Sir Andy Murray

[aberdons]

He'll have some extra rest and had a pretty easy game this morning so I think he'll go through, but I wouldn't back him unless he can take it to 3 sets.

[Sonoftherock]

Davydenko it is...hopefully he'll be knackered after a bit of a marathon this morning.

[AFCaketin]

If Murray starts as slowly as he did, yesterday and this morning, against a better player he has got no chance.

 

I used to play a lot of tennis when i was young. Played mainly on clay at elgin but the only time i won any/made progress in local tournaments was on the harder courts. The bounce is totally different and i never really got in to the way of sliding in to shots on the clay for fear of pulling a muscle or doing the splits. I hadnt played for a few years but i got the racket out for a hit last week and really enjoyed it, gave it up when i was about 15/16 because it was becoming more of a chore than a hobby but i wish i kept it up.

 

The racket i was using was an old one of Andy Murray's, maybe from when he was about 16, don't know how it has ended up in my possession My pal (who was much better than me) used to play against him and his brother a lot in national tournaments and i think the Murray's mum gave it to my pal's dad, who then gave it to my dad, and then i stole it from him.

[Dynamo]

Never realised he's playing this evening. Currently 3-3 first set, Murrays serve under pressure.

[Nespa]

never saw the match but fantastic 7-6 6-4 win. Alot of ranking points here me thinks!

[Sonoftherock]

never saw the match but fantastic 7-6 6-4 win. Alot of ranking points here me thinks!

 

I just watched it! Not sure how Murray won that match... but it was pure guts! He seems to break the spirit of his opponents - Davydenko was looking like a broken man by the end of that match! I did think Andy played well, but he toughed it out! I don't think there is anyone as mentally strong as Murray in tennis!

 

That is one of his greatest ever in my book... has beaten one of the top players in world, on a surface that he struggles on and is now into the Semi final of a clay court master event for the first time ever!

 

Will be interesting to see how he approaches Nadal on Sunday (actually think the semi might be tomorrow? does anyone know?) - it's a no lose situation as far as I'm concerned, it's already a fantastic achievement! However, I'd like to see him take Nadal to 3 sets or at least make him work over two sets.

[Sonoftherock]

.... if as expected, Murray loses in the semi-final against Nadal, and Djokovic beats Wrawrinka in the semi, but then loses to Nadal in the final, then the ranking points, on Monday, will be as follows:

 

3. Novak Djokovic - 9160

4. Andy Murray - 9140

 

How close is that!!! If Djoko is upset tomorrow then Andy become new world No. 3!

 

I think Federer drops to something like 10200 on Monday..... and to make matters worse Federer is defending a staggering 2100 points in May (But didn't play rome, so he has a clean slate there)! He'd better pull his finger out if he doesn't want Murray overtaking him in May!

 

Djokovic is defending even more actually... 2350! While Andy Murray defends only 350 points!

 

By my estimation, if Andy can make the Quarters in Rome, Hamburg and Rolland garos, there will be daylight between him and Federer and he'll be the new world number 2!!!

[Sonoftherock]

Back in action this afternoon, in the second round of the Rome Masters.

 

Up against Juan Monaco, a clay-court specialist that caused Andy all sorts of problems on the hard courts at Miami. Murray got a bye through the first round, while Monaco made it though the qualifiers and then did well to beat Kiefer 3&2 in the first round. Very worried about this, as Monaco has won titles on clay in the past, and he'll be played in on the surface.... just had a look on Betfair and he is 4.3 to beat Murray - that is very good value in my opinion. I hope I'm wrong, but this guy is the classic clay court banana skin I spoke about earlier in the thread!

[aberdons]

Nice bit of rain this morning, should really slow the courts down. Should favour the baseliners and defensive sorts, think Andy's speed should see him through. Could be worth dutching both guys to win 2-1 though just in case!

[ZeroTolerance]

First set goes 6-1 to Muzza. 3-4 and serving in the second

[Sonoftherock]

Needs to get his rhythm back on serve... and fast.

 

1-1 in sets.

[Sonoftherock]

Broken in the third... a big upset is now very much on the cards.

 

EDIT: Murrays broken right back... both are struggling, big time, with their service - its now about who pulls it together first.

[K-9]

Breaks straight back to 2-2

[Sonoftherock]

Lost his serve again...

 

EDIT: Murray breaks again.... shambles from both players at the moment, 4-4 Murray to serve.

[Sonoftherock]

Back in action this afternoon, in the second round of the Rome Masters.

