Andy Murray: I Would Rather Lose In The Final And Be Happy Than Win And Be Miserable

by Staff | February 1st, 2015, 10:24 am
  • 68 Comments

Andy Murray’s fourth attempt at an Australian Open title came up short once again tonight in Melbourne as the Scot was denied by longtime rival Novak Djokovic 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-0 in just under 3 hours, 40 minutes.

The match was marked by marathon rallies, strange ailments and even intruders getting onto the court.

The two played even much of the first two sets, but after Murray took the second Djokovic became the better, strong player, just as he had done in their last two prior Slam meetings.


Murray was seeking his third career Grand Slam title – first under new coach and former Australian Open winner Amelie Mauresmo – and he was appearing in his first Slam final since Wimbledon. Hopes were high for Murray this time around after three failed prior bids due to his level of play this week. But once again the Serb was too good winning 12 of the last 15 games to beat him for the third time in the final.

Djokovic now leads Murray 16-8 in their head-to-head and 3-2 in Grand Slam finals.

After the match, a “happy” Murray spoke about the tough loss.

Q. Can you describe how your emotions were going as it ran away from you near the end?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, obviously had opportunities in the first three sets. Then the fourth set, I mean, obviously I need to watch it back to see if I played badly. I mean, he was just ripping everything. Returns he was hitting on the baseline, this far from the line all the time. Once he got up a break, he just loosened up and was just going for his shots. I couldn’t recover. So the fourth set wasn’t as frustrating to me. The third set was frustrating because I got a bit distracted when he, like, fell on the ground after a couple of shots. It appeared that he was cramping, and then I let that distract me a little bit. That’s what I’m most disappointed about, not so much the fourth set because I think, especially at the end of it, he was just going for everything, and it was going in. But the third set was more frustrating for me.

Q. Do you think he went for broke at the end because he was afraid of a fifth set, that he thought he couldn’t last a fifth set?
ANDY MURRAY: No, I don’t think so, because he was moving unbelievable at the end of the third set, sliding and chasing everything down. I think it was just more that once he got up he loosened up a bit, and then was just going for his shots. Maybe if he started to miss a couple, then you kind of rein it back a little bit. But he wasn’t missing, so he just kept going for it.

Q. Is it a legitimate tactic to maybe make your opponent think you’re injured and then come back flying?
ANDY MURRAY: No, it’s not legitimate. Like I have no idea what the issue was. He obviously looked like he was in quite a bad way at the beginning of the third set and came back unbelievable at the end of that set. Then obviously the way he was hitting the ball in the fourth and moving was impressive. So, yeah, I don’t know exactly what the issue was for him.

Q. Do you think it was a deliberate element to it? At the start of the second and third, looked like he was buckling under.
ANDY MURRAY: I don’t know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I mean, it’s obviously what he thinks. I would hope that that wouldn’t be the case. But, yeah, if it was cramp, how he recovered from it, that’s a tough thing to recover from and play as well as he did at the end. So, yeah, I’m frustrated at myself for letting that bother me at the beginning of the third set, because I was playing well, I had good momentum, and then just dropped off for like 10 minutes and it got away from me. So that’s the most frustrating thing because I thought I obviously had opportunities in the first set. I couldn’t quite get them. I managed to sneak the second. Then obviously was that break up in the third. So, yeah, there was definitely opportunities there.

Q. Why do you think you let it get to you this time?
ANDY MURRAY: What do you mean ‘this time’?

Q. You played him before. You’ve played lots of matches where it looked like he was hurt. This one seemed to rattle you more than usual.
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, I don’t know exactly. I think, like I said, the way he was moving at the end of the third set, he obviously started playing much better again. That contributed to some of it, as well. But I don’t know. Maybe it was the situation that you know if someone’s cramping in the final of a slam, with such a long way to go, you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. Yeah, maybe, like I said, I dropped off for 10, 15 minutes there, and he got back into it. That was it. I don’t know exactly why it was the case, but I’ve never really experienced that in a slam final before. Maybe the occasion was something to do with it. I don’t know.

Q. Is it a lesson you can learn, maybe next time you play him, the same thing happens, you won’t notice?
ANDY MURRAY: Yeah, in all matches you concentrate on your own end of the court. That’s just a basic thing to do. Sometimes when you play, like here and the US Open, because they have replays after every single point, you’re often waiting before you serve whilst they’re showing the replay. It’s very difficult to not be aware of what’s happening down the other end. But, yeah, I play enough matches to be able to handle that situation better. That’s what I’m saying. For me, that third set was what was disappointing because I feel I could have done a bit better.

