[Aileen]

Interesting article about Andy Murray from a British paper. I think it’s fair and objective.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/tennis/article-1266295/Whats-Andy-Murray-Six-key-issues-bugging-British-No-1.html

Entirely agree.  Hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty of posting the article on the new "Murray and Rosco bow out" thread, citing yourself as the source, of course, because I think what it has to say is very relevant to the disappointing (in my opinion) announcement that Andy will NOT be accepting a wildcard to play in Barcelona but will focus on yet more training.

[Daisy]

In this article Brad Gilbert was asked about the top 4 players, and managed not to talk about Andy Murray!

Exclusive Q&A With Brad Gilbert
Q  Summing up the first quarter of 2010, how would you rate the top four players in the world and their level of play?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/374393-exclusive-qa-with-brad-gilbert

[Daisy]

Hmmm ...    Iinteresting though that he said he was surprised Nadal hadn't won a tournament for 11 months.

He, like lots of the rest of us, most probably expected Nadal to taper back on more quickly than he has done.  Hopefully he'll win Monte Carlo.

[Daisy]

Yes, but Nadal didn't come back quickly, so maybe he had confidence issues too?

Have to say I felt so sorry for world #50 Michael Berrer who was so blitzed by Nadal that he only managed to score 18 points in the entire match, and the crowd applauded him when he won his solitary game in the 2nd set!

Yes, I think Nadal had multiple multiple problems - injuries, parents, confidence .... however, during the American Spring hard swing he was almost all the way back, but just flinched at the end.  Going to be interesting to see how gritty he is going to be over today and hopefully tomorrow - there's a lot of pressure on him.

Yes, I'd expect someone like Berrer to get blown away ... he's not in the same class.

[Daisy]

I don't know if the lower ranked professional ATP players regard those moments as embarrassing - they are most probably very realistic about their chances and just go out there and play their game - if they get a game or two or three, then that is a bonus and if not ... I don't think it's great to watch the sacrificial lambs though, but that's the way the game is played. 

I agree, however, that it is very humiliating for a higher ranked player to take a nose dive - more so when there is no "apparent" reason.  But, it happens to them all from time to time, and they just pick themselves up and get on with it.

First (and only) major tennis tournament I ever entered I came up against the reigning champion in the first round - a spectacular double bagel.  It was so humiliating I felt like running off the court and abandoning the match, although it was all over mercifully quickly!

Oh ouch ....

[Aileen]

Reckon this is a total bitch about Andy by a woman who's clearly a Djokovic "luvvie", although I suppose it had to come at some point.

Her comment that

Unlike Murray, who has pulled out of two tournaments, Djokovic played in Rotterdam (a title that Murray won last year), won the recent Barclays Dubai Championship and is committed to representing his country in the Davis Cup next week as Serbia face the United States in the World Group, meanwhile Murray is leaving his British counterparts to drown alone in the depths of the Euro/African zone Group Two

is grossly unfair - there's a whole lot of difference between the World Group and the gutter of the E/A Zone 2, and Djoko isn't expected to carry Serbia single-handedly in DC ties.
 
Andy's last-minute withdrawal from Marseille was regrettable, but I think the tournament organiser over-reacted, throwing his toys out of the pram because none of the top players was competing.  It's not a good idea though to make promises committing to playing in a tournament the following year, which Andy did in 2009, because they may well be unable to do so because of illness or injury  

In a news article which appeared after Miami,  Andy admitted, referring to is post-Dubai comments, that he probably needed to be more guarded about what he said to the press in future.  Trouble is that Andy's too honest for is own good and this isn't the first time his comments have got him into trouble.  I have a similar tendency (being a typical "foot-in-mouth" Saggitarian) and gaffes slip with embarrassing ease off my tongue, but I'm not in the public spotlight.

I know it's a difficult thing to control, but Andy really does have to make an effort to do this, even at the risk of again being termed cold and aloof.  Basically he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

I prefer this more positive article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/andymurray/7592843/Whats-eating-British-tennis-has-become-whats-eating-Andy-Murray.html  

[Aileen]

I wish people would stop comparing him with Djoko just because their birthdays are only a week apart.  They've both gone on to be completely different players.

It was the list of negative events that really got to me too, which is why I said she was bitching and presumably not a Murray fan.