Year of revelation shows value of Murray's team

At the end of last year there were voices casting doubt on Andy Murray's decision to surround himself with a team of coaches and fitness specialists after dispensing with the services of Brad Gilbert. "You need one person in charge, who should be the coach," Michael Stich, the former Wimbledon champion, said. "As someone who still needs to develop both his game and as a person, I think it might not be helpful for Andy to have a big entourage."

After the most successful season of his career nobody is questioning Murray's judgement now. If his year ended on a low note with an emphatic 7-5, 6-2 defeat by Nikolay Davydenko in the semi-finals of the Tennis Masters Cup here on Saturday, a campaign in which he has become world No 4, reached his first Grand Slam final and won five titles, including two in the Masters Series, has surpassed the expectations of the player and those around him.

Miles Maclagan, Murray's main coach, said: "At times, for example at the US Open, he had suddenly got to the final and I thought: 'Holy smoke, as far as coaching is concerned this is the sort of thing you dream about.'

"When Andy's playing Federer in the final of the US Open or the semi-finals of a Masters Series, we sometimes have to pinch ourselves a little bit. It does hit you every now and then. But at other times, when you're practising and competing and having fun, it's just like we're five guys travelling around the world with a few tennis games interspersed."

If Murray has felt happier off the court this year, it has done nothing to lessen his appetite for hard work or diminish his competitive spirit. It goes to show that not every player needs a sergeant major on the sidelines, for there can hardly be a calmer or more unassuming coach than Maclagan, a 34-year-old former British Davis Cup player who never rose beyond No 172 in the world rankings.

While Murray's improved fitness has helped his surge up the world rankings, Maclagan has also admired his on-court resolve. It was no surprise to him that the 21-year-old Scot gave his all in a marathon victory over Roger Federer in his last group match here, despite the fact that he had already qualified for the semi-finals and left himself too exhausted to offer a realistic challenge to Davydenko.

"He's so competitive that he can't help himself, in the best possible way," Maclagan said. "I thought a lot of Andy when we started and my respect for him has grown over the year. To see it from the inside has been incredible. He finds a way to get into it and charge himself up. After Madrid last month, for example, he was tired, but at St Petersburg, which wasn't the biggest of tournaments, he just couldn't stop himself from fighting and winning.

"I've been fortunate in working with Andy to see a little bit more of Roger [Federer] and Rafa [Nadal] as well and they have an unconditional competitive streak inside them. Even Roger, who is very gracious and beautiful to watch, has a steel streak of competitiveness in him. To witness that close up – and I've seen it to a degree with some of the other players as well – is when you realise that the unyielding competitiveness is the overriding characteristic of these top guys."

How different a player is Murray compared with 12 months ago? "It's hard for me to say because I had watched him before, but only as a casual observer," Maclagan said. "From some of the tennis I had seen him play I thought he was possibly one of the five best players. But if you'd said he was going to win two Masters Series and get to the final of a Slam this year I would have bitten your hand off."

Asked to single out a key area in which Murray had improved, Maclagan said: "I think he's found his game style. He's pretty clear on that. But I'd also say it was being competitive in every single match. There were a few matches early on in the year when he didn't come off feeling that great, but ever since Hamburg [in May] he's built a lot of momentum. After every single match, whether he's won or lost, he's come off the court and we've said: 'We're going forward'."

Now the hard work begins again. By next week Murray will be at base camp in Miami in preparation for his next assault on the game's highest peaks. "I'll take a little bit of time off now, work as hard as possible to get ready for the beginning of next season, try and put on a little bit more weight and get physically stronger," Murray said as he prepared for a month of hard labour in Florida.

Maclagan added: "The big focus in Miami will be on the physical side again. This is his chance to really fill up the tanks in terms of strength and endurance. Game-wise I look on it a bit differently, but I don't think there are any problem areas in his game. It's a question of taking everything to maybe half a level or a level better."

Murray Mint Andy's 2008 titles

*QATAR OPEN (31 Dec-5 January)

bt Stanislas Wawrinka 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

*OPEN 13 (Marseilles, 11-17 Feb)

bt Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-4

*Cincinnati Masters (26 July-3 August)

bt Novak Djokovic 7-6, 7-6

*Madrid Open (13-19 October)

bt Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6

*St Petersburg Open (20-26 October)

bt Andrey Golubev 6-1, 6-1