Andy Murray vs Robin Soderling, Friday, Time TBA - Discuss the match
Murray cruises past Almagro
March 18, 2010, 08:10 AM | 1 comment » add comment
Almagro had the better of the opening exchanges, breaking Murray to take a 2-1 lead. This seemed to finally knock the Scot out of his post-Australian Open malaise, as he upped his level and cantered through the next four games. From a position of strength, Almagro suddenly found himself serving to stay in the set. Predictably he crumbled and the Scot was one set to love up in under 30 minutes.
Murray held easily in the first game of the second set, but by now Almagro was facing a potential hiding and retired, citing an ankle injury.
Next up is Robin Soderling in the Quarter Finals.
Murray breezes past Russell
March 16, 2010, 10:45 PM | 11 comments » add comment
Russell served first and rather ominously was broken to love. As Murray fired down three aces in his first service game, the signs were pointing to a potential thrashing. Thankfully for the world number 68 this was not to be as he overcame his nerves and, if not exactly pressurising Murray, at least found a presence on the court.
Despite earning three break points, Russell was unable to break back and at 5-3 crumbled to hand Murray the set.
The second set started in a similar vein to the first. Murray raced to a 3-0 lead before Russell got on the score board to make it 3-1. In increasingly blustery conditions Murray's own serve now deserted him, with the Scot bizarrely hitting three consecutive double faults into the Ad court. A rolled in second serve first up avoided the fourth and Murray eventually held.
Another tame service game at *5-4 saw Russell break back, but Murray immediately regrouped and broke the American to take the set, and match, 7-5.
This was far from a vintage performance but Murray will be happy enough to get through a potentially tricky match in less than two hours.
Murray sweats to swat aside Seppi
March 14, 2010, 09:45 PM | 43 comments » add comment
The British number one has drawn criticism from various quarters of the media over the past few weeks, so it was refreshing to see him back in his usual environment, the tennis court.
This second round clash was hardly exhilarating. There were noticeable lulls for large junctures of the match, and the crowd was fairly minimal due to the match being scheduled so early, but there were a few baseline exchanges that will make the highlight reel.
Murray broke in the very first game, and a demolition job looked quite probable. However, a slack service game and some passive tennis typical of early Murray encounters, ensured the break was handed straight back to the Italian. The Scot's infamously inconsistent serve was prominent from the beginning of the match, and Murray was made to work hard in many of his service games throughout.
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The world number four seemed content to let Seppi dictate play. The Italian is not known for possessing any ferocious weapons in his locker, but Murray's reluctance to be the aggressor allowed Seppi to step forward into the ball, and force the Brit to run from side to side. However, the defensive wall of Murray proved impenetrable, and Seppi sprayed a sufficient amount of errors to give his more illustrious opponent the double break.
Murray did little to assuage the anxieties of his fans, when he dropped service again when serving for the set. Another stern test was provided at 5-4, but the fourth seed held firm and took the first set.
As the match grew older, Murray's serve percentages became greater, and he started to hit with more depth. The score remained up until 3-3, when a lax backhand volley from Seppi gave Murray the edge, and the Australian Open finalist had little drama in closing out the match.
It was a pleasing victory, but the perfectionist nature of Murray will have seen many areas for marked improvement. In his post-match interview, Murray acknowledged his conservative tennis, but was relieved to win in straight-sets.
He will go on to face either Michael Russell of the USA or Igor Andreev of Russia, who play out their Cold War clash on Stadium 3 later.
Other venerable members of the MurraysWorld news team voiced their displeasure at the performance levels of both players. One likened it to post-curry defecation. Most members seemed content that Murray had booked his passage into the next round.
Murray did little to assuage the anxieties of his fans, when he dropped service again when serving for the set. Another stern test was provided at 5-4, but the fourth seed held firm and took the first set.
As the match grew older, Murray's serve percentages became greater, and he started to hit with more depth. The score remained up until 3-3, when a lax backhand volley from Seppi gave Murray the edge, and the Australian Open finalist had little drama in closing out the match.
