Week 19 - AMS Rome : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

mjd · Challenger qualifying

RE: Week 19 - AMS Rome : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

Sheddie · administrator

I'm not totally surprised at this scoreline tbh, slow wet clay....Simon loves the red stuff..is ranked 60 with a career best of 38...very solid player, has got big shots off both wings, nothing really special power-wise but he can cause a lot of problems. He's beaten the likes of Robredo, Hewitt, Baghdatis, Soderling, Gaudio....won ATP Marseille earlier this year.

Andy hasn't really worked out his best strategy on clay...how to best make use of his weapons on the surface...last yr he was way too passive and before then he'd never been past rd2 of a clay challenger

Sheddie · administrator

they're back on court

Sheddie · administrator

40-30: Murray exchanges powerful fhs cross-court, finds a lovely angle. Simon just gets it back, Murray puts away easy fh

Game: big fh dtl, Simon nets

Murray getting pumped up

1-6, 1-0

Sheddie · administrator

Simon serving:

15-0: M return long

15-15: M gets lucky net cord

15-30: M patiently works the pt cross-court before loading a massive bh dtl

15-40: drop shot - lob - drop shot combo from M

30-40: Great court coverage from M, gets himself back in the pt but sends easy fh slice long

Game: Simon bh breaks down and he goes long

1-6, *2-0

Salmon · Tennis legend

Sheddie wrote:
Andy hasn't really worked out his best strategy on clay...how to best make use of his weapons on the surface...last yr he was way too passive and before then he'd never been past rd2 of a clay challenger

But he won the Pony Malta Cup at the age of 15 and that's what really matters.

I think that he can pull this one off. He has reached the stage where players don't usually lose to lower ranked opponents. I know that this is clay, but still.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Good, Andy breaks for 2-0 - but can he hold his own serve this time?

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

15-0: Simon nets fh

15-15: M goes for audacious bh dropshot, nets

30-15: ace out wide

30-30: M runs round his fh, but hits a limp fh into the net

30-40: Another poor fh into the net from M, just a regulation shot

Game Simon: Long rally, in the end it's M who loses patience, sends bh dtl wide

1-6, 2-1*

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I am getting totally confused by watching two scoreboards. I think I will just follow Sheddie's commentary!

timmoore46 · Admin:moderator + Club Coach

Livescore seems very sick, but just popped back.

Sheddie · administrator

Simon serving:

0-15: S sends bh long

15-15: S works the pt well, eventually gets the short ball and attacks the net. Bit of a wild lob from Andy, well long

30-15: S gets v lucky.

30-30: Powerful bh down the line from M, very deep and S nets fh

40-30: Murray goes for too much on a loopy dtl fh, sends it just long...struggling to break Simon down

deuce: S nets bh

Ad S: Simon peppers the lines, M makes him play one more shot, but S thumps away a short ball

deuce: big serve out wide, S has court at his mercy but nets

Ad M: classy drop shot, completely fools Simon

Game Murray: M hits the bh slices shorter and shorter trying to draw S in, eventually he takes the bait but sends the approach shot long

1-6, 3-1

Sheddie · administrator

Murray serving:

15-0: ace down T

30-0: S return long

30-15: Simon rips a bh cross-court, comes in and thumps away a volley....Murray bh slices got the treatment there, not enough bite on them

40-15: S comes in but Murray dips the bh slice low and S nets the volley

40-30: Murray again is too short with the bh slices...they're mid-court at best, service box length at times. Simon is just happy to put them safely back into court most of the time but on this point he in the end decides to take one on and whips it dtl

Game: Murray at his best....powerful bh dtl followed by a big cross-court winner, taking it on the rise

1-6, 4-1

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

That's better, break then hold, that's what you are supposed to do, Andy! biggrin

-- Edited by Madeline at 16:42, 2007-05-07

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Woo - Masters TV is now showing Andy's match despite the Hewitt match not being finished!

Sheddie · administrator

Simon serving:

15-0: Murray return long

30-0: S smashes bh cross-court, followed by big fh...follows it in....however, Murray is there and dips a fh cross-court....S stretches, just makes the volley but it lands mid-court. Murray somehow manages to net with court at his mercy

30-15: M takes on the 2nd serve, takes it on the rise, comes it and hits a lovely angled drop volley

30-30: M takes on the 2nd serve again, this time thumps bh return winner dtl

30-40: S nets fh

Game: M having fun at Simon's expense....drop shot - lob - drop shot - lob

1-6, 5-1

Murray serving:

15-0: S attacks the net but nowhere near enough on the approach shot, it's straight down the middle, M lobs him

30-0: big fh dtl from Murray, follows it in....S is there and dips it low to Murray's feet...M plays a drop shot but S reads it, gets there but nets going c-c

30-15: M fh long

40-15: big serve out wide, followed by drop shot, S gets there but only just and he puts it wide

Game and 2nd set Murray

1-6, 6-1