Hobbled Murray Wins LA Summer Opener; Sharapova v. Dementieva in Stanford

by Sean Randall | July 30th, 2010, 9:49 am
  • 49 Comments

Andy Murray began his summer hardcourt campaign with a win, but it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty. Murray needed three sets to oust the 192nd-ranked Tim Smyczek 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 last night in the second round at the Farmer’s LA tennis stop. ADHEREL

“The first set was good and I started the second set with chances,” said Murray. “I was struggling a little bit with my movement, when I got stiff and sore. But I managed to find a way to win.

“The top of my right hip and lower back was stiff. It isn’t an injury, just on one of the changeovers my muscles started hurting. The last few changeovers I was standing up – something I have never done on tour before.”


Murray was a last minute replacement for Novak Djokovic who withdrew from the event on Friday because of “personal reasons”.

On Wednesday Murray talked about his year and his recent coaching change, “I just need to become a better player all around. I think it’s easy to start over-thinking things and over-analyzing things to try and find: Is there actually a problem there?

“I don’t think there’s a problem with my game. I just need to get better. That’s something that maybe hasn’t happened the last four or five months, something that hopefully by getting a new coach and a new sort of coaching team in place, that will help me do that, and hopefully achieve my goals.”

If Murray is physically OK to play today, he’ll meet Alejandro Falla tonight in the quarterfinals. Falla, who was oh so close to upset Roger Federer at Wimbledon, did get a scalp from Ernests Gulbis yesterday beating the Latvian in a 10-8 in the third set tiebreak.

Other winners included a healthier James Blake who on Friday faces Feliciano Lopez.

Said Blake of Lopez, “First of all he’s a lefty… and he’s got one of the best first and second serves on tour and he mixes it up well. I’m a guy who likes to attack guys’ second serves and he’s going to make that really difficult for me. Hopefully I can direct a few more balls to his backhand and make him beat me with that.”

The remain two quarterfinals pit Janko Tipsarevic v. Marcos Baghdatis and Sam Querrey v. Rainer Schuttler.

In the Gstaad quarterfinals, Yuri Shukin has already defeated Mickhail Youhzny. Jeremy Chardy and Nicolas Almagro are dueling in a good one as I write. And later it’s Albert Montanes v. Richard Gasquet and Daniel Gimeo-Traver v. Igor Andreev. Yes, that’s a clay event.

And in the other clay tourney, Umag – rainy one at that – the quarters are set with Davydenko v. Chela, Seppi v. Melzer (AUT), Ljubicic v Starace and Dolgopolov v. Ferrero (ESP).

The WTA stop in Stanford has a good showdown tonight between Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva. I believe this is Elena’s first event since her French Open semifinal retirement. Maria has won 8 of 11 meetings with Dementieva.

Here’s the Friday schedule from Los Angeles.

ESPN2 will cover the Querrey match live. Tennis Channel will have the Blake match live.

STRAUS STADIUM start 12:00 noon
R Schuettler (GER) vs [2] S Querrey (USA)
[6] J Tipsarevic (SRB) vs [3] M Baghdatis (CYP)

Not Before 4:00 PM
[4] F Lopez (ESP) vs [WC] J Blake (USA)

Not Before 7:30 PM
[1] [WC] A Murray (GBR) vs A Falla (COL)
E Butorac (USA) / J Rojer (AHO) vs [2] R Lindstedt (SWE) / H Tecau (ROU)

And from the women’s event up North in Stanford:
Stadium (from 12.00hrs)
1. Maria Kirilenko vs. Agnieszka Radwanska
2. Marion Bartoli vs. Victoria Azarenka (NB 14.00hrs) (Live on Tennis Channel)
3. Samantha Stosur vs. Yanina Wickmayer
4. Maria Sharapova vs. Elena Dementieva (NB 20.00hrs) (Live on Tennis Channel)
5. Craybas/Gullickson vs. Chan/Zheng


You Might Like:
Sharapova Suffers Arm Injury In Stanford; Wimbledon Champ Muguruza Cruises In Hard Court Opener
Dementieva Beats Sharapova for WTA Toronto Title
Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber Pull Out Of Events; Venus Williams Wins In Stanford Opener
Scared Bartoli Overcomes Venus Williams for WTA Stanford Title
Sharapova v. Azarenka in Saturday Screamfest Battle for Miami Title

Don't miss any tennis action, stay connected with Tennis-X

Get the FREE TX daily newsletter

49 Comments for Hobbled Murray Wins LA Summer Opener; Sharapova v. Dementieva in Stanford

Jake Willens Says:

Murray better win this to get some confidence building.


leo vixen Says:

Murray, since u are on a roll changing things, maybe you should get your teeth fixed as well. Maybe that will help you win a slam! Changing coaches surely isn’t going to cut it especially this close to a slam. I may eat crow on this, but the problem is not with your coach; it’s with your game. Enough said.


Jake Willens Says:

I can’t figure Murray out and if he will ever win a slam or get to #1. I think yes on both, but I am just not sure.


Kimmi Says:

ha ha ha first time i see muzza wearing his hat backwards. hewitt’s way. very funny.


contador Says:

hey, i found a stream!

i have muzza in a cap too.


contador Says:

c’mon andy!

falla is a full of confidence


Kimmi Says:

here you are..I was on the other thread. Go muzza


Kimmi Says:

WOW falla hitting some miraculously shots so far


contador Says:

i don’t know what thread to be on. : )

andy has the speed. he needs his serve


contador Says:

yeah. i can see how he beat gulbis. falla having an outstanding time.

go muzza!


contador Says:

falla is an agressive player

but andy ! great gets with that lob!

break him andy!


