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Murray: Great Expectations, New Number One Anyone?

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luvsports!
Tenez
Veejay
noleisthebest
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Post by noleisthebest Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:35 am

He won the Olympic Medal.
He won A SLAM!!!!!

All in the space of a few months. Aren't we ALL glad we won't be having to listen to journalists and pundits going on about how he is the best player not to win a slam any more!


Still, they all have to eek out their existence and digging is what they excel at.

Now that Murray announced he is getting married next year, there is only one thing left to be asking: Can he be number one?
An not just that, but can he do it THIS YEAR? murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 563610107

So, here is what he has to say:

World No. 4 Andy Murray tells the Scotsman that if he wants to become No. 1, he has to have a good autumn season.
Murray will be competing in upcoming tournaments in Tokyo and Shanghai.Despite winning the U.S. Open, Murray is a long way from the top spot, as he is currently 3,280 points behind No. 1 Novak Djokovic. The Scot has 1,930 points to defend the rest of the year and has chosen to play the ATP 500-level tournament in Basel this season, rather than Bangkok. Djokovic, whom Murray beat in the U.S. Open final, only has 560 points to defend.

“I think the end of this year, with the Tour Finals, and the beginning of next year is really where it’s most important that I play well,” he said. “I didn’t do anything at the Tour Finals last year. I obviously pulled out of there with a back injury, I pulled out of Basel hurt and didn’t really do much in Paris—I made the quarters there—so there’s an
opportunity there. Obviously, I can’t control what the other guys do butI can control what I do. If I have five or sixsolid tournaments, if I can stick with that and with an extra bit of belief and confidence in those big matches then hopefully I can go on a decent run. But the next couple of months may be hard as well. I don’t know. I might find it difficult for a number of reasons for the next couple of months. But I’ll try to keep it going. I want to move on from this and try to win more Grand Slams.”

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Post by noleisthebest Fri Dec 14, 2012 12:23 pm

What a popular thread this has been murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 123628122

I'll use it as the ABM news, then:

Murray seems to have struck a 5 year deal with Lendl and expects a bright future with him as a coach.
Apparently, the way Lendl spoke to him after Murray's loss to Novak in AO SF turned things for him:

"I don't want to stop here. I want to keep winning more major titles. I used to think that losing made you more hungry and determined but after my success at the Olympics and the US Open I realise that winning is the biggest motivation.

"Wehave a very good relationship, it's very honest, open. I think that's why it's worked so well and why both of us are planning long term.


"We spoke at the end of last year and it was much more short term, let's see how the first few months of the year goes, now it's what are we going to be doing in four or five years' time? I came to that conclusion when I spoke to him after the Australian Open last year, the day after I lost the match to Novak.


"The night of it he just said what seemed like the right things. Because I have got so much respect for what he
has done, everything he said I was listening. He seemed to know what I wanted."


AO can't come quick enough.....

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Post by Veejay Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:33 pm

Marriage??
Havent him and Kim had problems before and it affected his tennis?
I wondered if having kids would stop Roger from breaking the records,but thats Roger...
I dont think Murray can really be a no1 whether he is married or not,you need to be dominant pretty much across all surfaces,Murray isnt the outright dominant player on even 1 surface

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Post by noleisthebest Fri Dec 14, 2012 10:15 pm

Rog is very mature, although just 5 years older than Murray, he is a man.

Murray is a boy, and he plays like one.

Good point about him not being dominant on any surface, makes all the sense, just that journalists are still desperate to present him like something he is not.

He is a difficult player to play against mainly because he can run and hit well/with pace off-position.

If that's enough for someone to be number one with Novak and Federer around then something is terribly wrong.

Amazing how media manage to makes something out of nothing and people fall for it.

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Post by Veejay Sat Dec 15, 2012 4:42 pm

I have to agree,its annoying how the British media build Murray up to be something he isn't,they ultimately set him up to fail when he falls short of living up to expectation

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Post by Tenez Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:16 pm

I don't want to stop here. I want to keep winning more major titles. I used to think that losing made you more hungry and determined but after my success at the Olympics and the US Open I realise that winning is the biggest motivation.

