Speaking last week in Melbourne, Murray discussed how he was trying to show less frustration on court when he was not playing as well as he would expect.
There was plenty of emotion during his matches last season – chuntering at his box, screaming at himself and threatening to smash racquets in the difficult moments.
But in his defeat against Etcheverry on Monday, there was barely a flicker of emotion as the match ran away from him.
One of the things that left Murray particularly frustrated last year was the struggles with his service game.
He was working hard to improve in that area during pre-season, but Murray landed just 46% of his first serves, and won just 33% of points behind his second, in a costly first set against Etcheverry.
Etcheverry, known for his supreme fitness and solidity from the baseline, coped with everything Murray could throw at him.
Even when the former world number one tried to mix things up by bringing him forward, he kept his composure and responded with delicate touches.
A double fault and two poor baseline returns from Murray gifted more break points in the third game of the second set, but even saving the third opportunity with a delicious drop-shot was not enough.
Murray succumbed to the fourth and the sight of his shoulders slumping as he walked back to his chair demonstrated the scale of the task facing him.
The unforced errors continued to tot up from Murray and it helped Etcheverry, still playing at a high level, cruise to only his second win at Melbourne Park.