 

Up against Juan Monaco, a clay-court specialist that caused Andy all sorts of problems on the hard courts at Miami. Murray got a bye through the first round, while Monaco made it though the qualifiers and then did well to beat Kiefer 3&2 in the first round. Very worried about this, as Monaco has won titles on clay in the past, and he'll be played in on the surface.... just had a look on Betfair and he is 4.3 to beat Murray - that is very good value in my opinion. I hope I'm wrong, but this guy is the classic clay court banana skin I spoke about earlier in the thread!

 

Afraid to say I called it.

 

Court looked really slow out there... Murray can't play his natural game on a surface that is that slow, as it's harder to force errors against good players who have more time to compose themselves. Murray needs to be more aggresive on clay, he can't just rely on his sliced back-hand that serves him so well, when he wants to change the pace, on the faster surfaces.

 

Well beaten in the end, by a player who looked better than Murray in every department on clay.

 

Bring on grass!

[E-P-K]

Andy Murray will become the first British man to reach number three in the world rankings on 11 May. The 21-year-old Scot will overtake Novak Djokovic in the ATP World Tour standings after the Serb failed to defend his title at the Rome Masters.

[Broughty Ferry Arab]

Well done Murray. Not the most likeable of guys but maybe that's why he's doing so well. In saying that, Federer is by all accounts a thoroughly decent chap and he ain't done too bad...

[minijc]

Fed looks as if he doesn't care for the sport now, only 27 (I think) and has went on a major downward spiral, shame really.

[E-P-K]

Fed looks as if he doesn't care for the sport now, only 27 (I think) and has went on a major downward spiral, shame really.

 

 

$45 Million in prize money

[minijc]

$45 Million in prize money

Yeah but with the efforts of nadal you'd expect fed to play even better not just give up at the slightest bit of compition.

[Broughty Ferry Arab]

$45 Million in prize money

And you could probably triple that figure for the endorsements/advertising. He won't be signing-on any time soon.

[Sonoftherock]

Federer undoubtably brought tennis to a new level..... but then Djokovic and Nadal came along 4 or 5 years later and have done the same! Nadal is just an absolute beast, who'll be remembered as the greatest ever by the end of his career!

[Sonoftherock]

Murray has just gone down 6 & 3 to Juan "The Pony" Del Potro, in the Quarter Final of the Madrid Open, a player he's never previously lost to.

 

Really, really struggling out there on the clay - it was hard to watch that game, he's was completely beaten up out there. If he's ever going to do well on clay, he needs to change his game. Andy's game is all out-defence, but that doesn't work against the better players on clay - you can't give the top players that amount of time to pick their shots on, what are already, slow courts.

[tutankamun]

Murray has just gone down 6 & 3 to Juan "The Pony" Del Potro, in the Quarter Final of the Madrid Open, a player he's never previously lost to.

 

Really, really struggling out there on the clay - it was hard to watch that game, he's was completely beaten up out there. If he's ever going to do well on clay, he needs to change his game. Andy's game is all out-defence, but that doesn't work against the better players on clay - you can't give the top players that amount of time to pick their shots on, what are already, slow courts.

 

Damn, didn't even know this was on. I thought it was tomorrow.

 

That's another blow to Murray in what promised to be his big year. At least he's up to 3rd now, or will that change because of this defeat and Djokovic winning?

[Sonoftherock]

Damn, didn't even know this was on. I thought it was tomorrow.

 

That's another blow to Murray in what promised to be his big year. At least he's up to 3rd now, or will that change because of this defeat and Djokovic winning?

 

Think if Djoko beats Nadal (unlikely) tomorrow, then he goes back to Number 3. Murray may just be able to hold him off until Roland Garros - but his form is really worrying on clay, he simply can't live with Nadal, Federer and Djokovic on the surface - who again make up 3/4's of the semi-finalist as per.

 

However if he manages to hold him off until after RG and Wimbledon, he starts defending the points he won, just as his career started to take off, in the second half of last year. Djokovic defends practically nothing round this time, other than 900 for his US Open semi final.

 

Murrays ranking will be determined by how well he does at RG and Wimbledon - if he can somehow make a Quarter and a semi final, he'll be in good shape moving back into the hard court season, where he is one of the top players.

 

However, it is worrying that Nadal, Federer & Djokovic appear to be able to make a seamless transition between surfaces, but Murray just can't seem to adapt on clay. You have to start asking if he is actually as good as people are making out - i.e. mentionable in the same breath as Djoko, Fed and Nadal. However, it's maybe unfair to criticise, as tennis is as strong as it's ever been in the history of the sport. It's incredible that guys like Djokovic, Federer & Nadal have been spawned round about the same time! Back 5 or 6 years ago and we guys like Roddick, Hewitt, Kuerten & Ferrero, competeing for the title, trading places dependent on surface/season. None of them were ever truely great players.

