Andy Murray’s Scottish temper flared as he defended his mother’s honour before his opponent Juan Del Potro of Argentina retired in tears with back pain at the Rome Masters.
”I got a bit of emotion into the match,” said the 16th-seeded Murray after advancing 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 into the second round on Monday night. ”I told him he better watch his mouth.”
The verbal incident late in the second set occurred shortly after the teenager Del Potro had aimed a ball at the British number one, narrowly missing.
Murray was eventually drawn out on details of his bust-up with the Argentine.
”He said something about my mum,” Murray said of his mother, Judy, his first coach and vocal presence in the Rome stands. ”Someone saying something about your mother who is one of the nicest ladies you’re ever going to meet?
”I don’t think that’s really that cool.
”He can say whatever he wants to me,” said the Scot, who got a warning for one of his habitual obscenities during the heated-up night session.
”Regardless of how people think I behave on court I’ve only had one problem in my 160 matches on the tour. I don’t scream come on into my opponents’ faces and I don’t say anything to them when I’m walking by them.”
Murray said that he was not to blame in the Del Potro incident.
”I was a little bit disappointed when someone said something about my mum on the court. I’ve had a lot of bad things said about me before, didn’t really bother me.
”I think when you start to talking about one’s family they’re going to naturally not take that too well.
”The umpire [Fergus Murphy] told me to leave it until after the match. This guy is talking about my family and, you know, you’re not going to do anything about that?
”That was the only thing I was arguing about,” Murray said. — Sapa-dpa