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boogers
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Toothless Murray bunted out « on: April 20, 2012, 12:52 PM »
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Andy Murray was knocked out of the Monte Carlo Masters event 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3 by Tomas Berdych. The Scot was out gunned and looked bereft of ideas in a passive car crash of a tennis match.

Murray has never beaten a top 8 player on clay, and today provided plenty of evidence as to why that's the case. When he's at his red hot peak, such as against Nadal in the semis of this event last year, Murray is able to threaten good results against great clay courters. When operating some way below his best, as he was today, he's unable to generate the consistency and power required to dominate from the back of the court.

Murray was in trouble from the start, staving off seven break points in the first set alone. Berdych pounced on frequent short balls from the Murray forehand, driving the Scot out wide before trotting to the net to put away the inevitable floated forehand return. Throughout the match the Scot was unable to counter this tactic and it was only some big serving (and big misses from Berdych) that kept the first set competitive. Seven spurned break points and four set points later and Murray emerged as the unlikely winner of the first set tie break.

Berdych knuckled down in the second set. Fractionally safer ground strokes and a little more consistency resulted in the Czech cantering to victory.

This was a horribly disappointing performance for the Scot, and questions will again be raised about his competitiveness on this surface. On this evidence, he's unlikely to become the first Brit to win a tour clay court event since Buster Mottram in 1977.
[ Last edit by Mark April 20, 2012, 01:39 PM ] IP Logged
Bevc
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #1 on: April 20, 2012, 01:05 PM »
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Eyebrow raise.
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Mark
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #2 on: April 20, 2012, 01:16 PM »
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Quote from: boogers on April 20, 2012, 12:52 PM
passive car crash of a tennis match.
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blueberryhill
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #3 on: April 20, 2012, 01:31 PM »
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Was it really that bad?  Eyebrow raise.
Berdych was at the top of his game and serving brilliantly and Andy was far from his but no certainly not a "car crash." hammer
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Bevc
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #4 on: April 20, 2012, 01:38 PM »
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Nor toothless, IMO.  I've seen worse results and a less critical headlines.
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Bevc
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #5 on: April 20, 2012, 01:41 PM »
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Buster Mottram 1976 I think, in Palma.
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Mark
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #6 on: April 20, 2012, 01:42 PM »
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Maybe Nigel's April Fools wasn't so silly after all. devil
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araminta
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #7 on: April 20, 2012, 01:43 PM »
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He was technically and tactically somewhat below par though
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blueberryhill
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #8 on: April 20, 2012, 01:44 PM »
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Quote from: araminta on April 20, 2012, 01:43 PM
He was technically and tactically somewhat below par though

Of course. I think we'd all agree on that.
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Adam Street
Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #9 on: April 20, 2012, 01:47 PM »
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Article is a bit wrong, I believe he beat Davydenko in the quarters in Monte-Carlo in 2009 and he was seeded 8 when the top 8 players were playing!

Regardless of that it was a horrible match to watch!
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Littlebuddha
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #10 on: April 20, 2012, 01:48 PM »
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I think some of the comments are a bit harsh. Andy is not a good clay courter and it takes him time to play well on it. The courts are bad too just look at how the ball was bouncing. I think he did the best he could on the day. After all two good clay court player have been injured and I do not think Andy was 100% happy with the court. He will remember he got an injury on clay last year. So please do not be so harsh with your opinions.
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Bevc
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #11 on: April 20, 2012, 01:52 PM »
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Phil doesn't get a lot of losing matches to report on but I did find this, and a similar scoreline.  Doesn't seem quite as harsh, imo.

Andy Murray crashed out of the Paris Masters today after an enthralling yet petulant and error filled encounter with Tomas Berdych. The Czech took just over three hours to wrap up a 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over the second seed.

Murray looked lethargic from the outset and the unforced error count started to increase alarmingly. Whether this was due to the effects of a long season, a re-occurrence of the hamstring injury that kept him out of Basel, or tiredness due to too much MW3, only the Scot knows.

Berdych dictated play and Murray spent the majority of the match scrambling three meters behind the baseline.  This in itself is not unusual, especially in matches against heavy hitting ball strikers, but the Scot's serve - always a mixed proposition - misfired alarmingly.

Murray will be disappointed by the way he twice came from behind only to throw the opportunity away. The Czech served for the second set at 5-4, but a series of tight looking unforced errors gave Murray the break back. In the tiebreak the Scot again fell behind, slipping to 4-2 before rallying to 5-4. Unfortunately a simple forehand miss handed Berdych the crucial final mini break.

In the third set Murray spurned multiple break points before sliding to 0-40 on his own serve. Two break points were saved before the Scot inexplicably double faulted.

Murray will now return to London to begin his preparations for the World Tour Finals at the O2.


Appears that Andy was doing the same kind of stuff now as he did then but not a car crash or extraction in sight.
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iamabritt
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #12 on: April 20, 2012, 01:52 PM »
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It was bad enough to see Andy play ,without having to read in harsh terms Phils piece,who ,I might add is probably the most negative person on this forum.
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blueberryhill
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #13 on: April 20, 2012, 01:52 PM »
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LLB, agree, am sure that would've been on Andy's mind. Remember that awful ankle injury anyone?
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Elena
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Re: Toothless Murray bunted out « Reply #14 on: April 20, 2012, 02:16 PM »
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“Sometimes guys just play well. No matter how much you would have liked to have dictated the points, when someone serves 137 miles an hour to the line, hits a forehand to the line, you can't dictate the point. That's what happened on his service games.”

Still, Murray was relatively upbeat about his overall level of performance here in Monte Carlo. “On the clay, it's quite a slow process,” he said.

“I'm never going to play my best straightaway. It was a decent start.”

Whole article at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/9216496/Andy-Murray-suffers-quarter-final-exit-to-Tomas-Berdych-at-Monte-Carlo-Masters.html
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