Week 19 - AMS Rome : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

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

johnnylad · Tennis legend

it was a tricky draw...

Cats and Pigeons in pick em's comp!

scoobsuk · Club Coach

*shakes head*

roll on Hamburg.

Roll on the end of the clay season, in fact.

Sheddie · administrator

Yeah Hamburg is the slowest of the clay tourneys, it's the one where Brits have had the least success....don't think even Henman has been past rd2 there !

With his game, Andy has the ability to play on all surfaces so he can definately win some matches there, he'll just need to make fewer errors, be more aggressive and play at a high intensity from the word go rather than waiting till he's lost the first set 6-1

mjd · Challenger qualifying

scoobsuk wrote:

*shakes head*

roll on Hamburg.

Roll on the end of the clay season, in fact.

But look at the banner above - "it's my favourite surface" - Murray on clay!

I think it's a bit like this thing Andy has about using same ball again after serving an ace, then usually losing the next point.

scoobsuk · Club Coach

mjd wrote:

scoobsuk wrote:

*shakes head*

roll on Hamburg.

Roll on the end of the clay season, in fact.

But look at the banner above - "it's my favourite surface" - Murray on clay!

I think it's a bit like this thing Andy has about using same ball again after serving an ace, then usually losing the next point.

I think it was his favourite surface at the futures and challengers level, but at ATP level it's a different game, as I think he himself has acknowledged - at this level there's much more work on the ball, more power, the rallies are more physical and you have to be able to confidently finish points off. And on this surface players are more likely to be able to get to his midcourt sitters that he likes to throw in and just tee off on them. So I think he's still trying to figure out how to get the best use out of his game on this surface right now at the ATP level.

Sheddie · administrator

He did really well in futures on clay, winning 4 titles but he never had any success on the dirt at challenger level, in the first half of 2005 it seemed like it was too much of a jump up for him....he lost in challenger qualies several times + rd1 of ATP Valencia qualies...his best result was making rd2 of Barletta 25K before getting beat 1 and 2 by Di Mauro !! However, he did have that great performance against Hernych in Barcelona when he came close to winning.

I think the problem he does have on clay is that his natural game of mixing things up and throwing opponents off balance is less effective because the clay absorbs the pace and the spin and so changes of pace are less productive. You have to be able to dominate rallies for 6-10 shots to finish pts off....Andy is getting a lot better at it and doing it more often but he still lets opponents back into pts too often rather than going for the kill as scoobs says...it will come in the next couple of years tho....he's something he's bringing into his game more on all surfaces and he'll be more formidable for it.

Count Zero · Tennis legend

i think what hppened is andy said he likes playing on clay, but that doesnt necessarily translate into it being where his game is best suited. probably plating on clay at the lower lvl andy's pure talent was enough, but now it taken to another level,

Salmon · Tennis legend

Your favourite surface and your best surface may not be the same thing. Your favourite surface is the surface you love playing the most on. Your best surface is the surface on which you have had the most impressive results.

For most players they are the same, but it may not be that way for all cases!

-- Edited by The Panda Bear at 14:16, 2007-05-08

VSandhi20 · Futures qualifying

having watched the second set of the murray's match, i was getting exciting that he was going to win! he was being agressive and hit great winners! however, i think it was an expected defeat, you cant find top form after an injury lay-off like his

even he said he blames the defeat on his injury!! even though murray enjoys playing on clay, its going to take him a good few years before he's got the chance to perform really well at RG. im not saying he hasnt got a cat in hell chance of winning RG, i think his expectations on clay are lower than other surfaces cuz he knows that hes still improving and finding his game on clay. Do people think RG clay differs from Rome clay? because i think its quite fast

i think he's defending points from last year's Hamburg masters (R2), if he doesnt do well in Hamburg, do you think he might ask for a WC for Kitzbhul or play in an exhibition event?

Salmon · Tennis legend

I think that you mean Poertschach and not Kitzbuhel.

I personally believe that Roland Garros is faster than Rome, but slower than Hamburg.