That's the ineteresting bit for me. It's typical of Murray and in similar line as "I hate losing"...instead of "I love winning".

However I do not see Murray as a boy or immature. To me he is actually very mature. If anything considering his limited talent he has achieved a lot thanks to hard work and perseverence. He had to build a body and develop shots which were pretty average (serve FH in particular). Achieve what achieve with those limited skills certainly showed lots of maturity and will and Judy is clearly not the type of mother who woudl keep her children enjoy their youth.

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Post by noleisthebest Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:29 pm

I disagree, his immaturity was stopping him from being more consistent in the past.
Remember his 3 month strops after losing to Federer and Novak in Australia?
Lendl seems to have have explained a thing or two to him, and he has been at the right place at the right time in USO. His game to me is more artificial than ever, he doesn't seem to know what he is doing, and starts panicking as soon as he runs out of steam, a bit like a poor man's Nadal.
Yes he is disciplined and stubborn in a positive way, but that's about it. Like the untalented student who passes the exam by studying 5 times longer that the talented one.

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Post by luvsports! Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:47 pm

If anything considering his limited talent he has achieved a lot thanks to hard work and perseverance.

tenez, where do you rate murray in the top 4 in terms of talent?

I remember when he was younger and didn't have that physique, I thought he was talented e.g nalbandian wimby match, aus 07 nadal match, great touch, variety etc.

thoughts?

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Post by Larry Ellison Sat Dec 15, 2012 9:59 pm

Murray for me atm is the third most talented player in the world.

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Post by Tenez Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:04 pm

I remember that Wimbledon match v Nalbandian. It was teh time I was betting money and I put lots of money on Nalby when I saw him 2 sets down cause I knew Nalbandian had played terribly to be 2 sets down and that he woudl eventually wake up.

And how did Murray manage to win back then? simply by providing no rhythm, send sliced FH and BH, pushed balls and as you saw drop shots. It's not talent, it;s smart....but it can only get you up to a level number 50? cause sooner or later opponents find their rhythm and then it's one way traffic, like when Nalby woke up and won the last 2 sets pretty convincingly. Murray really improved when he started to add more muscles under Brad's coaching. Haas best described it after his loss to Murray at around the same time in his interview (angry against the journalist) after a loss to Murray : "
DO you think he played agressive? Do you really think he played aggressive?" He was furious to have lost a match playing at low ranked satellite level. Also watch Murray v Monfils at the FO around that time...awful tennis....poorest tennis of the century imo.


I woudl say that Murray is more talented that Nadal but less than Djokovic and all three much, much less talented than Federer. It's a world apart. Murray, Djoko and Nadal with the size of Fed's arms and legs woudl get bagelled. Not kidding. they woudl struggle to score a game.

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Post by paulcz Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:10 pm

Andy´s biggest problem used to be his head. This year he has improved a lot, looked more calm and focused. I think he can win a GS again, but surely will not be no. 1 and if then only for a short period. He plays too defensively to dominate on the court and his heavier body is limiting him on clay. Although he will be pushed by Ivan to increase his aggresivity, it won´t be enough to catch up with with Nole anyway.

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Post by noleisthebest Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:13 pm

Tenez wrote:


I woudl say that Murray is more talented that Nadal but less than Djokovic and all three much, much less talented than Federer. It's a world apart. Murray, Djoko and Nadal with the size of Fed's arms and legs woudl get bagelled. Not kidding. they woudl struggle to score a game.

Yes....and just imagine if Nole had Fed's torso....how mighty his forehand would be...he is so skinny in real life it's a miracle he's where he is in tennis. I suppose he can thank his legs...

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Post by Tenez Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:27 pm

NITB - To be able to bend like Djoko does and yet swing his racquet BH and FH requires an amzing abdomonal belt. Djoko is certainly not skinny, he is not massive like Murray but he is very muscular.

But above all it is his stamina that wins him his matches versus Murray, Nadal and Federer....not bad for someone who was running out of steam consistently not so long ago.

Don;t you believe this guy "Durianrider" about all dopers?

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Post by noleisthebest Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:35 pm

Tenez wrote:
Don;t you believe this guy "Durianrider" about all dopers?

can one believe a cocain user murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 123628122
Mind you , it takes a doper to know a doper...