Q. The US Open you said you thought Novak was physically stronger than you in the latter stages. Do you feel that way coming off the court tonight?
ANDY MURRAY: The reason I lost that match was not a physical thing. I don’t believe that. I know how I feel just now and how I felt after the match with Novak at the US Open. Yeah, I’m not frustrated for physical reasons because I feel fine just now. It appeared that he was the one that was struggling more physically than me. That was, I guess, one improvement from there. Also I did feel like I did have more opportunities in this match, as well, than New York. I feel that for the first three sets the level was better than it was there, too. Yeah, I’m happy that it wasn’t a physical thing.

Q. Any positives you can take from this fortnight to kick on for the rest of the year?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, there’s been a great couple of weeks compared with where I was a couple of months ago. It’s like night and day really. Playing way, way better in almost every part of my game. Moving better. Physically I feel better, more confident, more belief. I was a lot calmer, like, before my matches. Mentally I felt much, much stronger than I did at the end of last year and during the majors really last year. So, yeah, for me, I mean, a lot of positives. I wouldn’t want to come away from here feeling negative about the way that I played or reaching a slam final. Novak has won five times here now. There’s no disgrace obviously in losing to him. So, yeah, a lot of positives for me to take from it.

Q. 80 days since the ATP World Tour Finals. How pleasing is it to be here having achieved so much in such a short space of time with the work you’ve done with Amelie?
ANDY MURRAY: Yes, it’s pleasing to be back playing close to my best. And, yeah, it does show that, you know, I still feel like I can make improvements in my game. I still think I can get a few percent better over the next couple of months. My job now is to try to maintain this sort of level and form and the way that I was trying to play throughout the event, try to maintain that for the next few months and not sort of have dips in form. I want to try to be more consistent this year, yeah, and play better in more events. Yeah, that’s what I want to do the next couple months.

Q. If it wasn’t physical, was it mental that you lost 12 games out of the last 13 or what?
ANDY MURRAY: Well, I said I got distracted in the third set. Definitely got distracted in the third set. Then the fourth set, look, like I said, I need to watch it again. I feel like at the end of the fourth set — he played fantastically well definitely after the first few games of the fourth set. Yeah, he was going for everything and hitting the lines. Yeah, there’s not much you can do in that situation. But, yeah, I definitely got distracted in the third set, so that would be a mental thing, yeah.

Q. Talk about the impact of working with Amelie.
ANDY MURRAY: Well, obviously in the last couple months I’ve had a lot of time to work on things with Amelie, also physically as well with my team. And, yeah, look, I mean, it’s easy for me to sit here and say what I think that she helped with, but everyone in here watched my matches here. I’m sure you can all see what I was like on the court here compared with a couple months ago. I feel like it was a completely different player on the court. A lot of that comes down to my team motivating me, working on the right things, then also me motivating myself to come back from a difficult year last year. Yeah, that’s it.

Q. Are you quite content you’ll be back to action soon rather than taking a long break through February?
ANDY MURRAY: I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought ahead of this event yet. I’ve spent like two and a half days at home in the last two and a half months, so I’m looking forward to getting back and spending a bit of time at home with my friends and family and my dogs and being away from the tennis court and the gym for a few days when I get back. Because it’s been a busy few months with quite a lot of travel. Yeah, obviously this event, the slams do take a lot out of you physically and mentally because of the length of the matches, and then also the length of the event, as well, and the preparation that goes into them. So I’m looking forward to a few days away from the court now.

Q. As much as you want to win everything you play ing, coming here, what do you think success would have been you after what you’ve been through?
ANDY MURRAY: Success is being happy. It’s not about winning every single tournament you play, because that isn’t possible. You want to win every event, that’s for sure. That’s what you prepare for. But no one in the history of this game has ever done that. You know, you prepare as best as you can. I would rather lose in the final and be happy than win the final and go home and be miserable. So, yeah, try to enjoy my tennis more right now than I probably did at the beginning of my career and everything that goes into it. So, yeah, I mean, obviously I would have liked to have won today, but you can’t win all of them unfortunately. Like I said, I’m happy with everything that I put into the event. I couldn’t have done anything more. I couldn’t have prepared better. I couldn’t have done anything more to give myself a better chance to win. So I can’t be disappointed with that because I gave my best effort. That’s all I think any athlete, that’s what you ask of them, you know, to give themselves the best chance of winning. And I did that. I just wish I could have done a little bit better in the third set tonight.

