Times article with Fed's comments on Andy's game

murrayfan99 · Lower Club Player

Times article with Fed's comments on Andy's game

john · Top national player

Sour grapes anyone?

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

I'm no expert but I don't think Andy was being as passive as I've seen him. He was going for the big shots the majority of the time, and pulled off some simply spectacular ones, like at break point in the second set - that was the first tennis shot in a long time that I've actually gasped at. Also the points were nice and quick, Andy came into the net a number of times, admittedly not often but he never will. Yes he was standing behind the baseline and his style tends to wait for mistakes, but he forces a lot as well. And lets be honest, Nadal takes that style of play to the extreme and he's number 2 in the world, not too shabby.

So all in all, i have to agree with John 100%, sounds like sour grapes to me.

dougie · Club Coach

I dont think Murray was playing passive at all.. i watched the first two sets vefroe going to work and thought its the most agresive i've seen him play.. working the ball well to Fed's backhand more often than not..finding an opening then going for it! His serve was so on fire today that he was able to get alot of free points so perhaps that helped him alot despite his "passive play". I think Fed's remarks are actually quite unlike him... Murays game has definately improved since the first time they met... Murrays serve is much bigger.. he's getting alot of depth and power onto both backhand and forehand shots! His technical ability has also improved and he's playing alot smarter (less dropshot attempts from behind the baseline). His mental game is also far more impressive.. very mature and relaxed! Maybe at times Murray does play passive but with his game he can practically do anything.. able to rip winners of both sides..mixing it up very well. His speed around the court has also improved... some of the shots he was able to reach and return with interest was stunning at times! Gotta say i think its sour grapes too... yes Fed made more unforced errors but thts cause he knew he was playing a great player and needed to produce something special... today was just not his day!

Sorry for the long winded response...probs all nonsense!

steven · Tennis legend

While Andy standing too far back and being too passive is the thing I like least about his game, I agree with the other posters here that he was a bit more aggressive yesterday and I can't really believe Fed said that! Maybe it's a bit like his "Nadal has a one-dimensional game" comment, but the fact is that Andy has much more variety than Rafa will ever have and like Bethan says, shots like the break point in the 2nd set were pretty breathtaking!

Also, I don't know what Fed is up to trying to imply that it was all about him losing it and not Andy winning it - Fed was playing close to the top of his game in the 1st set and early in the 2nd and only started losing it in the second half of the match because Andy got him so rattled.

Put it this way, I think we'd all be quite happy to take Andy serving like that and showing that kind of mental attitude for the rest of his career!

Perhaps Fed just doesn't want to admit that even when he played pretty well, Andy was still able to beat him pretty convincingly.

RobC · All-time great

Or maybe it's mind games: "If I get him to doubt his game, then he'll try something stupid next time he plays me"

(c/f Alex Ferguson vs Keegan, the whole rugby world vs England in the late 90s....)

Drew · Mar 4, 2008

Fed is a grumpy old man.....and a bad looser....cant believe he is attitude towards Andy

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I really like Andy's response, taken from the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7276154.stm

But Murray, who beat Federer 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-4 in Dubai, said he was surprised by Federer's comments.

"You do different things against different players." said the Scot.

"You go and watch my match against Rafael Nadal at the 2007 Australian Open, and I was playing pretty close to the baseline in that match and taking a lot of risks because I think that's the right way to play against him..

"Against Federer I don't think that's the right way to play. I'm not going to play that sort of game against someone that defends as well as Federer does.

"My serve is clearly much better than it was two years ago. I feel quicker and stronger around the court. Mentally I feel like I'm better.

"But there are still some things in my game that I want to improve and it does take some time to put them into the match court. I feel like I've started to do that this year."

Now *THAT* was classy.

-- Edited by Madeline at 13:32, 2008-03-04

MrBaseliner · Social player

The words of a worried sounding man!!!

