Chardy out-fails Murray
By Phil Messenger on August 18, 2010, 10:21 PM
Murray started the match brightly enough, cantering through the first set with the loss of just three service points. Unfotunately, second set slumps against lesser players are becoming something of a theme in Murray's early round encounters. This match was to be no exception. The pair exchanged service holds until 2-2, when Chardy apparently forgot he was playing singles. The Frenchman sprayed unforced errors like a leaky hosepipe and, at a set and a break up, Murray was heading for an easy win.
If by this point Chardy was dreadful, Murray was eager to sink to the same level. The Scot immediately gifted the break back with a sackful of unforced errors of his own and the screaming vortex of fail began to gather speed.
Both players seemed to be troubled more by the sun than each other and more hideous play ensued. Murray seemed to be content to roll in second serves and wait for an error. Chardy was happy to hit his forehand into the tramlines. Breaks were swapped until 5-4, with Murray attempting to serve for the match. Despite holding a match point, he failed and the score advanced to 5-5. After six straight breaks of serve, it was inevitable that someone would finally hold. Chardy was the lucky recipient of this honour – the Frenchman clinging on to take the set to 6-5. Murray eventually followed to drag the set, kicking and screaming, into a tiebreak.
The Scot has an atrocious tiebreak record this year – before this set he had lost 9 and won 5. Rather unsurprisingly, ten points later the statistic stood at 10 lost, 5 won. The third set was marginally better from Murray and he broke twice to take the set and the match 6-2.
There's an old saying that any victory is a worthwhile one, but this match really was scraping the barrel.
Next up is Ernest Gulbis, who Murray will presumably bother to show up against.
Can't believe he dropped that second set!
August 18, 2010, 10:38 PM
By Quackers
By Quackers
The love and gentleness towards Andy Murray is BACK!!!
Great to see!
Still no love of the journey despite his previous two matches defeating Nadal then Federer. If it was ever gonna happen, it was going to happen in his very next match and it hasn't.
Sad to say that some will never appreciate the journey.
Great win, beating Nadal and Fed then up against a nobody in another town, in another stadium, having to do it all again must be a massive come down, good to see he kept the fire burning. Expect a nice win today.
Great to see!
Still no love of the journey despite his previous two matches defeating Nadal then Federer. If it was ever gonna happen, it was going to happen in his very next match and it hasn't.
Sad to say that some will never appreciate the journey.
Great win, beating Nadal and Fed then up against a nobody in another town, in another stadium, having to do it all again must be a massive come down, good to see he kept the fire burning. Expect a nice win today.
August 19, 2010, 06:31 AM
By pggtips
By pggtips
^ Think you have a good point. I missed the match, although I'm not surprised at the result. I think if there had a longer break between tournaments things might have been a bit different, but Andy does seem to have problems playing players at Chardy's level, his focus just deserts him, yet other top 20 players seem to manage OK. THis is something he's going to have to work on when he gets a new coach.
August 19, 2010, 07:37 AM
By Aileen
By Aileen
The love and gentleness towards Andy Murray is BACK!!!
Great to see!
Still no love of the journey despite his previous two matches defeating Nadal then Federer. If it was ever gonna happen, it was going to happen in his very next match and it hasn't.
Sad to say that some will never appreciate the journey.
Great win, beating Nadal and Fed then up against a nobody in another town, in another stadium, having to do it all again must be a massive come down, good to see he kept the fire burning. Expect a nice win today.
Poor Andy - he's just a world class tennis player whose initial matches leave a lot to be desired - same as the others. Nadal and Fed often drop a set in the early rounds and only find their game later on - perhaps not quite as spectacularly as our Andy, but nevertheless their concentration goes walk-about. It's all part of the journey as pggtips says. The danger is that sometimes they lose the match, but he didn't - he won through - picked up his game and there was a decisive third set. OK - he should have won in two but what the hec - he'll gain from the experience.
Great to see!