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Post by Tenez Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:45 pm

noleisthebest wrote:
Tenez wrote:
Don;t you believe this guy "Durianrider" about all dopers?

can one believe a cocain user murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 123628122
Mind you , it takes a doper to know a doper...

Well yes...I would. What he says is plain obvious, makes perfect sense and is much in line with what even WADA, USADA chiefs and everybody else says. Only "us" who want to believe in our athletes would be tempted to think otherwise...

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Post by noleisthebest Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:47 pm

Tenez wrote:NITB - To be able to bend like Djoko does and yet swing his racquet BH and FH requires an amzing abdomonal belt. Djoko is certainly not skinny, he is not massive like Murray but he is very muscular.

But above all it is his stamina that wins him his matches versus Murray, Nadal and Federer....not bad for someone who was running out of steam consistently not so long ago.

Don;t you believe this guy "Durianrider" about all dopers?

Nole IS skinny and of very slender build compared to everyone at the top. He also looks a lot skinnier in flesh than on TV. He's obviously done a maximum of what he can with that body and built his game around it.
I was watching his match against Fed at the WTF last night (am yet to finish it tonight) and yes, he is a phenomenal athlete, very elastic and strong, he is a natural athlete unlike Murray, so kind of a prodigy in that area.

I particularly singled out his movement as it is really something else esp seen from close up, you've got to see it, particularly the way he comes/storms to the net, it's amazing!
I know the acrobatics don't look that aesthetically pleasing, on the contrary, but they obviously do the job.

Yes and the "magic" stamina, well, you now know it's the donkey cheese, don't you.
Plus, he hasn't really come out of nowhere to be a number one, he's always been very very close, and I've been repeating like a parrot for years he needed to fill out a bit and get stronger, and was predicting it to be about 2011, and I was right.

I wish he had a bit more flesh on his upper body, that would help him hugely, but he is just the way he is and can't help it much.

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Post by raiders_of_the_lost_ark Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:20 am

This is an interesting turnaround for this overlooked ignored thread. Especially the way its moving from its "Murray being #1" to "How skinny is Djokovic". smiley

So I'll try to put it back on track. Murray's chances of getting to #1 are very slim, but can get better if Fed retires earlier than he currently plans to. Even Nadal. His matches against Djokovic are always close and comes down to a few important points. So if its a fight between him and Djokovic to get to #1, there will be occasions when Murray will get ahead to take that #1 position. But Djokovic will have a more consistent overall reason and could tip Murray to YE #1.

Murray will still continue occasionally to lose to lowly ranked players. He was beatable by anyone in and around top-100, he will always be.

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Post by Tenez Sun Dec 16, 2012 8:30 am

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Murray will still continue occasionally to lose to lowly ranked players. He was beatable by anyone in and around top-100, he will always be.

Like Nadal but that never prevented Nadal to reach number 1....cause those 2...or 3 should I say almost never lose early in slams where fitness plays a bigger role.

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Post by noleisthebest Sun Dec 16, 2012 1:37 pm

Tenez wrote:
raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Murray will still continue occasionally to lose to lowly ranked players. He was beatable by anyone in and around top-100, he will always be.

Like Nadal but that never prevented Nadal to reach number 1....cause those 2...or 3 should I say almost never lose early in slams where fitness plays a bigger role.

Why do you think fitness plays bigger role in early rounds?
I think fitness starts playing role in the second week, not first.
It would be interesting to see a comparative study of how top 4 fare in early rounds in terms of long matches, just for good measure, esp on grass, where all players have least match fitness and preparation.

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Post by Tenez Sun Dec 16, 2012 3:42 pm

I am saying fitness plays a bigger in slams cause it's best of 5. Murray and Djoko and Nadal can sometimes be 2 sets down or 2 sets to 1 down and that woudl be a loss in best of 3s...but they manage to get through in 5 thanks to their better fitness.

Federer for close to 5 years hardly ever found himself 2 sets down in slams first week.

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Post by Larry Ellison Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:56 pm

How often has Nadal been 2 sets to love down in the past few years, and gone on to win?
I can only think of Jisner FO 2011, and the matches at Wimby 2010.
Only 3 I can remember in the past 6 years or so.