Kimmi Says:

the commentator just said falla and giraldo are coming from the same country..colombia. hmmmm! giraldo is no.1 in colombia at the moment. i see both of them moving up the ranking…two up and coming players.

murray breaks


contador Says:

yessss!

now hold.


contador Says:

muzza the great

south americans are strong. i didn’t realize falla was such a good hc player.


contador Says:

falla broke right back


Kimmi Says:

broken back..falla came up with some great gets.

c’mon muzza wake up


contador Says:

falla looks in control, full on.


contador Says:

no. murray has a bp!


Kimmi Says:

did muzza just call for a trainer..not looking good.


contador Says:

falla is having his way taking the ball earlier. 4-3 falla


Kimmi Says:

muzza in trouble this time


contador Says:

great net play from andy! c’mon!

that’s was great


contador Says:

set point falla


Kimmi Says:

murray is living dangerously now. serving to stay in the set and force a tie breaker


Kimmi Says:

murray serving at 45% first serves. needs to go up. Falla is having a look at Murray serve a lot.

tie break 3-0 murray Go muzza


contador Says:

he got away with saving his service game with some crafty shots. but his first serve looks tired and second is so slow.


contador Says:

somehow murray has 3 set points!

yay!!! big ace from murray right on time!


Kimmi Says:

falla choking or what? df and error

Murray needed ace to clinch the first set


contador Says:

yeah that was a lucky choke from falla.

murray had some luck there but ONE big ace.

now he’s in trouble in the first game 2nd set


contador Says:

1-0 to falla.

c’mon Muzza!


Kimmi Says:

broken.*gulp*

falla attacking and got rewarded


Kimmi Says:

what!just looking away for a while and murray breaks back..


contador Says:

but now falla donating points to murray! hahahahaa

we are back on serve. i’m laughing, Kimmi!


contador Says:

murray reminds me of gasquet with the backwards cap


contador Says:

falla all fired up and shanking his forehand….a lot.

thank you alejandro


Kimmi Says:

murray break..finish him muzza

tho don’t think it will happen, its been break and breaking back so far


Kimmi Says:

4-1 murray. way to go. 2 games to go.


Kimmi Says:

another break. 5-1 serving for the match. go muzza


Kimmi Says:

congrats muzza. Good match to come thru.

Thanks contador for the company.

Past my bed time here..have a good night.


jane Says:

Okay well, though I am sad for Blake and Baggy, Murray vs. F-Lo and Tipsy vs. Sam should be pretty good semis! Nice show from Murray tonight, a tight first set. Nail-bitter till the tiebreak was through.


Kimmi Says:

practice picking..again.

Murray over F-Lo
Sam over Tipsy (this is a tough one to call, tipsy has been playing very well recently. could be a tough match)

muzza better hope for Querrey in the final. Tipsy is his nemesis.


jane Says:

Murray’s H2H against Tipsy is 3-3 and he’s won 2 of the last 3 times they’ve met. I don’t think Tispy is a big threat, though he may be a bit tougher than Sam. Murray seems to have Querrey’s number. This is his tournament to lose now, I’d think.


Kimmi Says:

hi jane. thanks for the H2H info. it does not sound so bad now. Somehow i have a bad feeling concerning Murray over tipsy. i guess i still have the memory of that tight match that murray lost in Dubai. I think that match started his horrible slumping too…he was good in that match but horrible in all that followed.

“This is his tournament to lose now, I’d think”

I hope so. he has not looked very convincing in his last 2 matches tho.

go muzza


jane Says:

I guess you’re right Kimmi; Murray has had to struggle hasn’t he? But he’s come through both times and that’s what matters. Fingers crossed!


contador Says:

i fell asleep, Kimmi. muzza had taken control….take that, falla!

nothing personal. falla can’t be underestimated. but YAY!

you gotta feel good about ‘your’ picking.

i have not been lucky. but i think samurai sams will pull sam through. today. we’ll see.

it’s amazing how muzza can win with basically with no serve and he’s playing lopez with an awesome serve. murray can return and it’s brain over braun. impressive skills at net is what i saw before my lights went out.

he can beat all these guys. c’mon


Kimmi Says:

“i fell asleep, Kimmi”

aha, so that’s what happened to you..i wondered. can’t blame you, i was almost gone too, had to force my eyes open.

gasquest vs almagro in gstaad

almagro with confidence. back to back finals. Go gasquet please.


Kimmi Says:

“you gotta feel good about ‘your’ picking.”

hahaha yesterday i was good. thats why I had to continue today. hoping my 100% correct predictions continue.


contador Says:

you rule Kimmi!

almagro will win. ferrero in umag 100% unsure about gstaad final.

good start querrey!

congrats to azarenka but her scream or whatever that is….earplugs please


tommy0032 Says:

Murray is current No.4 on the World and he must prove it. Recently he fired coach and that may be positive shoch in his career. We will see all on US Open. Is he ready for more??

Top story: Sinner Settles With WADA, Accepts 3-Month Ban, Won't Miss Rome, Won't Miss French Open
Most Recent story: Frustrated Nick Kyrgios Calls Sinner Ban A "Sad Day For Tennis"