Andy Murray: My Back Is Fine, I Feel Pretty Good, The Next 4 Months Will Determine No. 1

Murray has been very smart. He’s been quietly training in Rome with all the court for himself, not risking injuries or anger by playing the circus tournament in Madrid. I wish Nole had been this smart.

He’s also right: the race for 1, 2, 3 and 4 is very exciting. The following months will mean so much. After that we will know where everyone stands. I still think Novak will be on top, he’s the best player in the world in my opinion, Montecarlo nor Madrid change that.

The real battle starts now.

May 14th, 2012 at 3:43 pm

Kohls is mentally done after blowing it in the 2nd set and losing the TB. imo. Hard to get his initial momentum going.

Kohls gets on the board still one break 3-2 Isner. So it’s one break lead but…Isner gets momentum and confidence, serve, forehand, even coming to net has worked.

May 14th, 2012 at 4:48 pm

OOps. that match update ^^ was for dari.

but while i’m at it, GO Murray!

May 14th, 2012 at 4:50 pm

“Murray added that he feels his second serve has improved”

This I gotta see. Glad he recognized it as a priority needed improvement.

May 14th, 2012 at 5:22 pm

I love how Murray’s non-story during the madrid week is its own story.

he just quietly stayed away from all the hub-bub, hope it pays off!

May 14th, 2012 at 6:11 pm

That’s right: Andy’s 25th birthday is this week; and Nole’s is next week. Rafa’s follows shortly thereafter, during the French Open.

May 14th, 2012 at 6:13 pm

I dont’ know why Murray is bothering..it’s not like he will get very far in the next 4 or 5 tournaments anyway. He is always complaining, wanting rest, etc. Nothing new here… a totaly non-story.

May 14th, 2012 at 7:36 pm

Not sure why Murray is talking about no 1 ranking….it is not like he is a few points away from it…

May 15th, 2012 at 9:19 am

Watching the Delpo – Llodra match – 3rd set 40-30 ; Delpo slipped.
He Didn’t slip on blue clay the entire tournament but slipped on his first match on Red clay.
Looking forward to Nadal now complaining that the surface is slippery and he will not return to Rome again.

May 15th, 2012 at 9:55 am

Delpo slips again in the 3rd set – 5-4 : 15-30;
Come on Nadal – please protest for the safety of your fellow players.

May 15th, 2012 at 9:59 am

@dc

lol…I saw that also posted on another thread….hehe ;)

May 15th, 2012 at 10:05 am

Talk about flogging a dead horse.

May 15th, 2012 at 10:26 am

*sigh*…. I already miss the Ball Models in Madrid. My heart reaches out to them. The myths, the legends, the beauty, the Ball Models of Madrid.

May 15th, 2012 at 10:36 am

When Murray pulled out of Madrid he said it was because of a back injury and was advised to do so by his doctor. Now, he says it was his decision to stop. I was right when I thought he was going to train on clay and rest up for the next few months work. Not impressed with his untruths!!!!!!!!

May 15th, 2012 at 11:35 am

Should be interesting to see if Nole or Rafa wear ice skates for their coming matches.

May 15th, 2012 at 3:56 pm

@Louise, if someone advices you( in the case of Murray, the Doctor), they tell you a reason for doing things…..But it is ultimately your decison to follow the advice or not…….Murray decided to follow…..Thus he decided not to play in Madrid….

May 15th, 2012 at 4:38 pm

@Louise, if someone advices you( in the case of Murray, the Doctor), they tell you a reason for doing things…..But it is ultimately your decison to follow the advice or not…….Murray decided to follow…..Thus he decided not to play in Madrid…

May 15th, 2012 at 4:40 pm

Lisa i completely agree after all he knows his own body better than anyone else,i personally think he did the sensible thing damage limitation,why risk aggrivating it and making things worse,especially with RG just around the corner,although i have to say im still a bit worried as i saw him holding his back and grimasing a couple of times against Nalby today,trouble is it wouldnt be wise to go there cold turkey,sounds silly but im hoping he does not go too far in this tourney,so he can rest a little before practising for RG.

May 15th, 2012 at 4:52 pm

@alison…:) Murray is one of my favourites…fingers crossed he’ll be okey…..

May 15th, 2012 at 5:21 pm

Lisa he is my second favourite after Rafa,although i love and respect them all,Roger,Nole,Delpo too,hope they are all ok.

May 15th, 2012 at 5:32 pm

^I think the thing that concerns me the most is,if or when he plays Ferrer he will be doing such alot of running^.

May 15th, 2012 at 5:35 pm

@alison, like you said, he shouldn’t worry too much about winning this tourny. He should take it as practice session for FO and and just play some free tennis and enjoy himself really….

Its at Roland Garros, that his focus should be more centred at….I wish him the very best……:)…..cheers!

May 15th, 2012 at 5:48 pm

@alison, like you said, he shouldn’t worry too much about winning this tourny. He should take it as practice session for FO and and just play some free tennis and enjoy himself really….

Its at Roland Garros, that his focus should be more centred at….I wish him the very best……:)…..cheers..

May 15th, 2012 at 5:48 pm

Thanks Lisa,yeah hope they are all fit.

May 15th, 2012 at 5:52 pm

let us hope so…:)

May 15th, 2012 at 6:15 pm

“Watching the Delpo – Llodra match – 3rd set 40-30 ; Delpo slipped.
He Didn’t slip on blue clay the entire tournament but slipped on his first match on Red clay.”

Which Del Potro matches did you watch in Madrid? He was CONSTANTLY slipping there, missing numerous shots because of that, losing breakpoints because of that, and also bringing to Rome a souvenir from Madrid: a slight left knee injury due to slipping while stretched.

And, he was CONSTANTLY complaining about slippery blue clay in each of his interviews AFTER EACH AND EVERY MATCH, only that English-speaking press did not bother to report it. Spanish-speking press did.

Some examples:
http://canchallena.lanacion.com.ar/1472403-del-potro-y-el-polvo-azul-hoy-no-pude-frenar-y-me-estampe-contra-una-pared
“Today I couldn’t stop and I crashed into the back wall. I couldn’t stop, I could’ve hurt my shoulder badly.”
“It’s very difficult to stop and recover. Once you start sliding, you go two to three metres more than normal.”
“There are people capable of taking such decisions. Hope that next year the players will be heard.”
http://canchallena.lanacion.com.ar/1472730-del-potro-siento-haber-estado-tan-cerca-de-la-final-y-no-jugarla
Del Potro didn’t want to go into more controversies about blue clay of the Madrid tournament, although he did show his annoyance with it during the match. For days he has been saying that he feels as if he’s “skating towards a dream” on that court and today he pointed out: “It’s visible to the naked eye, I don’t need to say anything more; you have to accept that the conditions were the same for everybody, but the whole world could see that it was very difficult.”
http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=1523766&s=ten&type=column
“Del Potro compared it to the television program Skating for a Dream, Djokovic said he will bring football boots or ask advice from Chuck Norris kicks facing the slide, Rafael Nadal admitted that ended with pains in the waist of all trying to rectify their movements on the fly and Richard Gasquet compared players with Candeloro and Joubert, renowned French ice skaters.”

May 16th, 2012 at 1:46 am