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Post by legendkillar Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:37 am

It would require a massive monumental shift in consistentcy. 2012 has been a massive journey for Andy and I can't see him ever getting near the consistency of a Nadal or Djokovic.

I would like for him to have a consistent 2013. Maybe defend his US Open crown and make in-roads at Wimbledon and Australian Open.

I really hope that Murray fans and the press don't get carried away and now expect a wave of dominance where he wins title after title. The guy hasn't won a title on Clay and for me it is something he needs to improve on or just focus more on the surfaces he can perform on to a high standard. It is crucial his relationship with Lendl maintains the same chemistry and time as it has in it's first year. The one thing I think we can safely say is that he will not be soley dependent on Lendl should things start to go wrong.

Him being number 1 in the world and also winning on Clay or other Slams in 2013 is a tall tall order and one I can't see happening. Good luck to him anyway.

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Post by noleisthebest Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:40 am

A lot of Murray's luck will depend on what kind of Nadal returns. Unless proven otherwise, I have no reason to believe he won't be back full guns blazing and that's not good news for AM.
Motivated Djokovic will over top Murray and so will Federer, so yes, a difficult year ahead for him, he'd do well to repeat 2012.

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Post by legendkillar Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:46 am

I think much runs on the form of Djokovic.

Federer I am umm and ahhh due to the age factor. It does become increasingly difficult to predict his fortunes with 2011 and 2012 being so different in fortune.

Also Tsonga with a new coach might pose one of many new threats. There is no doubt that both Tsonga and Berdych (if he can maintain consistency) can trouble Murray and even be in a position to overtake him if they hit a purple patch.

Nadal if he is to go on a HC free diet may help Murray, though given the other threats on HC, Murray is more vulnerable to defeats than Djokovic.

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Post by luvsports! Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:51 am

I feel murray has got tsonga figured out 2bh and plays him pretty well, bird will always be a challenge.

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Post by noleisthebest Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:55 am

luvsports! wrote:I feel murray has got tsonga figured out 2bh and plays him pretty well, bird will always be a challenge.

Everyone has figured out The Rest, they never even make it to the semis of slams, Murray needs to figure out how to beat the other three in slam semis and finals, and that's a huge task. I can only see him muscling his way through it, no other way, and I don't like it, so hope it doesn't happen.

Next year's Wimbledon should be very interesting.

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Post by luvsports! Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:12 pm

for me this year's wimbledon was the best in a long time, brilliant from start to finish Big Grin

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Post by noleisthebest Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:17 pm

luvsports! wrote:for me this year's wimbledon was the best in a long time, brilliant from start to finish murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 364988687

You're right!
Personally, I still can't make my mind up what was better: the start or the finish murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947

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Post by luvsports! Wed Dec 19, 2012 12:42 pm

luvsports! likes this status ^ ^
Big Grin

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Post by paulcz Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:03 pm

<p>Something from Ivan today:
<p>After watching Murray play a training match against fellow Scot Jamie Baker, Lendl, who was famed for his ruthless style, told the Times his charge needs to get tougher in training.
"I think Andy is too nice sometimes," Lendl said. "You can only play the way you practise - there's not way you're going to play differently than the way you practise. At least I don't see it."
"Andy knew what I wanted," Lendl said after seeing an attempted lob float long. "I wanted it buried, either in the corner or in the guy's nuts, but bury it somewhere."

That is exactly what Andy needs still to add, more aggressivity. I am not sure that he is able to change his style in a large extent, i.e. to come to the net more often and just go for it. But that is definitely a way for him to be at the top. I see Ivan´s role very useful, probably the best choice for Andy.



Read more at http://www.espn.co.uk/tennis/sport/story/184772.html#uivmzQFCe8LSKV5P.99

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Post by noleisthebest Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:34 pm

Yes, I knew Ivan was going to be the best and only choice for Murray and was not happy when he joined the team in the photo at the top of this page Winking

Lendl is a very smart coach and a better player than Murray can ever dream of becoming.

From that point of view, Murray has finally found somebody he has to listen to and do as he is told. Lendl won't put up with Murray's arrogance & attitude.

