Miami Madness as Murray Manhandled by Maria’s Ex

by Staff | March 28th, 2016, 10:54 pm
  • 44 Comments

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal out, it looked like Andy Murray’s event to challenge Novak Djokovic in Miami — but now only Djokovic stands of the former “Big 4.”
ADHEREL
The No. 2-seeded Murray, who maintains a training base in Miami, was stunned on Monday at the Miami Open, losing to No. 26 seed Grigor Dimirov 6-7(1), 6-4, 6-3.

“To be honest I just played better in the big moments today,” Dimitrov said. “Even though I lost the first set, I kept good composure. I had to stay in the match and I had to be really focused. I think when I was 3-1 down in the third set, I knew I was going to get another chance because I was returning well, playing well in the key moments.”

Murray slipped to 6-3 in his career head-to-head with Dimitrov.


“A lot of unforced errors in the third set,” Murray said. “Obviously, I didn’t start the second set particularly well. After winning a close first set you want to try and put your opponent under pressure. I think I lost my first two service games to love, so that wasn’t very good. Then in the third set, he managed to get up a break and then I made a lot of unforced errors. Credit to him. He was more solid than me.”

Dimitrov’s next match will be another showcase against the entertaining No. 16 seed Gael Monfils, who on Monday beat No. 23 Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4.

Another upset-maker was No. 17 Roberto Bautista Agut, who toppled No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(3). He will next face No. 6 Kei Nishikori, who was the lone Top 10 winner on the day, easily handling No. 27 Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2, 6-2.

“Everything worked well,” said Nishikori who has never lost to “The Dog” in four career meetings. “Not many easy mistakes and I served well today, so that was the key.”

No. 12 Milos Raonic beat back a challenge from No. 22 Jack Sock 7-6(3), 6-4, next meeting unseeded Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who defeated Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. It was Raonic’s seventh win in a row over Sock.

No. 24 seed Nick Kyrgios and Andrey Kuznetsov also lined up a meeting, with the Aussie topping American Tim Smyczek 6-4, 6-4, and the Russian beating Adrian Mannarino 2-6, 7-5, 6-0.

Tuesday’s highlights in Miami will be (10) Richard Gasquet vs. (7) Tomas Berdych, (1) Novak Djokovic vs. (14) Dominic Thiem, and (16) Gael Monfils vs. (26) Grigor Dimitrov.


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44 Comments for Miami Madness as Murray Manhandled by Maria’s Ex

jane Says:

apparently genie was there watching…does that mean grigor and genie?! ;)

i’m quite surprised andy loses, given he was up 3-1 in the final set! didn’t see it, so can’t comment.


Margot Says:

Glad I didn’t watch that cos it sounds as if Andy was playing really poorly. Always thought Miami was his “second home” tournament too. Jeez.
Thanks Kimberly for your on site news and thanks for you insight into the conditions.


Jeez Says:

Mikhail Kukushkin is from Kazakhstan not Russia !!!


Wog Boy Says:

TX really has a problem with geography, every now and then they put players in the wrong country, are you by any chance Americans;)


Jeez Says:

@Wogboy

Actually he was born in former U.S.S.R played 2006-08 for Russia

before moving to Kazakhstan in 2008


Wog Boy Says:

Jeez, I know, he is ethnic Russian but is officially from Kazakhstan, that’s the country he represents and belongs, like so many other players who are Canadanians, Americans, Danish, Germans, Aussies … but not even born in those countries.


Wog Boy Says:

Two days ago Damir Dzumhur was Serbian:)


Green Lady Says:

I think what tennis boils down to these days, is whos playing for the privalege of getting their backsides kicked in the final by Novak, there really is nobody whos up to the challenge, Stan and Andy blow hot and cold, nobody knows about Rogers form, Rafas on a continued downward spiral, Delpo meh forget it ?? , he and his fans must be busting their buttons, and also suffering from jaw ache from smiling too much, tennis is his, he owns tennis and everybody at the moment ….


Tennisfan Says:

@Jane

I hope Grigor/Genie happens- they would be such a good-looking couple lol


Okiegal Says:

Green Lady……It is now the “big one”……the other three, like Elvis, have left the building…….LOL………


Van Persie Says:

Grigor/Genie would be a sort of Barbie/ Ken of tennis world :)


Wog Boy Says:

This time around Grigor’s girlfriend is younger than him..for a change..

BTW, How many top10 players (WTA) GriĊĦa has slept with so far..three…four…? Country boy is doing well in that department;) that reminds me on this:

http://youtu.be/Dz6GzKWiIAs


Van Persie Says:

Lol WB,

Dimitrov is the Red bull of ATP


Wog Boy Says:

VP,

I love him, but I think he got his priority list mixed up somehow.

