Andy Murray Is Back After Elbow Issue, Hopes To Play Monte Carlo

Hope he’s back sooner than later, but more importantly I hope he’s back when he is fully healed and ready to play.

April 11th, 2017 at 3:12 pm

Saw some highlithes of the exonwith fed and he was running and defending as good as ever, some nice lobs (he is the best lobber of the circuit), great passing shots and was making Fed hit another shot a lot. Fed was atill able to attack some of his serves with the same flat BH he is using but overall didn’t sense any decrease in Andy’s game. He shousl be fine wih a few matches to get going through clay.

April 11th, 2017 at 3:20 pm

@Daniel – thanks for the report. I fully expected Fed to win the match – after all, it’s for Fed’s charity and was held in Switzerland – so it’s good to know that Murray was playing well.

April 11th, 2017 at 3:37 pm

Hard to tell the real state of Murray’s game from just an exo (Fed we know has been on fire this year no matter what the scenario). I’m surprised, however, that they didn’t make sure it went 3 sets to give the live audience more value for money! I’m sure in most charity exos the outcome is more or less tacitly agreed (Was anyone surprised back in 2011 around Christmas when Fed beat Nadal in Zurich in 3, then lost the next day to Nadal in Madrid in 3?). I expect Murray will win when he and Fed play in Glasgow later this year to benefit Murray’s charities.

On the other hand, I don’t expect Fed to give Isner a freebie in a few weeks, even though they are playing in Isner’s home country. After all, Fed is more beloved by American tennis fans than Isner, and it’s still a benefit for his charities and not Isner’s.

April 11th, 2017 at 4:01 pm

@Dennis – The match in 2 weeks is also for Fed’s foundation, so I would expect Fed to win (even if it is in the U.S.)

April 11th, 2017 at 10:34 pm

@JK…..I usually do most of my posting on my Kindle Fire. There are emoticons on the keypad…..this particular key has a ?1 followed by a smiley face. When I click on it all of the emojis pop up…..there are so many to choose from….I have an iPhone too and it is equipped with tons of them. Now if I use my computer you have to create them like :) this. So I guess it all depends on the electronics you use. 😈😎🎾😱👳💞🌛🎶🙊🐂🐐💃🐟🍸🎂🍪😵🎲🏀🎿🎹🏆🏈🏊options are endless…..👢👠👠🎓👓🎹🏈👙💈🗽🗼🚽 here is a few……

April 12th, 2017 at 1:04 am

@JK This comment should be on the other thread…..I goofed!!

April 12th, 2017 at 1:06 am

Okiegal

I’ve looked at Kindle Fire before and received warnings – I’m such a coward – gave up too soon.

April 12th, 2017 at 3:23 am

RZ – uh, that’s what I said.

April 12th, 2017 at 11:30 am

@Dennis – I was agreeing with you but re-reading my post I realize I made it sound like I wasn’t.

April 12th, 2017 at 11:56 am

I hope Andy doesn’t rush back too soon. He is probably worried about his #1 ranking. He must make Wimbly his priority.

April 12th, 2017 at 12:28 pm

@lakie – I think Andy’s #1 ranking is pretty safe through Wimbledon. He has a 4000 point lead over Novak, but Novak is defending many more points through the French Open than Andy is (the bulk of Andy’s points are in the 2nd half of the year). Stan, Fed, and Rafa are each more than 6000 points behind, so while they could catch up during clay season (though realistically Fed won’t since he’s not playing much if at all until the French), Andy should still be in a good position to hold #1 until the end of grass season.

April 12th, 2017 at 12:35 pm

^ But you are right that he’s probably concerned that he hasn’t been able to add to his points lead during this stretch.

April 12th, 2017 at 12:36 pm

RZ

Andy’s slightly concerned because he (Andy) is still tentative on his health level. Despite the elbow I remain most troubled about Shingles which gives no consideration to age and frequency….and can re-occur without any obvious indication/reason out of nowhere.

