Andy Murray Must Conquer Past Australian Open Failures to Win the 2015 Title

Andy Murray's path back to a Grand Slam final has taken longer and been more arduous than most imagined it would be.

After defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets for the 2013 Wimbledon championship—his second major title in less than a calendar year—Murray had firmly brushed away old perceptions about his inability to win on the biggest stages in tennis. He seemed destined for an onslaught of trophies.

Nearly 18 months later, Murray is only now returning to the pinnacle of tennis. During that time, he's been plagued by a series of disappointing losses and a nagging back injury.

He followed up his historic win at Wimbledon with early exits in Montreal and Cincinnati and a deflating straight-sets defeat to Stan Wawrinka in the 2013 U.S. Open quarterfinals. As his play dipped, his body started to crack.

Murray announced that September he would undergo back surgery. The decision forced him to skip Shanghai, Paris and the World Tour Finals. He set his return for the start of the 2014 season, but the old Murray was nowhere to be seen last year.

In his place, a shakier and less crisp Murray appeared. He looked rusty, and his level of play never fully returned.

"The surgery was the hardest part to get over," Murray wrote for BBC Sport. "It had been a problem for a few years before I had the surgery, and coming back from that was hard."

While the Scot made the quarterfinals at all the majors—including a semifinal run at the French Open—he went just 4-11 against top-10 players, including an 0-9 record against Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. Murray's ranking fell to No. 12 in September. He rebounded with titles in Shenzhen, Vienna and Valencia, but his year ended with a humiliating 0-6, 1-6 loss to Federer at the World Tour Finals.

Eager to put 2014 behind, Murray has risen like a phoenix from the ashes at this year's Australian Open.

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

His court movement, ground strokes and confidence seem more robust than they've been in a long time. He's attacking opponents with aggressive tennis and a steely resolve.

During his run to the final, Murray has dispatched Grigor Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios and Tomas Berdych by increasingly dominant fashion. Despite trailing Dimitrov 2-5 in the fourth set of their fourth-round match, Murray fought back to take the set for a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-5 win.

After dispatching Aussie teenager Kyrgios 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3, Murray lost the opening set of the semifinals to Berdych. But he rebounded for a convincing 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 victory.

He's finally back on the precipice of winning another Grand Slam. But Murray will have to shake off an 0-3 record in finals Down Under.

In 2010, Murray raced to the final after impressive wins over John Isner, Nadal and Marin Cilic. He was playing sharp tennis and seemed ready to challenge for the title. And then he ran into Federer.

Murray played passively during the final, never capitalizing on opportunities to take control of the match. He squandered six of his eight break-point chances, and he only connected on 55 percent of his own first serves.

Federer ripped the match from the Scot's hands and cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (11) win. 

A visibly emotional Murray told the crowd after the match: "I can cry like Roger, it's just a shame I can't play like him."

The following year, Murray had another marvelous Melbourne campaign end in disappointment. He lost just two sets on his way to a second-straight Australian Open final. What came next was more stinging than the loss to Federer.

Djokovic annihilated him 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 for the 2011 championship. The Serbian buzzsaw cut through Murray before a stunned crowd in Rod Laver Arena. As Djokovic walked off the court with the trophy, Murray was left with even more doubts than the previous year.

The two rivals met for a rematch in the 2012 Australian Open semifinals. Without the added pressure of a Grand Slam final on his back, Murray played better. He pushed Djokovic to the brink before ultimately succumbing in an epic 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 5-7 match. Murray had once again come so close, but he couldn't get over that last hurdle.

They faced off yet again in the 2013 final, and Djokovic continued his mastery of the Scot in Melbourne with a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-2 win. 

Despite taking the opening set and having a chance for a two-set lead, Murray simply ran out of gas as Djokovic raised his game to another level. 

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Three Australian Open finals in four years. Yet just two sets in those matches went Murray's way. Instead of bringing his best tennis on championship nights, he wilted in the spotlight. 

To have a chance on Sunday, he'll need to erase a dismal trend.

"

In his last 40 matches, Andy Murray has won 1 set in 5 matches vs. Federer and Djokovic; he's 33-2 vs. everyone else. http://t.co/7SEHuJP1zH

— Carl Bialik (@CarlBialik) January 29, 2015"

Federer and especially Djokovic have riddled Murray during the last year. He went 0-7 against them in 2014, with four of those defeats coming to Djokovic—his opponent in Sunday's final.

For the third time, Murray and Djokovic will duke it out for the Australian Open title. So why will this meeting be any different from their previous ones? Because Murray is playing his best tennis since Wimbledon in 2013.

With the help of coach Amelie Mauresmo, Murray has looked recharged during this past fortnight. He's brought more energy and consistency to the court than he did in 2014. All of aspects of his game are clicking right now, and he's a man brimming with confidence.

Per Tennis-X.com, Murray is also at peace with himself heading into the final.

"

I’ll try my best on Sunday. I’ll go in with best tactics possible, prepare well, couple days’ rest, recover as best as I can. And, yeah, all I can do is give my best. If it’s enough, great. If not, I literally couldn’t have done anything more to put myself in a better position come Sunday.

"

That type of mindset is exactly what he needs on Sunday. During his past failures in Melbourne, he seemed too edgy and tense. Instead, he'll need to be focused but also loose enough to emotionally withstand the ebbs and flows of the match.

When Murray lost the first set to Berdych in the semifinals, he didn't panic. He fought back and bageled the Czech in the second set. Against Djokovic, Murray will need more of that determination.

Djokovic enters the final after outlasting Stan Wawrinka in another five-set thriller. That match was the Serbian's 10th-straight win over a top-10 opponent. He's on a sizzling heat check against the best players in the world, dropping just three sets during that streak.

Murray trails their head-to-head 8-15, and he hasn't beaten Djokovic since that triumph on the Wimbledon lawns 18 months ago. But he's played every bit as well—if not better—the last two weeks than Djokovic, who suffered through some uncharacteristic lulls against Wawrinka.

With an extra day of rest than his foe, Murray may be able to capitalize if Djokovic is still weary from his prolonged semifinal match. More than likely, however, the Serbian will utilize his stellar recovery skills and be amped up for the final.

To win Sunday, Murray must not only beat his frequent tormentor and a four-time Australian Open champion, he'll have to overcome his own demons Down Under.

All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted. 

Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @JoeKennard.