Q. You mentioned February wasn’t a month where Amelie wouldn’t be traveling with you. Ideally you would try to find a coach to help you out when she’s not around. Anything you’ve focused on in trying to find another coach?
ANDY MURRAY: I thought a little bit about it before the event when I got over to Australia, but I have put zero thought into it since I’ve been here. I’ll definitely have a think about it, because I don’t want to go the whole month now not seeing anyone. So, yeah, I’ll try to get some help this month. But, again, it’s about getting the right person rather than rushing and making a bad decision. I’ll try and find the right person to do it with my team and chat to them a bit about it, then speak to some people. But that won’t happen in the next few days because I want to go and do other stuff and think about other things just now.


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68 Comments for Andy Murray: I Would Rather Lose In The Final And Be Happy Than Win And Be Miserable

Matador Says:

The Tony Roche of the open era!

Oh Murray you have to hire a better coach who can give you some advices on how to “kill” the opponent when he is hurt.

another deception for brit fans…


Margot Says:

Good he’s annoyed with himself!


Giles Says:

Don’t understand what he is saying. Why should he be happy he lost?


Matador Says:

He should Margot, he let out a brilliant opportunity to win a third major. But his meltdown is not a surprise for me.

A Murray Djokovic match in Wimbledon sounds exciting.


Giles Says:

Bottom line – joker is a cheat and faker. He will never change. He is so desperate to win that he will put his integrity on the line to achieve this.


Hippy Chick Says:

Matador i would love to see Murray win Wimbledon again,and Rafa win RG,or vice versa,although Rafa at W seems like a crap shot now,but with an extra week between RG and W it could actually benefit him now,time will tell?at least last years showing was better than 2012 and 2012 though….


courbon Says:

Commiserations to Andy fans,
virtual high five ( to borrow Patson’s fraze ) to Nole fans!


brando Says:

Tough lose. Andy is not knocking Novak he’s just frustrated at having got caught up with his situation. He knows he shot himself in the foot with his mental lapse. That said: improve his second serve and today he showed gamewise, technique wise he was on the same level as the world number 1 for more than 2 1/2 hours. That’s huge. Sure he lost: but it’s like Federer’s 4 Rolland garros final loses to rafa: no shame in losing to beast. And he had nole in kinds of problems in this match for a great while. He will regret how mentally he collapsed, self destructed in the 3 rd set. We all would : it’s human to do so. But in the cold, light of the day in a weeks time he’ll realise his reality: sort that second serve out, stay strong mentally and he’s looking at slam wins. Period. And he can pull it off since after all: he’s won 2 grand slams already. Tough few days ahead muzza, but then many months to look forward to in which you can kick all kinds of butt and win big ones. Vamos Andy!


Hippy Chick Says:

Congrats to Margot on winning the bracket challenge,so nice to see you ended the day with a win,even though it wasnt the one you wanted ;-))….


joe strummer Says:

@Giles: how so? is it not Murray who always clutches his legs and plays possum and tired? sour grapes me thinks. cheers.


SG1 Says:

Look…Andy has comeback from serious injury to relevancy in the slams. I really thought from the outset that he would win this tournament. When he’s eventually at peace with this result, he’ll realize that he’s turned the corner. He beat some very good players along the way to this final. So many positives to take away from this.

I expect that he’ll be a factor to win majors over the next 2 to 3 years. I don’t think there’s a better grass courter out there when he’s on.

As for Novak, he’s the best player on the planet right now. He’s won 2 of the last 3 slams and made the semis at the USO. I think he’ll be phenomenally motivated to get that career slam at RG. If I were Rafa, I’d be very nervous at the prospect of tangling with Novak in an RG final. You have to think that sooner or later, as great at Rafa is, that Novak will better him at RG. Then again, no one is better at proving us wrong than Nadal. Too bad the next major is so far away.


Daniel Says:

SG1,

Nadal and Djoko may collide in RG semis or Quarters, depending on Nadal’s ranking. For example if he doesn’t defend his title in Rio in 2 weeks time he can drop to #5. If he had so so results on clay again and some other players step it up he can go into Rg ranked #5-6 and this may potentially place him in a QF with Djoko. Probably won’t happen but he will need to have excellent results to get #2 seeding in RG, so not sure if they will lay final again there.
The players from #4 to 8 are separated by less than 1000 pts.