April 12th, 2017 at 3:24 pm

@JK…..I have two Kindles and never had any problems……I love them! Great for reading books too…..you can make the print big……get my drift??? Lol J-Kath, step out of the box and take a walk in the wild side!!! 👣👣👣👣👣

April 12th, 2017 at 3:53 pm

RZ,

Actually, Andy defends quite a bit on clay as well, from now on he defends: Finals Madrid (600), title Rome (1000), Finals RG (1200), tile Queens (500) and title Wimby (2000).

If he doesn´t make finals in RG nor Wimby and doesn´t win a single title in this next 5 and Fed makes semis in RG, wins Halle and Wimbledon. Suddenly things can change.

Didn´t made the math but if Fed wins more 2000-2500 pts till end of wimbledon and Murray loses 2000 pts the rankings can change.

Djoko has a smaller chance to catch Murray till end of grass, only if he wins RG and Wimbledon, due to all the other poins he has to defend on clay, and murray wuld have to lose first 3 roudns in Wimbleodn for him to lose a lot of points and also lose more on clay.

It can happens, Murray would have to have an awfull Clay-Grass, with around 2000 pts (compared to his last year 5.300 pts), losing 3000 and Fed or Djoko gaining 2.500 pts.

April 12th, 2017 at 4:20 pm

1 – Murray: 11960 – 360 (MC) – 600 (Madrid) – 1000 (Rome) – 1200 (RG) – 500 (Queens) – 2000 (wimny) = 6.300 pts

2 – Djoko: 7915 – 10 (MC) – 1000 (Madrid) – 600 (Rome) – 2000 (RG) – 90 (Wimby) = 4.215 pts

3 – Wawa: 5785 – 180 (MC) -90 (Rome) – 720 (RG) – 45 (Wimby) = 4.750 pts

4 – Federer: 5305 – 180 (MC) – 90 (Rome) – 90 (Stutgart) – 180 (Halle) – 720 (wimby) = 4.045 pts

Actually, the one who is closer to Murray removing Clay and Grass points is Wawa, who is 1.65 pts. Djoko and Fed are 4.500 pts behind Murray.

Which means that for Djoko or Fed to take #1 from Murray after Wimbledon they will have to win 4.500 pts more than Murray.

Wawa only needs to win 1.600 pts more.

You are right RZ, very hard for Murray to lose #1 after wimby, only if he is injured.

April 12th, 2017 at 4:35 pm

Hope he plays MC.

Can´t see any other than Djoko, Nadal and Wawa (all who won it in the past and RG) and Murray winning.

If he plays they will be top 4, curious to see if Nadal will land in Djoko semis or Murray semis, either way, if they all go through: Djoko x Nadal semis; Djoko x Wawa semis; Murray x Nadal semis or Murray x Wawa semis should all be great matches.

Long time we don´t have a tourney going accordingly with rankings, a lot of upset lately.

April 12th, 2017 at 5:20 pm

http://metro.co.uk/2017/04/12/roger-federer-names-the-three-players-outside-the-big-four-who-can-stop-him-becoming-world-no-1-again-6570375/

Well folks – this apparently is what Roger believes —personally am still blinking on the players he has supposedly said….e.g. Thiem??????????????????

April 12th, 2017 at 6:34 pm

Thanks for the breakdown Daniel. I think the others can catch up for sure, but those 2000 points from Wimbledon should hold Andy in the top spot till then. After Wimbledon, he has a lot of work to do!

J-Kath – yes, I could see some exhaustion from going through something like shingles. I’m hoping Andy is recovered enough to have a decent clay season, even if it’s not up to his “new King of Clay” standard (sarcasm). If the elbow is hurting, he should stop playing because it affects his serve and he’ll need to serve well on the grass to have any hope of winning. As for the players Roger thinks could be #1, I don’t think he means Thiem in relation to this year. But it’s possible in a couple of years that Thiem could hit the top spot. (Of course, I’m probably Thiem’s biggest cheerleader on this site so maybe I’m biased)

April 12th, 2017 at 6:50 pm

@J-Kath: Thiem has a winning H2H against Federer and has beaten him the last two times they’ve played. Federer knows that Thiem is still young, only improving, and thus very dangerous. Plus, with the exception of Rio (which Thiem won without having to beat anyone inside the top 20), he’s not had stellar results so far this year and so is likely very hungry to prove himself on grass and clay.