What Lendl can do with the material he's got....hard to tell, but he's already achieved a miracle by helping Murray win a slam.
There is absolutely no way Murray would have done it without Lendl.
Having seen Murray play against the best in O2 recently, I am still not convinced about his game: it relies completely on his fitness/muscles, when that runs out in a match, there is nothing inside him to back it up like it is the case with Nole - the refusal to lose, Murray has a button and it can be switched off, the others know it.

Now can Ivan do something about it, tough question.
For it to happen Murray would need a confidence building winning streak and nothing else.
Can that happen - we saw it did at USO on a mini- scale.

I get the impression that when Murray is playing, he is doing as he is told, the game is not in him, he is memorising patterns like a good pupil hoping that hard work finally pays off, a bit like that story about a turtle and a hare.

murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? Hare_turtle

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Post by paulcz Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:59 pm

Quite agree. Just to rely on stamina and muscles can be a match strategy, but not as a general approach. Playing in such a passive style costs him a lot of energy. He should be the player who is the first who shows his oponents what the game will be and not just wait what will happen on the court.
Otherwise he has improved serve, very good base strokes, nice ball feeling, excellent coverage of the court. He must be the most unwanted player on the circuit, of course after Mory. That player can not be surpassed forever murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947

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Post by noleisthebest Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:09 pm

Yes, Murray's main struggle to me is mental, his spirit is weak because he struggles against players who don't fear him.
They all know each other on the tour and who can do what.

Murray is very stubborn when he is at his best and he plays like that against Nole, as that is his only chance if Nole is not motivated enough.

With a bit more confidence, Berdych should be beating Murray regularly.

JJ is one of those players who plays fearlessly and he beat Murray in Bercy, reminded me a little bit of Rosol against Nadal with that attitude.

JJ really believes and that is going to be so important.

I can't wait to see him play there and just hope he hasn't wasted any time during this off season.

With Murray, I can imagine him lobster-red on some running track with his bald fitness coach, cracking some boring "dry" jokes and beefing his arms and legs to stupendous levels of fitness, and then Lendl comes along and drills his CC forehand to death to the tune of crazy horses in the background:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8ZfVTE4SM

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Post by paulcz Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:45 pm

Andy could try to run on the court with a tyre pulled by a rope tied around his waist. That was a method of Czech the most succesful woman runner Jarmila Kratochvilova, just like a horse.

Jerzy Janowicz plays an absolute opposite to Andy, he just plays on clear enthusiasm. He played in a great form in Bercy. I am not sure if he can repeat this streak. The amount of drop shots was huge and his tall body does not correpond with his technical game, just a sheer contrast. It can work sometimes, but only for a short times, not as basic strategy.

Watching him is like to see someone from another planet. He is a nice fresh breeze murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 3157886161

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Post by noleisthebest Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:55 pm

paulcz wrote:Andy could try to run on the court with a tyre pulled by a rope tied around his waist. That was a method of Czech the most succesful woman runner Jarmila Kratochvilova, just like a horse.


you mean this? He could get a job of Santa's reindeer instead and at least be useful around Christmas...

murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? Andymurray_1330490a

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Post by paulcz Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:03 pm

noleisthebest wrote:
paulcz wrote:Andy could try to run on the court with a tyre pulled by a rope tied around his waist. That was a method of Czech the most succesful woman runner Jarmila Kratochvilova, just like a horse.


you mean this? He could get a job of Santa's reindeer instead and at least be useful around Christmas...


murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 2033450363 murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 2033450363 yes, his sauce box looks unbelievably stuffed. He is a real competitor of all reindeers in Siberia

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Post by Tenez Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:58 pm

I'd disagree with Lendl on that occasion. A player is at his best when he is not too aggressive nor too kind or passive. It's in teh balance that a player reaches his peak. The state of mind is very important and Lendl himself played his best when his body switched off his mind and let the racquet do the talking.

This is what great champions can do best. Play the more important points as if not that important and play them as if it was actually a training session. That is the really difficult thing to do.

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Post by legendkillar Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:42 am

In fairness in relation the stamina and muscles, literally all the top players rely on it. Exception to this is Federer and Tsonga.