Yolita Says:

The irony of Andy Murray complaining that he got distracted by someone exaggerating his physical distress!
Absolutely hilarious. }
I hope pundits remind him of these comments next time he starts grabbing different body parts when he’s losing.
In this match itself, Murray was looking absolutely exhausted half-way through the second set. He even moaned every time he hit a shot. Yet he recovered enough to win the set. :)
Pundits getting fixated on this two games in an entire match is beyond pathetic.
Sour grapes from the entire tennis community.
You know what’s worse that being a loser? Being a sore loser.
Giving credit has never killed anybody.
Congrats to my fellow Nole fans. This victory is extra sweet.


kriket Says:

Yeah, I didn’t think too much of today’s match in terms that it wasn’t some epic GS final. But reading now how Murray is bitter about defeat and journalists insisting that Novak faked that he was injured, it’s just silly and makes me happier about Novak’s victory than immediately after the match.
And I could have seen that Murray was bitter in defeat in Novaks victory speech, where he wished Andy and Kim to get married and live happily everafter, they showed Kim smiling, and Andy frowning. I thought he was just tired maybe, but now I see what was really bothering him.


TennisVagabond.com Says:

Sure looked happy and content in that championship ceremony.


Jack Lewis Says:

“I would rather lose in the final and be happy than win the final and go home and be miserable.”

Winning the final and going home miserable seems like a very unrealistic combination.

Wonder what is the record for loses in GS finals?
He probably holds the record for swearing on live TV?


RZ Says:

I have to admit that I’m still sad that Andy didn’t win. I really wanted a “Murresmo” victory because it would have been so cool for a male player with a female coach to win.


Eric W. Says:

@Giles: Virginia Wade called Murray a “drama queen”, not Novak, and your attack on Djokovic’s “integrity” is desperate and ridiculous. Or maybe you drained your Bet365.com account betting on the drama queen, aka four time Melbourne finals loser?


skeezer Says:

“Giles Says:
Bottom line – joker is a cheat and faker”
Dude look in the mirror before you accuse such nonsense. Your have your own rep to be worried about, no?

SG1
great post as usual.


Michael Says:

I think Andy is making too much of an issue of Novak’s facial expressions of discomfort and uneasiness in the third set suggesting cramps or exhaustion or whatever it is. He has really no business to get distracted by it other than concentrating on his own game and his side of the net. Why are you bothered by your opponent’s antics ? Novak too responded that his momentum in the 2nd set was interrupted when some protestors entered the stadium and then he went on to lose his service and then the tie break after that freak incident. Say for example, if Novak had lost the match and he was to offer this an excuse for losing, wouldn;t he be looking silly ? In that case, I wonder how Andy would have responded playing some body like John Mcenroe who is used to showing extreme tantrums on court against the umpires, crowds etc., turning it into a real warfare upsetting his opponents concentration ? If players then were to be taken in by John’s behaviour, then everybody would be losing to him. Was that really the case ? Players learnt in due course how to deal with it and so it should be. Andy offering this as an excuse for losing the match is simply ridiculous, silly and this disappointment was writ large in the prize distribution ceremony when he was literally a stone not responding to Novak’s friendly gestures, words of appreciation for his efforts and personally wishing him a good married life on his future engagement with his fiancee. This was totally reprehensible behaviour and I didn’t expect it from Andy who is known for his decent and courteous behaviour although he might let out a few tantrums on court. On the contrary, Novak’s discomfort and uneasiness or whatever it is on court should have only provided Andy more cushion that the match is for his taking as he was till then riding the momentum and this should have energized him more rather than feeling despondent and dejected to lose the match winning not even a single game from there on.


Michael Says:

“I would rather lose in the final and be happy than win the final and go home and be miserable.”

This statement seems an Oxymoron confounding the casual onlooker. It seems Andy lost the structure of the sentence as he spoke.


kriket Says:

Journalists insisting on getting an answer they wanted from him “he cheated”, contributedto the silliness. He was tired and disappointed, and didn’t know what to say so he kept repeating “I don’t know, it was strange blah blah” was due to their insisting on the issue. Nevertheless he shouldn’t have even mentioned that at all let alone use it as an excuse of sorts.


kriket Says:

Come think of it I really don’t know what Murray is talking about. Talking about distractions, people running into the field, security officials surrounding the players, that was obviously way more of a legitimate distraction Novak could mention to blame it for losing the 2nd set and his first service game in the 3rd.
Murray was only one break up and after getting to 3-0 in the 3rd he never won a game after that point. Is it possible that Novak’s grimasse caused him to lose 12 games in a row? I don’t think so. It’s just silly, as Michael already said.


Hamza Says:

Congrats to all Novak fans. Definitely would’ve wanted to see a five setter though. In any case, the first two sets were definitely entertaining.

Looking forward to the Masters events this March.