It was a pleasing victory, but the perfectionist nature of Murray will have seen many areas for marked improvement. In his post-match interview, Murray acknowledged his conservative tennis, but was relieved to win in straight-sets.
He will go on to face either Michael Russell of the USA or Igor Andreev of Russia, who play out their Cold War clash on Stadium 3 later.
Other venerable members of the MurraysWorld news team voiced their displeasure at the performance levels of both players. One likened it to post-curry defecation. Most members seemed content that Murray had booked his passage into the next round.
Murray drawn in Federer's half at IW
March 10, 2010, 10:04 AM | 43 comments » add comment
The Scot has a bye in the first round and therefore will play either Robby Ginepri or Andreas Seppi in the second round.
Murray's likely path to the title is as follows:
R1: Bye
R2: Andreas Seppi
R3: Igor Andreev
R4: David Ferrer
QF: Robin Soderling
SF: Roger Federer
F: Rafael Nadal
View the draw
Murray exits Dubai with a whimper
February 24, 2010, 05:47 PM | 84 comments » add comment
It was a lacklustre performance from the Scot, who looked lethargic and disinterested from the outset. The Serb wasted no time in taking advantage of Murray's generosity, breaking early in the first set and maintaining his lead until 5-4. It was at this point that the World Number 4 appeared to get his act together. For the first time in the match, Murray displayed sustained quality and earned himself the break to even the score. Joy was short lived for Murray fans, however. The Scot soon reverted to his earlier form, tamely surrendering the opening set in the tiebreaker.
There was more purpose to Murray's play at the start of the 2nd set, as he broke the Serb immediately. The Scot looked to have discovered some of the form that carried him to the Australian Open final. However, Tipsarevic maintained his level and kept the set competitive. Having blown two set points at 5-3*, Murray finally closed it out a game later with the aid of his oftentimes erratic first serve.
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It was back to the form of the opening set at the start of 3rd, unfortunately for British fans. Murray again looked disinterested, throwing in one careless error after another to hand Tipsarevic an early break. The Serb was screaming and wailing like he was competing in the final of a major, while Murray had the look of a man who wanted to be elsewhere. It was a mostly passionless display from a usually fiery Scot. He did put up some resistance in an epic 5th game, carving out several breakpoints, before breaking at 5-3 to get back on serve. As was typical of today's display, however, the Scot threw in a number of errors to hand Tipsarevic the break and the match.
Murray's comments
It is always disappointing to lose, but I did not have much expectation from the tournament. I am coming from a big break after the Australian Open and was not as prepared as I should have been for the tournament. I was still trying out things on the court, rather than playing my normal game.
Murray progresses in Dubai
February 22, 2010, 07:16 PM | 35 comments » add comment
In his first match since reaching the final at the Australian Open, Murray started off slowly saving break points before holding serve. Then came an extraordinary game that lasted 24 minutes in which neither player could string enough points together to win the game. Murray was finally able to break at the ninth opportunity.
The set then slowly but comfortably went with serve until Kunitsyn served at 2-5. Murray found himself with another break point, and this time a set point, which he converted.
A double fault break point down in the opening game of the second set handed the Russian an early break but Murray inevitably broke back immediately. Another break of the Kunitsyn serve towards the end of the set helped the third seed secure victory.
Murray drawn against a qualifier in Dubai
February 20, 2010, 05:38 PM | 23 comments » add comment
Murray will find out the identity of the qualifier sometime tomorrow afternoon after the final round of qualifying has been completed.
R1 > Qualifier
R2 > Seppi or Tipsarevic
QF > Youzhny (expected)
SF > Federer (expected)
F > Djokovic > (expected)
The draw in full
UPDATE:
The qualifier has been announced as the Russian, Igor Kunitsyn who is ranked 90th.
Murray's path through the tournament has been help further by the withdrawal of top seed Roger Federer due to illness. Therefore 6th seed Marin Cilic will be the expected semi-final opponant for Murray, should they both get that far.