USO R3 - Murray v Melzer

Silver · County player

RE: USO R3 - Murray v Melzer

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Thank heavens for that. What a magnificent fight-back.

Though it really shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. . . Andy does like to put his supporters through the wringer. weirdface

wolf · Tennis legend

I'm sure Stan is thinking the same after losing two sets to Cipolla.

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

The good.... he won...

The bad.... if Melzer hadn't have choked the tiebreak, he would have been out, and it's two matches in a row that he's won because of chokes by his opponent.

Seems like he finally got his tennis together in the 5th set though, which is encouraging, as it's the time you need to be playing at your best, and his fitness seems to have improved an awful lot to be the stronger man in the 5th set.

He's still in the tournament, but playing these needless 5 sets matches are going to catch up with him in the end, and I can't see him winning the tournament as he'll just run out of energy at some point; if not against Wawrinka, then Ferrer/Del Potro or Nadal.

Wawrinka next should be winnable, but he'll have to up his level again to ensure he gets the win (or hope that Wawrinka plays as bad as he did in Toronto, where he produced some of the most dire tennis you'll ever see)

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

At least he gets a rest tomorrow, no doubles to play.

And hopefully, a later match on Monday on a court with Hawkeye. Or Chase, or whatever-the-hell the Americans call it.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

kundalini wrote:

He can still turn this around. Just needs to go up a gear.

And he did. Good match. Thought he played reasonably well though perhaps a little passive at times and the second serve was horribly slow yet again. First set tiebreak failed to get first serves in, just the one in six attempts then let Melzer take control of the points. Serving to stay in the second set, first serve went missing again and even then he missed a shot down the line that he should make.

Felt confident that if he could get the third set then he should be able to get home comfortably. Failing to serve out the third set was very disappointing but he played an excellent tiebreak with a huge ace to make it 6-5 then put away the backhand pass to clinch that set.

Melzer was tremendous but ran out of gas. His shot making was breathtaking and his drop shot worked brilliantly for long spells. He seemed to be playing right at the peak of his level and Andy did well just to keep in the match.

Really needs a quick win against Wawrinka. Another long match would be very bad news.

Drew · Aug 30, 2008

Well at least stan went thro' the same tonight !
Have visitors so did not watch. Tracking the livescore was bad enough !

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Well done Kundalini, you join Neil Harmon in the prediction stakes - in the short time I was listening to R5live, he said he thought Murray would win - at the two sets to love down.

Would either of you like to give me next week's lottery numbers?

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

ForeverDelayed wrote:

The bad.... if Melzer hadn't have choked the tiebreak, he would have been out, and it's two matches in a row that he's won because of chokes by his opponent.

The third set tiebreak was high quality. Melzer missed one volley early in the tiebreak; no other unforced errors by either player. Both players came up with big serves and fantastic hitting. There was no Llodra moment in the third set tiebreak.

No idea why you think Melzer choked it. He hit a sublime backhand return winner crosscourt off a decent first serve, an ace and a stunning forehand winner. Andy just happened to come up with three superb points from 4-5, two huge serves (one ace and the other set up a brutal forehand that got through Melzer's defences) and then an excellent point from Andy to take the tiebreak.

The first set tiebreak was full of missed first serves (Andy) and unforced errors (both players), though the last 3 points were high quality.

-- Edited by kundalini at 22:16, 2008-08-30

-- Edited by kundalini at 22:22, 2008-08-30

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

kundalini wrote:

ForeverDelayed wrote:

The bad.... if Melzer hadn't have choked the tiebreak, he would have been out, and it's two matches in a row that he's won because of chokes by his opponent.

The third set tiebreak was high quality. Melzer missed one volley early in the tiebreak; no other unforced errors by either player. Both players came up with big serves and fantastic hitting. There was no Llodra moment in the third set tiebreak.

No idea why you think Melzer choked it. He hit a sublime backhand return winner crosscourt off a decent first serve, an ace and a stunning forehand winner. Andy just happened to come up with three superb points from 4-5, two huge serves (one ace and the other set up a brutal forehand that got through Melzer's defences) and then an excellent point from Andy to take the tiebreak.

The first set tiebreak was full of missed first serves (Andy) and unforced errors (both players), though the last 3 points were high quality.

-- Edited by kundalini at 22:16, 2008-08-30

-- Edited by kundalini at 22:22, 2008-08-30

I definately saw Melzer stick a midcourt forehand into the net, and I vaguely recall another error off the forehand from him, while Murray missed a volley in there at some point and when he served volleyed on the 2nd serve.

And the backhand half volley on the set point was the wrong choice of shot as Murray had already moved for it before he even played the shot.

Sheddie · administrator

wolf wrote:

I'm sure Stan is thinking the same after losing two sets to Cipolla.

Stan actually played some great tennis all the way through that Cipolla match.

The Italian just played the match of his life, his retrieving was incredible and he had the ability to pick Stan off when he came to the net. He's one of those annoying players who just gives you no pace, slicing everything on his backhand and often on the forehand aswell but just keeping it so low and angling it too

However he covered so much ground in sets 1 & 2 it wasn't really surprising that when it got to sets 4&5 he had nothing left in the tank

Count Zero · Tennis legend

wasnt cippola the guy that qualfied in boggo's section? typical in a way, even though i know alex didnt get to play him.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

ForeverDelayed wrote:

I definately saw Melzer stick a midcourt forehand into the net, and I vaguely recall another error off the forehand from him, while Murray missed a volley in there at some point and when he served volleyed on the 2nd serve.

And the backhand half volley on the set point was the wrong choice of shot as Murray had already moved for it before he even played the shot.

The points went:

AM Rf agg (1-0), JM Rb w (1-1), ur (2-1), JM v ue net (3-1), ur (3-2) ur (4-2) AM s+v net - a bold move rather than an unforced error, it was a tough volley to make as he had to stretch (4-3), JM f w(4-4), JM ace (4-5) , AM agg f (5-5) AM ace (6-5) and then the final point which might have been a slight misjudgement in terms of the shot selection but hardly anything criminal AM pb w (7-5)

wolf · Tennis legend

Cippola was in Alex's section, but only qualified as a LL (lost to Machado).

RJA · Hall of fame

Madeline wrote:

Well done Kundalini, you join Neil Harmon in the prediction stakes - in the short time I was listening to R5live, he said he thought Murray would win - at the two sets to love down.

Would either of you like to give me next week's lottery numbers?

To be honest such predictions were not bold. I don't know why but watching the match you just couldn't help feel that Andy was going to win it, however much hard work he made of it. The only time I really doubted the result was when he failed to serve out the third set. He was absolutely seething, practically shaking with rage (I think both at himself and over a very dodgy call at deuce) and for a moment I though he was about to completely explode.

He didn't play well but all credit to him for toughing it out. After some pretty woeful serving for nearly 3 whole sets he finally found some big serves when he needed them at 4-5 in the tiebreak and once the third set was won the result was never in doubt.