Message to Andy: Don’t crib about the distractions. Take the positives out of this match. Quoting Hickson

Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try, try again.
If at first you don’t succeed,
Try, try, try again.


Giles Says:

One of the things I am thankful for is that I’m not a joker fan! This guy is certainly no role model and then he and his fans are constantly griping as to why the journos and media don’t offer flattering write-ups on him. He will never ever be as popular as Fedal. There is an article knocking about entitled “The Unloved Number 1”. Read it sometime.
Joker is the most pathetic and unethical #1 in the history of tennis!


calmdownplease Says:

Andy DOES get distracted like this however!
He’s not just saying it.
I remember him playing Monfils in the Canada masters and he was clearly pasting Gael winning the first set 6-2.
Gael was then all over the place diving at the net, jumping at things and rolling about on the concrete (!) as he is wont to do.
He bageled Murray the next set!
Andy recomposed himself and then wen’t on to win the match easily, but he was clearly thrown for that middle set and said so afterwards.
Some people are claiming that Andy grabbing his body parts is equivalent to these antics, but it is not.
And certainly if he falls for this kind of thing (because many of them do things like this including `MTOs` in `specifically helpful moments`), then I am also of the view that it’s his problem for falling for it in the first place.
But he has a mental issue with focusing, and it’s probably a bit worse than usual at the moment because he is still not quite match fit, although he is very close now, and it will not be long.
It was an excellent tournament for Andy & will be a big player this coming season


calmdownplease Says:

`Novaks victory speech, where he wished Andy and Kim to get married and live happily everafter..`

That’s kind of a personal thing really, isn’t it?
I find Novak is going on about his family a bit too much nowadays, it’s nothing to do with tennis.


calmdownplease Says:

Oh and Virginia Wade is an nasty old cow
lol


Ben Pronin Says:

Novak’s speech was horribly weird.


Okiegal Says:

@Ben……..For once I’ll have to agree with you….it was rather odd….but doesn’t take away from the fact that he had an amazing tournament. He is the number one player on the planet atm….he’s a freakin’ beast. He manages to turn things around in a flash. I don’t want to think that he was pulling a sand bagging routine, but some seem to think so. But how do you do make a snap decision like that. It’s like ” Well I’m gonna stumble around for a minute or two and then I’ll look all dizzy and done in and then I’ll get after it when he thinks I’m ailing and cramping and then I’ll take it to him and beat the crap out of him”……that’s really funny to me…..I don’t believe for a minute he concocted that scenario at the time when he’s trying to win a grand slam that he’s owned for awhile now…..just saying….


Nusi Says:

I don’t know who is the biggest hypochondriac between Djokovic, Nadal and Murray

but up until today I hadn’t yet seen Murray or Nadal “take a dive” although Murray’s dying swan act against Thomas Johansson at Queens in 2005 may have come close

it’s just amusing to me how innovative they each are in coming up with new acts of gamesmanship, truly embarrassing

god help tennis when Federer retires, the last of the old school proper men – who just plays tennis, please the crowd win or lose with a smile on his face, and send the fans home happy – will be gone.


Giles Says:

Okie. You should get out more! Lol


brando Says:

Agree his speech was horrible. It mirrors his nature: conceited, deceiving, inherently facetious, a fake, a phoney and wannabe who wants to be fedal but is too much of a wimp at heart to pull of what they have done. But that’s enough of Courbon actually thinks about Novak Djokovic, lol. My thoughts? His speech on the Kim engagement was a bit weird, but well meant. Thing that made it weird was the pissed off look on Andy’s face. You could tell Andy was livid, so when Novak went that way it felt awkward to see. About the win: I have said it for along time now: Novak on rod laver arena is akin to nadal at rolland garros: a beast to beat. And Novak said it himself post match: this court is just tailor made for his game. Andy and wawrinka can go home with their head held high since for 2 plus hours both looked at least his equal that is nothing to sneer at or look down on.


brando Says:

@RZ: thanks for that interview. I think a big, big thing for Andy post this event is he’s finally knows that: 1- he’s got the right team set up to challenge for big ones. 2- his game is certainly kn the right track. That’s huge, colossal for him considering what his situation looked like in December. Going forward: I stand by 100% the opinion that if he sorts out his second serve and sterns up mentally there’s is no doubt in my mind he’ll win grand slams. Had he been tougher on those 2 fronts, been a killer like fedal when the opponent is down I have zero doubt in my mind he would have won the final. He needs to study the final. Repeat what worked in the first 2 sets, and eliminate what cost him. He’s got 4-5 months prior to Wimbledon/USO swing. I fully expect he’ll address his issues by then and if he does: he’s got no one to fear.