On the other note, I am watching highlights of his match today, just now, and I noticed that Andy’s team was sitting in separate boxes on two sides of stadium, Amelia was in the man free box (I am not joking) and his entire male part of the team plus Kim and her father was on the other side, strange?
I really like Andy’s fans here, but are they going to admit that Amelia was mistake , big one?


Van Persie Says:

WB,

I am not a big fan of Dimitrov, have to admit this. Do not like him and not sure why…

Regarding Andy, I have noticed that about Amelie yesterday…I am sorry for Andy. If Nole would not be there, Andy would be my 1 favorite…
I guess, Amelie is a bit to soft, but Andy knows better what he’s doing


Wog Boy Says:

I haven’t watched Andy since AO final, but I have impression that he put some weight on?


Travis Bickle Says:

As a big proponent of the “equal pay”, I hope Murray pays his current coach (Mauresmo) the same as he was paying his previous coach (Lendl).
They both do/did the same job, … with slightly different results, but who cares about that – equal pay rules!!!

Also, the poll on the front page of Tennis X asks who will win Miami – Federer got second most votes :-) You’ve got to love those ballerinas/federinas. They are keeping the faith despite harsh reality…


Giles Says:

Dimitrov doesn’t like you either VP :(


Wog Boy Says:

TB,

Nice to read you:)


Green Lady Says:

Wogboy not a fan of Grigor, but thanks for the Midnight Cowboy highlights love that film, i actually thought he was still dating the gorgeous but extremely irritating Nicole Sherzinger ….


Van Persie Says:

Hehe, TB is vigilant as always :)

I do not like Dimitrov, because he behaves like a male doll…

Marat Safin was something else ;)


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Another deep run by Monfils, as well as Kei and Milos. Aside from the softness of the Other Three in terms of consistent results, I think this is the big story right now. Those three are putting themselves into a position to challenge for titles more and more often, and will supplant, or at least challenge, the Other Three.

I will call them the Alt-3.


James Says:

Murray really is not Grand slam or No. 1 material. He got lucky with his two slams facing an off form and tired Djokovic. And he’s almost 29 now, so his best days are behind him.

Looks like Djokovic will do another clean sweep in 2016. who will stop him??


jane Says:

i had thought maybe amelie was in a different box because she was on baby duty (i.e., her own), but andy said it was done to improve his focus:

“Murray, who received a violation from the umpire for smashing his racket during the second set, insisted that Mauresmo was sat elsewhere in a bid to curb his on-court tantrums.”

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/mar/29/andy-murray-amelie-mauresmo-miami-open-grigor-dimitrov


Margot Says:

@TV
Gael, whom I love to watch, is 30 this year and endlessly injured. There’s James writing off Andy because he’s nearly 28 and obviously well past it. You really, really think Gael is suddenly, with a single bound, leaping free?
Kei 26, frequently injured, Milos younger true but that shoulder seems highly suspect to me.
OK in fact to me,Milos is the most likely. He is very fortunate in being an inbetweeny. But he better hurry cos Kyrgios, Thiem and co are overtaking on the outside lane.


jane Says:

^ agree about thiem, kyrgios and co, margot…


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Sure Margot, rain on the parade. All three of those guys have been fragile.
But right now, in the Race, those three are strong, top-10 (and Milos is #2 in 2016), and if you add in last fall, I think overall, they are making a move.
Its all predicated on remaining injury free. I think Monfils’ has never had consistent deep runs– anytime he has been doing well, he’s been interrupted by injury. He just hasn’t had the late-round match experience in one season to break through. Maybe this is it.
All in all, I agree that Milos is the most promising, but I am just trying to call TXers attention to this Monfils dark horse.

If we’re lucky, we could get Monfils/ Kei and Raonic/Kyrgios quarters which would be a very entertaining sifting of these wanna-be challengers.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Incredible that Rog, Rafa, Murray and Stan are all gone this early. Really unprecedented.
Its a huge opportunity for those Alt-Challengers (i.e. those not named Rog, Rafa, Murray and Stan).


Tennis Vagabond Says:

As with a heavyweight championship, you don’t want to see the same customers get shot after shot at the champ.


Okiegal Says:

@Wog Boy…….Regarding Midnight Cowboy, he would be called a “drugstore” cowboy in Oklahoma! Good movie, Hoffman was the star in that one! Loved The Graduate too………Mrs. Robinson……the original “cougar”……and not Maria!! Lol


Margot Says:

@TV
Sean is a huge fan of Monfils.


RZ Says:

Speaking of the young guns – any one know about Kokkinakis and his ongoing injury? He’s been out for a long time. He was one of the young guys I liked watching as he stayed calm, kept trying, and didn’t have tantrums/behavior issues on court.