Saw some of it yesterday and have to assume that he was a bit misquoted as Murray looked as attacking as I've seen him ever play. He will be behind the baseline quite a bit but when you've got a defence as stunning as Murray's you're going to want to keep that as a part of your game. There's no point changing 100% of the way you play when you've already got good points...the trick is to improve and add to what you've got. Remember when Murray tried going for all his shots against Chela at the Aussie Open a few years back under Petchey...it was pretty bad, didn't suit him at all.

Drew · Mar 4, 2008

Madeline wrote:
I really like Andy's response, taken from the BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7276154.stm

But Murray, who beat Federer 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-4 in Dubai, said he was surprised by Federer's comments.
"You do different things against different players." said the Scot.
I feel quicker and stronger around the court. Mentally I feel like I'm better.
"You go and watch my match against Rafael Nadal at the 2007 Australian Open, and I was playing pretty close to the baseline in that match and taking a lot of risks because I think that's the right way to play against him..
"Against Federer I don't think that's the right way to play. I'm not going to play that sort of game against someone that defends as well as Federer does.
"My serve is clearly much better than it was two years ago. I feel quicker and stronger around the court. Mentally I feel like I'm better.
"But there are still some things in my game that I want to improve and it does take some time to put them into the match court. I feel like I've started to do that this year."

Now *THAT* was classy.

-- Edited by Madeline at 10:57, 2008-03-04

100% with u there mad !

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Same here, that was about the best response he coud've given. Go Andy!

john · Top national player

Basically what Fed is saying is that Andy didn't right into his hands like mugs such as Blake, Gonzo, Roddick etc. do and therefoe he's going to throw the toys out of the pram.

The players Fed has trouble with over the last few years and the players his defeats have been against are the defensive players such as Canas, Nadal, Djokovic and now Murray. So why on earth would Andy go out all guns blazing?

Andy is clever enough and good enough to have a gameplan for individual players and not to just play the same way every match. Personally, I think the most exciting thing about Andy is that he can play consistent and defensive against for example Federer, where he knows the errors are going to come these days and then in his matches against Nadal we have seen him be very attacking as need be.

Having said all that, I have no idea what Federer is talking about as imo Andy was not particularly defensive yesterday. Fed is just frustrated that his game is leaving him and he makes more unforced errors than he used to se he chooses to blame it on "negative" opponents. I used to have a LOT of respect for the man, but this would make anyone think twice about that. However, I suppose to reach the level of dominance Federer did, you have to have a certain amount of arrogance about you.

john · Top national player

Haha, found this on the Betfair forum:

Federer criticises Murray's style

World number one Roger Federer believes Andy Murray's hair has not changed since their first meeting in the Thailand Open final in 2005.
Murray has won the last two of their three career meetings, including victory in the first round of the Dubai Championship on Monday but Federer insists his hair is still the same

"OK he's had his hair cut but its still wirey and untidy"

"If hes goin to play at the to level for 15 years he needs to smarten up a little"

"He reminds me of myself a little before my gillette days"

"He may have won today but i oozed class and was way ahead in the style stakes"

Many stars have spoke out against federers comments with brother jamie saying

"Let's make curls count"

And Rafael Nadal grunted something inaudible in what some believe may have been an attempt at English

Count Zero · Tennis legend

lol

Jimbo · Newbie

I think Fed sounds worried, but I don't think too much should be made from the article itself. It sounds like the Times is playing an angle to create a rivalry/intensity. According to the dubai champioships website http://www.barclaysdubaitennischampionships.com/3/news/2008/atpday12.asp
Fed also said:

"Of course I wish I would have maybe had a little bit easier draw, but under the circumstances I felt I played okay. It wasn't a bad match, which is the only positive thing out of tonight."

"I definitely could have played much better tennis, but then again you've got to give credit to the guy who beat you and came up with the shots. I played some awful forehands many times. I think that really had something to do with being a bit rusty. That happens and I usually come through those matches, but not tonight."

When you read this, it doesn't come across quite as antagonistically as the Times article does it smile