Ben Pronin Says:

I have to share this for those who haven’t seen this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGhr_FFPGQ


calmdownplease Says:

`Murray’s dying swan act against Thomas Johansson at Queens in 2005 may have come close`

That was 10 years ago dude!
I’m guessing Andy was a horrendous brat back then too as he had not quite shaken it off even 5 years ago.
But he was only a baby back then.

Oh and VW is `A` nasty old cow
cring.


django Says:

Nusi
Dying swan against jarkko nieminen 2012 FO trumps dying swan against johanson at Queens


RZ Says:

@brando – I agree about Andy’s second serve. It’s been a liability for his entire career and it’s a testament to how good the rest of his game is that it hasn’t stopped him from winning 2 slams and getting to a bunch of finals. But yeah, a little more belief and focus could have given him the win yesterday.


calmdownplease Says:

It must pretty clear now, even to Andy Murray,
that some of the top women are serving better than he is on the 2nd
He still hasn’t changed it, and he is nearly 28 so I think we are just going to have to give in and agree with him that DFs are worse and he can defend it well enough leave it at that.
Even though he is as wrong as one can be on this, obviously.
Its seems to be the last vestige of the old conservative/defensive Andy remaining in place as some kind of touchstone.
Still the stats show that the serve overall has improved recently.
Amelie has actually had a clearly positive effect on him already.


brando Says:

@RZ: the thing I don’t get is: Andy’s game is so complete outside it, so brilliant and yet this glaring, obvious weakness still exists. Like you prepare for an example, but forget to take a pen to it, your like ‘dude wtf, you do address everything but the obvious?”. So I just do not understand how such a intelligent, dedicated player cannot see, address this issue since-its only my opinion- it’s the only thing stopping him from being level with the big boys. He’s got everything else now: great first serve x return, defense, power, movement, touch, transition game, BH, his FH he’s hitting hard again. But this Achilles heel 2nd serve still remains an issue after all these years. I just don’t get why it’s still an issue today after all this time.


Ben Pronin Says:

It’s not an easy fix. Murray’s skillset isn’t a video game that he can just add experience points to until it’s at level 100 or something. Take his forehand, for example. Murray can hit an awesome flat forehand and everyone wonders why he doesn’t do it more often. Because hitting flat results in more errors and just isn’t a smart way to play. But when he’s rallying, he’s putting more topspin on the forehand, and it’s not as effective because he doesn’t generate heavy topspin on that side. Djokovic, Federer, and especially Nadal can hit a very heavy forehand that’s both powerful and has tons of spin which increases the margins. Murray doesn’t have that shot. And it’s similar to his serve. He can hit a great first serve because he’s capable of hitting hard and flat. But he doesn’t hit fast second serves because he can’t generate a lot of pace and heavy spin the way some others can.

Would he be better off taking more chances and double faulting like Sharapova? Maybe. But I wouldn’t take the chance and he doesn’t either. I don’t blame him. Sharapova has the luxury of facing players with even worse serves so she can always break back almost at will. As good of a returner as Murray is, breaking is harder against guys who have big serves. It’s just not worth gamble.


calmdownplease Says:

`But he doesn’t hit fast second serves because he can’t generate a lot of pace and heavy spin the way some others can..`

I buy that, & he also noticeably slices a lot on his 2nd rather than use top spin which indicates as much, although I have always been curious as to how he can’t generate spin as well as the others given his power and technical dexterity.

`But I wouldn’t take the chance and he doesn’t either..`

Maybe, but I think when you are getting to under WTA level that’s playing it too safe.
And the more aggressive he serves on the 2nd, the more used to it he would get.
Normally he is `on` against Novak, because he is one of `THE` players, but was easily distracted last night still so his serve was variable.
But in general, I do think he should take more chances with it anyway.
That’s what the little tournaments are for really.


WTF Says:

What about winning would make him miserable?


Ben Pronin Says:

I also wonder why Murray slices his second serves so much. I’m not trying to knock him but it’s really why people say he plays like a girl. A lot of WTA players hit second serve slices because they can’t, for whatever reason, hit kick servers. It’s really why Serena is so good. Not only the big first serve but she hits a great kick serve that’s really quite rare on the women’s side. Same as Sam Stosur and Sharapova when she actually gets it in.