The rest of the field rely on long rallies and co-ordinated ball bashing.

Glad Lendl is making Andy realise that winning 1 Slam isn't job done and that his whole mental approach to training and matches needs to have some spark and aggression about it so his lapses in concentration are almost cut out.

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Post by noleisthebest Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:23 am

legendkillar wrote:In fairness in relation the stamina and muscles, literally all the top players rely on it. Exception to this is Federer and Tsonga.

The rest of the field rely on long rallies and co-ordinated ball bashing.


Got up in a ba humbug mood this morning LK?

Although there is a growing number of players who do rely on their fitness I'd divide them in two groups : those that do it combined with ball-bashing eg Ferrer and Nadal) as they lack the talent for anything else, and those who use the fitness merely to be able to survive consistently on the tour and allow their talent to show as much as the slowed down conditions allow them.
In the latter group there are subroups of attackers and counter-punchers with varying levels of talent and physical predispositions.

I know that tennis looks bleak when you watch any combination that includes Nadal and/or Murray in it, but there are many more interesting matches to enjoy that don't feature the two, but even if they do , they could turn interesting esp if they are faced wth the likes of Rosol and JJ.
Let's hope 2013 is a year where skill overtakes fitness Bubbly

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Post by legendkillar Fri Dec 21, 2012 11:35 am

I wouldn't pin my hopes on a JJ or Rosol surge in the rankings despite how much I would love or crave to see it.

Too many top players incorporate the percentage game because the conditions and technology favour that style. Yes it is ugly on the eyes, but it doesn't look like changing so dramatically in the near future.

Tsonga for example despite his physical talents in the stamina and speed department has a different mind set and attitude. I can't wait to see what he does in 2013 with a coach on board as he has stated on occasions that he preferred not having a coach, so I am wondering whether the success bug has caught on with him.

The likes of a Berdych and Del Potro have some meaty and lovely attacking strokes. However, they are confidence players. A few bad shots and they go to pot. Alas the many faces of Goran.

Murray has adopted a more fitness dominated approach to his game and it killed the variety in his play and yes as a fan it is disappointing that such a sacrifice was made because of the desire of success rather than the desire to compete and play.

I like Ferrer as he is honest as the day is long. Granted he doesn't play the most eye-catching tennis, least his morals and values have't changed him despite his change in fortunes.

It would be lovely to see an influx of talent that can transcend the landscape of tennis and bring it back to a thing of beauty, though romance is dead for the time being.

murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 83870220 here is to 2013 even if the world didn't end murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 965238317

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Post by noleisthebest Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:10 pm

I didn't say I expect JJ and particularly Rosol to surge in the rankings, just that they make Nadal and Murray watchable and show it is possible to beat them with attacking aggressive tennis even in present conditions.

How consistent can JJ be that is the big unknown, but I have all the reasons to hope that he'll continue where he stopped in Bercy. It will be such a shame if he doesn't.
As for Berdych, Tsonga and Delpo, they are all big boys and play less aggressively that they should, although Delpo was very good in O2.

Just a few weeks more and we'll have some of those questions answered.

2013 looks promising, and that's the main thing, we've got Fedal, Nole peaking, Murray with the monkey off his back and a few exciting young players emerging out of a relative nowhere.
Plus all the others in the top 10 that seem to be working hard in order to catch up with the very top, and some returning players: Simon, Gasquet etc.

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Post by Tenez Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:47 pm

Well JJ and ROsol are 2 different kind of fishes. One is 27 and nowhere the top 30 and the other is 21 and already in the top 30 (I believe). I do expect JJ to go pretty high actually if he stays injury free.

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Post by noleisthebest Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:51 pm

To me, the particularly interesting pair of players to watch will be JJ and Raonic.
Raonic has already established himself as a name and "hope", JJ has just started, he's about a year behind Raonic.

Somehow, just by the way he plays, I think JJ will catch up and even overtake Raonic, although, Raonic is a some kind of crossroads now where he needs to make his mind up whether he's happy to be consistent and average, or go full on and see where it takes him, like JJ did in Bercy.

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Post by noleisthebest Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:06 pm

Mum knows best!