April 12th, 2017 at 6:53 pm

He did not name Kyrgios?

April 12th, 2017 at 7:40 pm

^Novak should be naming Nick, not Fed.

April 12th, 2017 at 8:50 pm

Fed won in tight tiebreaks. If Kyrgios had kept better control of his emotions, the tiebreaks could have gone his way. As he is young,I am sure he will learn just as Fed did. So Fed should see him as a threat.

April 12th, 2017 at 9:41 pm

“Kyrgios had kept better control of his emotions”
Nick controlled his emotions fine against Novak.

April 12th, 2017 at 10:32 pm

Zverev Junior also beat Fed in the last 2 matches. Wonder why he forgot about that.

April 13th, 2017 at 1:08 am

Wawa is a threat for Fed only on clay. Kyrgios and Sascha would hav more chances against Fed on hard courts and grass.

April 13th, 2017 at 1:15 am

Everyone on here knows I’m not a Nick fan but he had a run of bad luck in his last Fed match. The fan who yelled out put his nerves on edge for sure. I hate to see something so unfortunate as that to happen and disrupt a player’s momentum. But setting that incident aside Nick had the match on his racquet and couldn’t deliver……he’s so good!! I believe he will be number one at some point!! Maturity will eventually come his way……surely……

April 13th, 2017 at 1:52 am

“personally am still blinking on the players he has supposedly said….”

JK, agree with you, he has chosen more names of tennis players, which he doesn’t really consider threats…
mind games…makes me think he really wants that Nr. 1 ranking again.

April 13th, 2017 at 1:56 am

Perhaps Kyrgios and Zverev Jr. are “jokes for tennis” and do not deserve to be mentioned. LOL

April 13th, 2017 at 2:16 am

Murray needs to get a little more aggressive as he can and quit playing like Novak and Rafa. All these injuries will only get worse hereon if he continues with the same old prolonging the point style of play. Just my two bits :) ……..

April 13th, 2017 at 3:03 am

VP: Yep….the Fed. is a clever laddie – he has a tad more trouble against really big servers than the players he’s named – a very in-form Milos could rattle his chains.

Okie: One of these days I shall give Kindles my best shot.

April 13th, 2017 at 4:38 am

@ the-mind-reels

Thanks for the Thiem comment – Fed. must have remembered that match particularly – strange, because there’s others that slipped thru the net.

April 13th, 2017 at 4:42 am

J-K,

Of course, I forgot about Milos, due to his latest injuries.

Think it is perhaps the best opportunity for Roger to tie Pete’s record with 6 trophies as ATP player of the year, since he started the season so well.

April 13th, 2017 at 5:05 am

Keep in mind that Thiem has been in/near the top 10 for about a year now. Kyrgios and Zverev have yet to make it into the top 10. And Thiem is the only one of the 3 to make a GS semi. I think Kyrgios and Zverev will get there soon enough, but probably after clay season where Thiem is likely to pick up his game.

April 13th, 2017 at 7:09 am

lakie Says:
Fed won in tight tiebreaks. If Kyrgios had kept better control of his emotions, the tiebreaks could have gone his way. As he is young,I am sure he will learn just as Fed did. So Fed should see him as a threat.

April 12th, 2017 at 9:41 pm

Lakie has a real hang up about fed. I think she likes him a little bit too much :-)

April 13th, 2017 at 9:08 am

Thiem, I can definitely see as a future number one, as I can see Kygrios, problem is, he has to grow up in time. Been saying that too much about Gulbis over the last few years as well…a wasted talent.

