Andy Murray started 2006 as heir apparent to Tim Henman and enjoyed his crowning glory with a first title in San Jose followed by becoming only the second man this year to beat Roger Federer.
But his breakthrough season ended in a whimper on Thursday with a Paris Masters third round defeat at the hands of Dominik Hrbaty, which left the 19-year-old Scotsman admitting he couldn't wait to take a vacation. "It's been a really tough year mentally for me," said Murray after his tame 7-6 (8/6), 6-0 defeat to the experienced Slovakian.
"It's been a successful year and I think I've earned a break. I've played a lot of tennis and I've done a lot of travelling. I've flown around the world to fit the Davis Cup into my schedule and that makes it a little bit tougher too."
Murray, now ranked 19, started 2006 at 64 in the world and hasn't looked back.
He clinched his first ATP tour title in San Jose beating former world number ones Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt in the semi-final and final respectively.
He also found himself on the gossip pages of his home country tabloids when he celebrated his California win with a very public clinch with girlfriend Kim Sears.
Along the way there have been fall-outs with the demanding British press whom he accused of putting him under unrealistic pressure as the tireless hunt for a potential Grand Slam winner honed in on another suspect. But a sign that the boy from Dunblane had arrived came in August when he achieved tennis's version of mission impossible - beating world number one Federer.
It came in the second round of the Masters in Cincinnati with a straight sets triumph which had followed a first round dismissal of Henman. "There always comes a time when it's kind of meant to be," said Murray who along with Rafael Nadal is the only man to have got the better of the Swiss world number this year. I just felt it was my time to win against him."
Since then, Murray has also found time to prevent Britain from sinking into the twilight world of the Davis Cup Euro/Africa Group Two by winning twice in Ukraine.
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