Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray's Strategy to Provoke Ryan Harrison Is Genius

Andy Murray may be the fourth-ranked player in the world, but that doesn't mean he's above looking for even the smallest edge against his opponent.

And when he faces off against the Ryan Harrison, the world No. 77 and America's next great tennis hope, he'll try to provoke the teenager into a temper tantrum on the court.

Yes, a temper tantrum. You see, Harrison has a history of losing his cool, and Murray has taken notice.

From The Mirror:

"

And Murray, who has his own history of on-court antics, wants to help the hot-head lose his cool in the heat Down Under. “I’ll try and make him lose his temper early,” said the Scot (inset below, with new coach Ivan Lendl).

“It’s something that helps if you know your opponent can get down on himself, and it affects his game. When you see them getting like that, you want to try to hit the gas and keep going.

“How do I annoy someone legally on court? That’s really how my game has worked the last five or six years, so I’ll just use a lot of variation and make it ­difficult for him.

"

I've always been a firm believer that gaining the mental edge is the fastest way to turn momentum to your side.

If the opponent is more worried about what you're saying or doing—or, in the case of Harrison, more concerned about keeping his own cool—he or she will be less likely to focus on relevant concerns such as technique or strategy.

Maybe Murray will wink Harrison's way after an unforced error by the teenager. Maybe he'll smile after a failed return by Harrison.

A little bit of gamesmanship can go a long way.

All is fair in love, war and tennis, after all.

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