Still no love of the journey despite his previous two matches defeating Nadal then Federer. If it was ever gonna happen, it was going to happen in his very next match and it hasn't.
Sad to say that some will never appreciate the journey.
Great win, beating Nadal and Fed then up against a nobody in another town, in another stadium, having to do it all again must be a massive come down, good to see he kept the fire burning. Expect a nice win today.
August 19, 2010, 08:01 AM
By janscribe
By janscribe
Screaming vortex of fail. Harsh words. Just watching the 2nd set now. Chardy erratic at times, as is Andy, though I have read somewhere that Andy said that his timing was off during this match.
August 19, 2010, 08:01 AM
By Bevc
By Bevc
Poor Andy - he's just a world class tennis player whose initial matches leave a lot to be desired - same as the others. Nadal and Fed often drop a set in the early rounds and only find their game later on - perhaps not quite as spectacularly as our Andy, but nevertheless their concentration goes walk-about. It's all part of the journey as pggtips says. The danger is that sometimes they lose the match, but he didn't - he won through - picked up his game and there was a decisive third set. OK - he should have won in two but what the hec - he'll gain from the experience.
Nice to have more positive input. Reflecting on what I said earlier, I'm not sure it's a good thing to have two Masters one after the other like this. You get to the SF or final of one and are then having to travel (admittedly not too far here) to the next. There has to be some re-orientation and adjustment time. So, other players maybe manage better than Andy, but I still feel the scheduling is unfair on all the players.Also I see Andy's next match is 5 PM BST. Andy had daytime matches in Toronto, and it seems he's getting them here. Why is he never given an evening slot, yet Federer seems to get them quite frequently? Playing all the time in the hot sun isn't good either.
August 19, 2010, 08:11 AM
By Aileen
By Aileen
I watched from the end of the 2nd set onward and noticed that Andy was only able to fully feel out the court pace at the very last game. This is when he was able to flatten out his FH and hit the ball fast and deep to both sides driving Chardy back forcing the errors.
Prior to this, Andy had to hold back and add some topspin for margin. He was more shaping/guiding the ball at ~70% power and wait for an UE. Hitting it too hard would either result in it going into the net or out.
This is the problem when the court surface is faster here and Andy didn't have enough time to acclimatise having just played 1 full tournament and travelled in a cramped car for 400+ miles. One shouldn't underestimate the physical and mental fatigue of having played 1 full MS tournament. Tim and Greg only won 1 MS tournament throughout their entire career and they were consistently in the top 10 in the world.
Andy should improve tonight. He did say he will go and practice to get used to the faster court surface.
Prior to this, Andy had to hold back and add some topspin for margin. He was more shaping/guiding the ball at ~70% power and wait for an UE. Hitting it too hard would either result in it going into the net or out.
This is the problem when the court surface is faster here and Andy didn't have enough time to acclimatise having just played 1 full tournament and travelled in a cramped car for 400+ miles. One shouldn't underestimate the physical and mental fatigue of having played 1 full MS tournament. Tim and Greg only won 1 MS tournament throughout their entire career and they were consistently in the top 10 in the world.
Andy should improve tonight. He did say he will go and practice to get used to the faster court surface.
August 19, 2010, 08:41 AM
By Philip
By Philip
I'm pausing my coverage whilst some family members watch Coro 
and I see Andy's serve % was 61% 1st set, think it dropped to 41% 2nd (but this is from what I can remember from livescore) and back up to 71% in the 3rd set. I await the remainder of my match.
and I see Andy's serve % was 61% 1st set, think it dropped to 41% 2nd (but this is from what I can remember from livescore) and back up to 71% in the 3rd set. I await the remainder of my match.
August 19, 2010, 08:44 AM
By Bevc
By Bevc
good to see Andy win again but not the most impressive of wins but never mind that will do for me!!!
August 19, 2010, 08:45 AM
By ILW
By ILW
By Hazybear