Green Lady Says:

James @9.36am, so does it make everybody elses GS wins and other titles less legit, simply because Novak was not at his best, and is everyone of his losses down to him not being at his best, just to be clear ?? ….


James Says:

Green Lady – there are grand slam wins and there are grand slam wins. Nadal beating Fed at Wimbledon in 2008 – that’s some victory (however close it was).

Murray got lucky at the Olympics in 2012 – Delpo really tired out Federer, so he was washed out when he faced Murray in the finals. Same thing happened at Wimbledon 2013 – Delpo really tired out Djokovic in a tough 5-setter, and then Murray beat a washed out Djokovic.

USO 2012 – I’ll give Murray that. I think he beat Djokovic fair and square.

But overall, yes, Murray has won several 1000 tournaments in the last 5 years – but he really hasn’t been even close to Fed, Djokovic or Nadal in the slams or the YEC. This whole Big 4 moniker is ridiculous. Stan has as many slams as Murray. And neither has been No 1 ever.

Going forward – tough to see Murray doing much. Especially if he is losing to Dimitrov on his home turf in Miami (he boasted last year or the year before that he knows every single part of that court better than anyone since he practices there all the time). And he will be 29 years old in less than 2 months.

That’s what is so lucky for Djokovic. He has a 34+ year old Fed as his main opponent on hard or grass, Nadal is almost 30 and washed out on any surface (he is 12-6 this year so far already). Murray is murray. Stan is almost 31. And none of the young guns really seem to be stepping up. Nishikori and Raonic both have potential, but fragile bodies.


Markus Says:

By James’ reasoning, Djokovic can’t lose, can he? If he wins because he’s great and if he losses it’s because he was tired. Djokovic’s greatest strength is that never looks for a cheap excuse for his losses. Instead, he uses them to improve his game.


BBB Says:

As long as someone hooks up with more WTA players than Radek Stepanek I’m fine with it. That dude must have had serious game. Or something.

Nole having a tough serving day today.


RZ Says:

@BBB – Radek Stepanek’s appeal with the ladies is the biggest mystery in tennis. :-)


Kimberly Says:

My Daily Report.

I did not go to the Miami Open today. I am a real estate agent and I had too many commitments. My husband went at the end of the Berdych match. I thought he would be there five minutes and he is still there. It truly looked all day like it would pour any second, which is probably a relief for the players even though it is still extremely humid.

CHristian arrived at the beginning of Bascinsky/Halep and not a big fan of womens tennis I was certain he would go see Kyrgios, but no he was worried it would rain and he would be stuck out at grandstand so he stayed. I got multiple texts from him shocked at the moonballs, slice forehands and lack of power from Bascinsky game. He doesn’t understand how a player of this caliber could not step in and crush the moonballs except he thought maybe Halep too small.What he did say was even without the sun in the third set Halep, known for being strong and fit, looked totally sapped.

Next he watched Djokovic Thiem and he said he sat near thiem family, who seemed very serious, angry he will losing, very very intense. He also said level of play excellent despite Thiem appearing tired and very frustrated toward the end.

He is currently enjoying Monfils and Dimitrov.

My thoughts on Murray. I thought he was fast, clearly you see the amazing amazing talentI also thought he was much more likeable in person than previously thought. I think he has a great great backhand, a full arsendal of tools, amazing passing shots, good court awareness, a great first serve. I think for whatever reason he was unconfortable from the start of the tournament he usually likes. ANd because he was unconfortable I saw magnified some of the weaknesses discussed on this site, particularly the second serve. Also I thought he was not aggressive anough returning second serves. My ten cents. Disappointed he lost as the tournament needs all the stars possible and I am going to the final.


AndyMira Says:

@RZ..do you think there’s a possibility that andy lost yesterday due to the rumours that he and amelie has a rift at the moment?


RZ Says:

@AndyMira – no, I read an article (and Jane posted one somewhere too) that Andy asked her to sit elsewhere to help him keep his focus. As we know, he likes to direct his yelling at either himself or his coach/team, so he might have wanted her elsewhere for that reason – more places to yell!


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Kimberley, thanks as always.

I’m glad to see Monfils through, bolstering my theory that this is his time. Looking forward to Milos/ Nick as well.

But Simon/ Goffin- there’s a slobberknocker for you. At least, someone will have to work to earn that win.


Margot Says:

@Kimberly
Thanks for your input on Andy. Hope whatever’s bothering him doesn’t hang round for the clay season.


Green Lady Says:

RZ @7.13PM March 29th, lol to your post, Grendel once told me Radeks appeal is because he listens and cares about women and what they think, i know its beyond me too ….


RZ Says:

@GL – there must be aspects of his personality that we fans don’t see on the tennis court but the ladies of the WTA tour do see. :-)

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