[Grabcopy]

I wonder if they back Murray on the Nadal forums?...lol

I can never understand all this prediction twaddle. 'Andy in 4' or 'I think I'll go to 5'. Let's have some intelligent thoughts, instead of childish guessing games!

Hey, cos it's damn good fun. Any old fool can predict a football score: 'I think it'll be one-all'. Big deal. But predicting the precise game score of a best-of-five tennis match is no mean feat. And my prediction was hardly a childish guessing game. I put some analysis into it based on my experience as a player, coach, 35-year student of the game and occasional freelance tennis journalist.

[Mark]

Hey, cos it's damn good fun. Any old fool can predict a football score: 'I think it'll be one-all'. Big deal. But predicting the precise game score of a best-of-five tennis match is no mean feat. And my prediction was hardly a childish guessing game. I put some analysis into it based on my experience as a player, coach, 35-year student of the game and occasional freelance tennis journalist.

To be fair to David, you are one of the exceptions to what he is referring to.

Most people just give a prediction with no substance in their post but as it's already been pointed out, some people find it fun.

[Mark]

I'm certainly not criticising, I've done it plenty of times

[Grabcopy]

Well were all voting from the perspective, why should Murray fail to win?

It's not going to be Nadal's serve placing the emphasis on Murray's server under pressure, it's unlikely to be Nadal's power considering what's gone on in the past 6 months and the conditions shouldn't effect either of them.

Murray knows he needs to be agressive, and more importantly, knows that under pressure Nadal's not going to break down and so can't resort to what's cost him in matches like this before against other opposition. Murray hardly ever chooses to play agressive and he's hardly ever given the court position and time he'll get against Nadal to be on the front foot so you have no real gauge of how he'll play other than prior Nadal matches. Form wise he's playing as well as he was in the matches against Nadal at AO07, CA08 and USO08 and Nadal's form is closer to AO07 than it is of those other matches, if he was as fit and had as much experience as he is now he'd have beaten Nadal in AO07, so there's nothing particularly concerning about that loss either.

Nadal will fight like hell and if he manages to take it the distance he should be favourite, but Murray should get it done well before that. If Murray ends up losing in 3/4 and Nadal gets smashed in the next round Murray's regressed horribly from this time last year.

Yes, they're 2-2 in their last meetings, which date from when Murray figured out how to play him. Watching the last round vs Isner, I thought Andy moved the ball from side to side with surprising power and I think that's the way to play Nadal - Rafa's errors always come when stretched. He's also hitting relatively short these days, which will give Andy the chance to get into the net.

[Lucky Loser]

Thank you Mark....you are just proving how good this web-site is.

This is for you and our boy

[Sir Panda]

Can't wait for this match.

Hope it lives up to the hype.

[Elly]

^ He's got to relish pitting his wits against the best, I guess that's why he is where he is today.    There's no doubt he can do it - not to say he will, but I've never had a doubt that he can, and I suppose that's where my frustration with him kicks in at times.     Oh for that elusive GS win - if not in this tournie, this year pleeeeeease! 

[mackym]

But first things first. Nadal is not the player he was. He's toned down his ailing body and his game has followed. In fact, since the semi-finals of last year's Madrid Masters, Nadal has played 11 matches against fellow top-10 players and won just one of them.

So here's my surprising prediction: Murray in straight sets. 7-6 7-5 6-3.

This is exactly what i meant in my initial comment when I startedt the thread. If he can't beat Nadal with these advantages then it isn't simply a case of 'another time' - rather it sets a bad tone for the year. He will though - in 4 (I love these guessing games )