Whatever happened to Ernst?

April 13th, 2017 at 9:12 am

Maybe that’s why he menton those names. They are all player that can get hot and beat a big name.

Also he could know more about Raonic’s injury and that he will be a no factor and he can think kyrgios is not for real or lack the desire/consostency. Something in a way Thiem already showed he wants.

Wawa is right there and Kei (eeven tough won’t be number one) on a good day can surprise a top name in a Slam (Djoko semis in 2014).

April 13th, 2017 at 9:14 am

Daniel,

“and Kei (even tough won’t be number one) on a good day can surprise a top name in a Slam (Djoko semis in 2014).”
Kyrgios managed to beat Rafa at Wimbledon, Djoko 2 times in a row (ok Djoko not in best shape, but should not be an excuse!) and Fed in Madrid last year, if I am not wrong….do not see Nick necessarily as a Nr. 1 (he should be more consistant first) but I give him more chances to upset Roger at a GS. Kyrgios is a potential dark horse at every tournament this year, if he stays healthy.

April 13th, 2017 at 9:24 am

Also note, that Nadal, Djokovic and Andy gave a lot of credit to Nick already. I do not think they are only polite.

April 13th, 2017 at 9:32 am

One of Rogers weakness (he’s human after all) is his vanity. He was never very generous with praises toward his (potential) rivals!

April 13th, 2017 at 9:43 am

Correction: one for Roger’s weaknesses..

April 13th, 2017 at 9:44 am

“One of Rogers weakness (he’s human after all) is his vanity. He was never very generous with praises toward his (potential) rivals!”
Totally disagree.
That said, am sure he is not perfect. Who is? The more important question is how does he stack up being a model for the Tennis game to others?

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/01/21/federer-gracious-in-praise-sunday-opponent-at-aussie-open.html
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/roger-federer-praises-rafael-nadal

April 13th, 2017 at 10:57 am

Yeah, Kyrgios indeed can beat them and have so. But Nadal match was ealry in a Slam and on grass, Kei beat Djoko in a Slam semis on Djoko best surface.

But maybe he didn´t want to hype him or his name just didn´t come to his mind or midn games. Zverev also has a lot of potential but didn´t get his big win on a big event still.

April 13th, 2017 at 10:59 am

Skeezer,

Exactly. Nobody is perfect. And I also said on this site, what I do not like about Djoko, if I remember well.
Yep, he’s gracious in speeches abiut his rivals, after he beats them ;)

Daniel,

It is not very difficult to envy Nick a bit, if you are in the tour;)
The guy started to play tennis very late, does not have an “expensive coach”, talks BS…and guess what…he still manages to beat the best.

April 13th, 2017 at 11:11 am

VP,
Curious, do you play tennis? I think fans confuse the “vanity” (ego, conceited) with “self belief”. I only ask, you as a player, you would understand it more as it is absolutely nessesary in tennis if you want to succeed.
http://www.sportspsychologytennis.com/pro-tennis-psychology-do-you-believe-in-yourself/

I am not saying Fed has not had his moments… to me mostly he is expressing his inner belief, which, at times, he shouldn’t have to. Its not like other players don’t talk about themselves either, and the press has to take some ownership in the particular questions asked.

By the way, Fed praised Kei’s game PRIOR to the match.
just sayin.

April 13th, 2017 at 11:24 am

Skeezer,

I played tennis in the past, but more for fun, not as a pro.
But do not think you need to play a sport in order to make the difference between self belief and vanity. Federer has them both.