I’m really not sure what it is that would prevent Murray hitting good kick serves. The technique relies on the wrist a lot so maybe Murray’s wrist isn’t flexible or strong in the way it is for the other guys? I know he had wrist troubles early in his career but I don’t remember if it was the left or right one.


calmdownplease Says:

I don’t think its physical, and as for technical he is right up there with Federer pulling off shots regularly that few of the others can.
For the record I have seen him do a number of kick serves (over a long period of time however)
So I doubt its a wrist or ability issue.
So were are back to mentality and philosophy of the game + his inability to generate significant spin.
I saw Andy at the Hopman Cup do his first `hot dog` shot. Ever
A high risk shot, that he is more than capable of doing..
He pulled it off very well too, but I just think he likes to play a more reasonable game.
He is still a pretty conservative and stubborn player in many ways and doesn’t like to do things that are too reckless and therefore affect his chances, or fundamentally change his conception of how tennis should be played.
He def has a more intellectual than instinctive view of the court, and that is factored into his tactical approach which is usually more strategic and about point construction because he wants to keep the errors low and the percentages high.
But I dont think even Andy knows really.


Wog Boy Says:

Nole bageled Andy in fourth with his second serve.


courbon Says:

@ Wog Boy:Juce, od srece, sam se napio ko mladi majmun…Novak bio opasan juce-svaka cast!


Wog Boy Says:

@courbon, kome kazes brate, ja sam se uneredio od srece:)


TennisVagabond.com Says:

Nice change of pace to see some tennis discussed! Thanks!


Emily Says:

I had no vested interest in who won, but I didn’t think Nole’s speech was that weird. He’s trying to please the fans and while the mention of Kim was random, it seemed honest. It was a tense ceremony and Andy was clearly not happy, but people have already been discussing the 2nd serve and his mental issues.

I think it’s a mistake to ever focus on Novak’s attitude on the other side of the court. I don’t think he fakes it, in the moment, he genuinely thinks he’s exhausted and playing worse than his opponent. His gasps during rallies are similar to those of many other players and it is his opponent’s mistake to let that distract them.

I’ve never seen a player talk to themselves as much as Andy did doing the changeovers. Amelie was a very low-key player and he should follow her lead. It proves to Novak that he has the upper hand, and he could just roll, no matter his own physical condition. Many people have mentioned this is a match that Andy needs to learn from, both mentally and physically, but let’s not boil the result down to perceived gamesmanship.


Okiegal Says:

@Giles 11:08

Why??? :)


Brando Says:

@Emily:

”I think it’s a mistake to ever focus on Novak’s attitude on the other side of the court. I don’t think he fakes it, in the moment, he genuinely thinks he’s exhausted and playing worse than his opponent. His gasps during rallies are similar to those of many other players and it is his opponent’s mistake to let that distract them.

I’ve never seen a player talk to themselves as much as Andy did doing the changeovers. Amelie was a very low-key player and he should follow her lead. It proves to Novak that he has the upper hand, and he could just roll, no matter his own physical condition. Many people have mentioned this is a match that Andy needs to learn from, both mentally and physically, but let’s not boil the result down to perceived gamesmanship.”:

Such a great post that addresses the matter brilliantly!. My take on the matter:

Novak and his action matter not in all of this. It’s the fact that Andy let a perception-since that is what it ultimately was as Novak played on fine- put him off course so badly is the bothersome fact that is an issue. That it took so little to derail him that badly mentally. And i think- not Novak- is what utterly frustrated him post match: that he could lose his concentration so easily to such little. It reminded me of his Wimbledon semi final v Rafa in 2010, when he missed a FH(I think) early in the 2nd set and he just completely lost the plot thereafter.

One shot, one moment: and he lost his focus for an age.

And in this match also, just look at the moment in question. 1 set all, he’s physically tired, but so is Novak who admitted to this post match. He’s 0-2 in the 3rd, loses concentration and it’s back on serve at 2-2. In reality: that’s a 5-10 minutes of time, and really the match is level: he’s right in it. He blew a 0-2 lead in the 2nd so it’s hardly a mountain he has not climbed already in the match.

But Novak like a true elite player said post match he tried to hide his physical fatigue and not let Andy, the opponent, realise it. That’s brilliant match play. What about Andy? He just lost the plot completely. Cursing,shouting at his box. He just completely and utterly checked out. Then it dawned on him that he actually just shot himself in the foot but it was too late. He just capitulated completely the reality of how he mentally just shot himself in the foot so badly, so unnecessarily.

So I think this- mental strength, game management- and 2nd serve are the 2 big issues he now needs to work on since as I said all the rest is pretty much there. He needs to study Novak, Rafa and Fed: look at how good their mental game management is, how they react to adversity and deal with it. Not lose their head just because they got a situation to deal with it. No. They focus immediately on finding a solution ASAP to it. And also their 2nd serve, how they are able to produce a great serve at very pressure ridden moments.

