Wimbledon 2017: Andy Murray's defeat to Sam Querrey showed why his athleticism is so important

Murray's movement is key to his game and he was always going to be vulnerable without it, says coach Nick Bollettieri

Andy Murray's hip problem hindered his movement and ultimately cost him the match (Getty)

Andy Murray is a magnificent player, but his defeat to Sam Querrey underlined how much he relies on his athleticism and speed around the court. Take away the guy’s movement and you take away his biggest asset.

Man, I feared for Andy from the moment I saw him play his first match last week. He was moving reasonably well when he was running for the ball, but when he was walking between points his limp was clear.

The limp was even more pronounced against Querrey and on this occasion you could see that he was also having trouble when he was on the run. I just hope the hip is not going to be a long-term problem for Murray, because he needs to be able to move freely to play at his best.

I’m delighted for Sam. My fellow American continues to be an inspiration to younger players. To reach your first Grand Slam semi-final at the age of 29 is no mean feat. Sam will have his work cut out against Marin Cilic, who has been serving superbly. Cilic’s victory over Querrey at Wimbledon in 2015, when he won 17-15 in the final set, is the second longest match in Wimbledon history. Holy mackerel, with the way these two guys are serving they might go even longer than that on Friday.

The one guy who has barely put a foot wrong all tournament is Roger Federer, who beat Milos Raonic with all the style we’ve come to expect of the great man. His composure, his confidence, his respect for his opponents and his incredible ability to stay focused put him in a class above everyone else. Holy cow, has there ever been a greater ambassador for the whole world of sport?

One of the things I most admire about Federer is that he’s a team player. People often give credit to a player’s coaches, but in Federer’s case especially there’s much more to his team. Tony Godsick, his manager, has done a magnificent job and Federer’s family are central to everything he does. With Roger it’s never a case of “I did it” but “we did it”.

Thursday’s match of the day

Williams faces Konta for a place in the final (Getty)

Venus Williams will need to learn a lesson from Johanna Konta’s victory over Simona Halep if she’s going to reach her first Wimbledon final for eight years. One of the reasons Konta won her quarter-final was because she drew Halep into a slugging match from the baseline. Halep did not try to mix things up enough and paid the price.

Williams needs to appreciate that she’s not going to outhit Konta, who is a huge ball-striker and a great athlete. She needs to vary the pace of her shots and go after Konta’s second serve, which is one of her only weaknesses.

For Konta, the game plan will be simple. She will just attempt to carry on doing what she’s so good at, which is whacking that ball with the awesome power that makes her such a dangerous opponent.

Tales from the IMG Academy

Mark Philippoussis first came to the academy on a two-week scholarship when he was 13, but I only became really involved in his tennis five years later in 1995, when he spent some time with us before playing in Miami.

Mark’s father, Nick, played a big role in his tennis and was not the easiest man to deal with. When I arranged for Mark to practise with Tommy Haas, Nick told me: “I didn’t have my son come here to practise with juniors.”

Later that year Nick asked me to help them during the US Open, where Mark made a big impression in taking a set off Pete Sampras. In New York Nick and Mark asked me to be a part of their team and I happily accepted.

Given his talent, Mark should probably have achieved more in his career than he did, though I will always remember one absolutely sensational performance of his. When he beat Stefan Edberg 6-0, 6-2 in Tokyo in that first autumn we were together it was one of the most perfect performances I have ever seen.

A tip from the top

If you’re going to double-fault, hit your serve long. I don’t like seeing players double-fault by putting the ball in the net. It’s a sign that you’re being too tentative, too cautious. Much better to go for it.

The perfect tennis player

Each day during Wimbledon I’m building a picture of the ideal tennis player by looking at a different aspect of the game. Today: movement and speed. In the women’s game I have great admiration for Simona Halep, Dominika Cibulkova and Johanna Konta for the way they get around the court. In the men’s game there are several outstanding players, including Roger Federer, Kei Nishikori, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray and David Ferrer.

I like the contrast between Nadal’s movement and Federer’s. Nadal jumps, slides, jerks and pounds his way around the court, whereas Federer, to quote Muhammad Ali, floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee.

Historically Jimmy Connors could cover the court as well as anyone, as could Andre Agassi, who was a master at hitting the ball on the rise. Incidentally, if Andre is reading this I have some advice: if you’re not going to wear a hat, my friend, please make sure you put on some sun cream – unless you’re using it as a tactic to put opponents off with the glare that’s coming off the top of your head.