"Andy Murray’s mother, Judy, tells the BBC that her son’s decision to hire eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl was a great move.

He’s been a crucial factor in Andy’s improvement and success this year. The wonderful thing about Ivan is that he’s very similar in character to Andy, not least they have the same awful sense of humor! But seriously, he’s very driven, very dedicated and he absolutely has his eyes on the prize. He knows what you have to go after and he knows that you have to be very single-minded about going after it. He’s got a real sense of direction, a real toughness and he’s really helped Andy with the mental side of the game, about being able to reset if you suffer a disappointment, a bad call or a run of bad games. That’s allowed him to play his best tennis for much longer periods of time.”

I think the guy who took this photograph should be given some kind of award, he managed to catch them BOTH smile murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947

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Post by paulcz Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:23 pm

noleisthebest wrote:Mum knows best!

"Andy Murray’s mother, Judy, tells the BBC that her son’s decision to hire eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl was a great move.

He’s been a crucial factor in Andy’s improvement and success this year. The wonderful thing about Ivan is that he’s very similar in character to Andy, not least they have the same awful sense of humor! But seriously, he’s very driven, very dedicated and he absolutely has his eyes on the prize. He knows what you have to go after and he knows that you have to be very single-minded about going after it. He’s got a real sense of direction, a real toughness and he’s really helped Andy with the mental side of the game, about being able to reset if you suffer a disappointment, a bad call or a run of bad games. That’s allowed him to play his best tennis for much longer periods of time.”

I think the guy who took this photograph should be given some kind of award, he managed to catch them BOTH smile murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947


That picture can be taken once per a year murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947. Yesterday I saw a documentary about Czech way to DC and spotted nicely flooded Ivan´s eyes. Ivan would be a great help for any player for sure.

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Post by noleisthebest Wed Dec 26, 2012 6:29 pm

I know. Ivan was a great player and I was very disappointed he cancelled his appearance in Royal Albert Hall in December (apparently he did the same last year, a lady who sat next to me told me that when I told her about my disappointment).
He strikes me as someone who would be really good at chess, so brilliant coach material.
Also having 5 daughters, he must enjoy being with Murray, who also may need a father figure as his parents got divorced early, and you can see by the length of Judy's hair, who wore the pants in that marriage while it lasted murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947

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Post by luvsports! Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:28 pm

i dunno i think murray might be squinting here due to the sunlight!

Not sure it is possible for both to be smiling at once smiley

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Post by noleisthebest Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:16 pm

The (Number) Three Wise Man

Andy Murray has got his head firmly screwed on his shoulders as he says that career-wise, he doesn’t yet belong in the same sentence with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. Murray won his first major at the 2012 U.S. Open, while Federer has won 17 Grand Slam titles, Nadal has 11, and Djokovic has five.

If you look at their careers as a whole, then no, I wouldn’t be. But the thing with sport is that it is not relevant what happened seven, eight years ago. Right now, I am playing at that level to compete with them. The last few months have been very good, but I need to maintain that."

I say, spot on comment form AM, Especially in the light of losing to Tipsarevic 6:4 6:3 in Abu Dhabi today murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 1071211947.

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Post by raiders_of_the_lost_ark Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:43 pm

Murray lost to Tipsy in straight sets today. Mubadala may be an exhibition tournament with no ATP recognition, but I don't think there is anything really like an exhibition there. l see the matches are played in competitive spirit and not even close to what they were in Fed's SA tour.

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Post by paulcz Thu Dec 27, 2012 9:04 pm

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Murray lost to Tipsy in straight sets today. Mubadala may be an exhibition tournament with no ATP recognition, but I don't think there is anything really like an exhibition there. l see the matches are played in competitive spirit and not even close to what they were in Fed's SA tour.

Exactly. Nobody wants to lose it there. I was curious if Andy can show an improvement and confidence against good hitters from BL. No surprise, Andy struggling as before.

Berd also lost clearly in straight sets to Feru as it was at DC in Prague. Feru seems to be at his peak, so tomorrow will show what a shape he has. But Nole is another league murray - Murray: Great Expectations,  New Number One Anyone? 4006036031

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