Nadal, for example, is not anyone idea’s of a Pete Sampras on serve. Yet he’s able to prduce great serves under pressure. An example: USO final 13′ v the greatest returner Novak Djokovic, 1-1, 0-40 down in a game that if he loses Novak serves for a 2-1 lead, he produced 3 outstanding serves. The pressure was right on, the momentum with Novak and he stepped to the line and produced 3 great serves that faced the challenge of Novak Djokovic, the greatest returner the game has seen.

So there are no excuses. It can be done. He needs to work to do it, since really he’s only- IMHO- a 10% away from winning another Grand Slam since like I said earlier: the ticks all the other boxes since the package is right there.

I think he’s such a good baseliner that even Nadal and Djokovic would much rather run to the net than stay there for a long time with Andy since his speed, movement, retrieving ability really is insane.

It would be a shame if he cannot find the answer to these 2 issues since I think his talent is greater than that of a 2 time Grand Slam Champion.

My 2 cents.


Patson Says:

@Brando

Those are not 2 cents, that’s a ten dollar bill you just threw :)

Jut kidding by the way.


SG1 Says:

Brando’s post makes a lot of sense. You don’t want to give your opponent any kind of edge. I like Andy as a player but there’s simply too much self-jibber-jabber going on with him. As a fan, it’s almost as annoying as listening to Sharapova or Azarenka……..well OK, not that annoying. But it is irritating. I used to have an issue with watching Lendl because he seemed to be happy on the court. Andy’s becomes hard to watch when he gets into that whiny mode.

He has to work on not showing his opponent what’s going on emotionally. I think it will really help him.


SG1 Says:

“…Lendl because he NEVER seemed to be happy on the court.”


TennisVagabond.com Says:

Agree SG1. One of the things I enjoy about Federer and Novak is that they can display a complete intensity and focus while still, somehow, giving the vibe that there is nowhere else in the world they’d rather be than right there, right now. Andy often seems like he’d rather be ANYWHERE else in the world. I don’t mean this to denigrate him as a person, its just a reason I wouldn’t get behind him as a fan.


Okiegal Says:

Lendl never looks happy anywhere! :(


Sidney Says:

It wouldnt surprise me if Giles/Nusi turns out to be Lendl’s monicker on this forum. :) Seems very negative and unhappy with his/her posts.


SG1 Says:

Okiegal Says:
Lendl never looks happy anywhere! :(

———

Was smiling when he beaned Emilio Sanchez in that exho a bunch of years ago. Lendl always was a bit of an a-hole on court.

I have a greater appreciation for Lendl’s game today than when he was on top. His groundies were just so smooth.


SG1 Says:

Ben Pronin Says:
I have to share this for those who haven’t seen this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FGhr_FFPGQ

—————-

Incredible shot from Paes! Thanks Ben.


Okiegal Says:

@SG1

I was never a fan at all…..but an excellent player! Watched him in lots of exciting matches. He needs to smile more. From this :( 2 this :)…me thinks!!!


RZ Says:

@SG1 – that was one difference I noticed for Murray during the “Lendl years.” He emoted a lot less on the court. Now he seems to be back to emoting.


RZ Says:

@Ben – I had seen that video. It’s not just a fantastic shot from Paes, the entire point is a showcase for fantastic doubles. You can see Paes and Hingis working the court together, making sure to cover the areas, etc.


Okiegal Says:

@RZ 2:37

That thought crossed my mind too. It seems that Andy was calmer when Ivan was coaching him, just my take. I don’t want to see Andy taking two steps forward and three steps back. I want him to keep it together and not fall back into the on court negativity. He’s too talented to let it get the best of him.

@Ben…..Thanks for the vid, cool shot making!! Doubles are a blast…..wish we could see more of them televised. However,they are live streamed on the PC and I watch there, especially if Rafa is playing. :)


jane Says:

thanks giles; that was cute. some better than others. i always laugh at the brad gilbert ones, lol. the “attending bagel company” was good too. but i didn’t get: what’s with the “mardi” at the end by gaudio and harman meant. i think that’s the only reference i missed.


RZ Says:

@Jane – I didn’t get the Mardi reference by Gaudio, but Harman’s copying of it is a reference to his plagiarism scandal where he had copied other journalists’ work in the Wimbledon yearbook. http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports/2014/07/
neil_harman_plagiarism_the_all_england_club_discovered_journalistic_malfeasance.html

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