed, both over Andy Murray’s defeat and the swiftness with which Federer got the job done.
While reflecting on the aftermath of the match, the Brit admitted that it was far from a ‘competitive' encounter.
“I think everyone that was in there was pretty disappointed as well, people that bought tickets and stuff, the match was pretty much done in an hour, it wasn’t competitive at all,” Murray observed. “There was a lot of people that came to watch, too.”
Murray recalls how Jose Mourinho consoled him after the defeat to Roger Federer
The then Chelsea FC coach Jose Mourinho was also in attendance at the O2 Arena for the match between Roger Federer and Andy Murray. And the Portuguese, known for his unorthodox player management techniques, consoled Murray with a hug once the Brit was done with his post-match shower.
Murray recalled the incident and added that Mourinho's hug made him feel 'a little bit better’.
“I showered and came out of the locker room and José Mourinho was there standing in the hallway,” Murray said. “He just gave me a hug, he didn’t say anything, he just hugged me – that made me feel a little bit better.”