April 13th, 2017 at 12:05 pm

The weak era (2002-2006) lap dogs received more love from Fed.
There was no match up problem between those lap dogs and Fed.
They just stunk terribly with miserable attitudes & awful weaknesses. They always welcomed new injuries to excuse their overrated useless games.
The only other 30 year olds, Ferrer and Stan were far superior and moved well on different surfaces.
Hewitt, Safin & Roddick were exposed as very simple players.
Fed couldn’t admit that he struggled against one dimensional players in 2003.
Even Roddi confessed prior to quitting tennis that he finally stopped deceiving the media and said he was tired of playing tennis. He was just a laughing stock, greedy money grabber and phony that couldn’t keep up the fake “love for sportsmanship” comments to the media anymore.
Fake greedy people usually get along (Fed and Roddick).
The GOAT Fed nonsense was invented to satisfy the media, greed of the frauds, washed up players & spoiled brats that had no rivalry.

The better and more intelligent players, Nadal & Djoker, got insulting comments
(Fed: “Nadal is one dimensional. He has a talent for running like Hewitt does”. “Novak was unimpressive to me.” “He got much better the last “couple of years”.).
Even Wawrinka was brushed off by Fed, like he was inferior to Hewitt & Roddi.
That’s funny because Fed depended on weak draws just to win anything. It had nothing to do with his age. The floons look for age excuses for him because they know he’s no GOAT.

I guess Federer cried hysterically when he didn’t win 25 Slams by age 27 to fool the most stupid idiots, especially the fairweather tennis watchers that only watched Slams.
I’ve never seen more delusional tennis sycophants in the media and on court.

Too bad the “non-aggressive” Djoker destroyed the physical Nadal and physical tennis- dependent Federer.
Fed avoided his biggest weak era muppet Roddi, especially during Davis Cup, because he was afraid that his own very physical tennis/serve would injure him and therefore let Roddick win fake Slams and Davis Cup.
Fed and Nadal whined about old age when they took a lot of time off with fake injuries.
Only when Djoker usually dominated the weak era and newer players in Slam quarters/semis/finals.
Roddick and Hewitt wouldn’t have stopped any of these guys from playing more Slam finals.
Murray gave little trouble to Djoker for many years and both still very strong at age 30+.
Fed was constantly beaten by Murray, Tsonga & Berdych and even muppet Roddi had to choke twice, beyond belief, to make Fed look great at Wimbledon.
Fed was busy praising Roddi’s crap game, fake personality and abusive behaviour toward Djoker and many other people. He said he enjoyed “Roddick joke” that degraded Djoker.
Fed hopped around, got injured and whined about having no game with injuries.

April 13th, 2017 at 12:19 pm

RZ: Thanks for comments. I think Andy would not risk an incipient elbow – it’s just the nature of sudden shingles hit that worries me….can change from one day to another.

April 13th, 2017 at 2:40 pm

Always nice to remember there are ATP 500 and 1000 and 250 Tournaments. And who has lots of titles:
Masters 1000 titles (and after the Big 4 the number falls off a cliff)
Djokovic -30
Nadal – 28
Federer 26
Andy 14.
Tsonga 2

(Outside the Big 4, of inactive & retired players, Andre Agassi has the most – 17)

ATP 500 events:
Nadal 17
Federer 16
Djokovic 12

Outside those 3 and Andy with 9 so far, Sampras had 12.

ATP 500 events are noted for “favorite places to win’, the guys with the most titles get 85% or so from onlv 2-3 events. They rarely show up for 500 tournaments outside the ones they schedule at the beginning of the year – unless they are rehabbing, building up points. So Rafa has 9 Barcelona titles, Djokovic 5 Beijings, 4 Dubais Fed favoring Dubai and Basel.

April 13th, 2017 at 8:01 pm

Truth is a frustrated Novak fan. Novak ran the table when Fed and Rafa were injured. Now that the big cats are back, the mouse is “injured”.

April 14th, 2017 at 11:44 am

@chrisford- Thanks for sharing those numbers. I would expect that Andy to pass Agassi in # of Masters titles and Sampras with the # of 500 titles (Djokovic too obviously). Interesting point about the favorite tournaments/repeat victories.

April 14th, 2017 at 12:49 pm

According to some articles and rumours, Jelena is pregnant. Nole/Jelena’s second child due in August.

April 14th, 2017 at 6:14 pm