[tutankamun]

I really hope Murray has a good Wimbledon and the crowd actually get behind him. His match against Richard 'Cocaine' Gasquet last year was one of best tennis matches I've ever seen.

[bland_flabbis]

Obviously he still doesn't have it on clay, but there's been a vast improvement this year compared to last. Del Potro is one of the best players in the world so losing to him isn't that big a surprise and he played really well in the first set for a while. If he performs like that at Roland Garros and gets a bit of luck with the draw he could have a decent chance of making the semi-final (which would be a huge achievement for him given how hard he finds it on clay).

[Jocky Balboa]

He isn't strong enough to compete on clay. On a slow surface like that, power goes a long way and I can't see him ever competing with Nadal and the like unless he gets a strength routine up and running.

[Sonoftherock]

He isn't strong enough to compete on clay. On a slow surface like that, power goes a long way and I can't see him ever competing with Nadal and the like unless he gets a strength routine up and running.

 

Mate, I'm sorry but that's nonsense, his strength training routine is second to none on tour..... strength has become one of Andy Murrays major plus points. In terms of sheer brute physical strength, I'd guess only nadal betters him. Since breaking up with Mark Petchy, andy has employed an entourage of coaches and staff, who tour with him at all times, and go to the most remarkable lengths, particularly scientifically, to ensure that Andy is in peak condition. Some people have remarked that Andy is the ultimate engineered sportsman around. He employed a guy called Matt Little as a pure strength coach, who leads his gym-based work outs along with two other conditioning/fitness coaches - while Miles McLagan is the tennis coach. Check out some of his training routines:

between tournaments: http://www.andymurray.com/blog/post/664

Winter training camp: http://www.andymurray.com/blog/post/637

 

Novak Djokovic, however, is an amazing clay court player, but is fairly weedy in comparison... he doesn't hit the ball hard, and doesn't have a big serve - yet were it not for Nadal, he'd be considered the king of clay. On clay it's more about endurance, as the slow courts lead to more intense longer rallies. Also, because clay is such a slow surface, it negates the advantage of a big serve and power hitting... which is why Andy Roddick and laterly Goran Ivanisevic just couldn't play on the surface. The faster surfaces like Hard Court and particularly grass (although wimbledon has slowed up a little, to respond more like a hard court over the last few years), favour power hitting. Grass courts used to be so fast that you could play a serve volley game on them, which is why the likes of Ivanisevic and Rafter always did so well on them.

 

In terms of endurance I actually believe he's the closest player on tour to Nadal. I watch almost every match that Andy Murray plays, and he win them through wearing his opponent down. Andy has no great weapons in his armoury, his greatest strength however is that he has no weakness in his game - which make his unpredicatable and hard to beat. Contrast this to Roger federer, who has had his back-hand found out since the new breed of young players (murray, Nadal & Djokovic have emerged).

 

The reason Andy doesn't do so well on clay, I believe, is due to his style of play. Andy is the most defensive player in the top 20 - because he has no great weapons his game is all about forcing his oppenent to make errors. Because of his athleticism and speed on the court he is very difficult to pass, and I believe he covers the court better than even Rafa Nadal. He makes so many shots, that other player don't and will always ask questions of his opponents. Andys best shot, by far, is his sliced back-hand, some experts say it's the best in the game - however, it is by definition a defensive stroke. Watch his matches against Federer on the Hardcourts - the percentage of balls Andy makes is incredible, he makes federer plays far more shots on his weak backhand than he'd like... eventually grinding him down and forcing him to beat himself.

 

However, on clay, you can't play so defensively, the players have that bit longer to set themselves and choose their shot, that they're going to make more winners. It's okay to play like that against weaker opponents who don't have the shot making capabilities... but if you play like that, on clay, against guys with shot making capabilities like Nadal and Del Potro, with the extra time they have on the ball, they are so good that they will simply rip you apart.

 

Andy was far too, far behind the base line against Del Potro, and was hitting too many sliced backhands. That worked to a certain extent in the first set, because Del Potro hadn't found his rhythm - typical Andy Murray, just allowed his opponent to beat himself - but once Del Potro found his range he embarrassed Andy.

[Nespa]

between tournaments: http://www.andymurray.com/blog/post/664

Winter training camp: http://www.andymurray.com/blog/post/637

 

 

20 x 100 metre sprints.

 

Put simply, you have one minute to sprint 100 metres, but your recovery has to fall inside that 60 seconds too. So, the longer you take on the sprint, the less time you have between sprints.

 

Andy's way of dealing with it is to focus solely on how long he'll actually be running for - not the time he'll spend recovering.

 

He manages, somehow, to run all 20 of his sprints at or around 15 seconds, with the odd 13 second effort in there too, as he explains to fitness coach Jez Green.

 

that must have been fun!