Madrid Masters Final : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

The Hoose · Satellite level

RE: Madrid Masters Final : Andy Murray v Gilles Simon

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Not a great match (at least until midway through the 2nd set), but Murray did enough to win, which is all that matters I suppose.

Far too many errors from both men for it to be considered a good match, but Murray's last 3 points were excellent, and that's the difference between someone like Murray and Simon, as Murray stepped up a level when it really mattered at the end.

The 2nd serve could have been better, and he wasn't great off the ground as well, but Simon looked shattered throughout, and never really got into the match so it wasn't really an issue.

Congrats to Murray on the title, and he's definately playing like a top 3 player at the moment.

Happycynic · Pro player

Thought we were into set three there....

Good for Andy. Back to back AMS. Now clearly the level above Tim-a GS final, two AMS wins. Andy is competing to be in the top 3. Hope this puts the trolls on 606 truly to bed.

angry1 · Lower Club Player

Unless I've missed somebody or wikpedia is wrong(neither exactly unlikely) nobody has won 3 consecutive masters events. There have been numerous 2 in a rows before though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_Masters_Series#Singles

if anybody wants to check/expand on my comments

indiana · Tennis legend

I had to miss almost all this match again, duh.

I shall though now go and live it through FD's commentary.

Looking at the match stats, he seems to have served really well : 67% first serves in ( what's that about ?? ), 11 aces, nio double faults.

But the return stats aren't as good as I would have anticipated : 36% return points ( just 44% on Simon's second serve ), only 4 break points, and only one converted.

I am guessing by just the few points I have read that he has certainly played much better than he did today.

Howeverr, let it be said, ( yet ) another Masters Series win

On a side point, as far as I can see, re both break points for and against Andy, he has definitely improved this year and overall appears to be in credit. But for a returner of his class, I feel he should be still higher up the break point conversion % league than he is. He is higher up in overall return % points, both off first and second serve.

indiana · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:

Well done to Andy, the match picked up a lot in the second set. He hardly ever loses tie-breaks does he? Hope he can finish the year well and then push for his first slam in Melbourne in 09.

That was my impression too re tie breaks, but the memory deceives a bit, although his record is still very good.

Overall for 2008, it is won 20, lost 9. His record from Cincinnati on is really good at won 10, lost 2. I am guessing that with the confidence he is playing with, it has just helped his tiebreak record get better and better.

As FD said in the last 2 or 3 points the man that rose to the occasion was Andy.

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Fantastic. Another MST for Murray. Simon has been the big surprise this week and so Murray being the favourite for the title could have gone wrong but he got the job done. Since reaching the quarter finals at Wimbledon his game has just gone up another couple of notches. There will still be the Murray bashers out there who rubbish him but he fully deserves his no4 ranking and of late has been better than Djokovic so the challenge for no 3 is well on now. Dare we dream 2009....... Grand Slam Champion somewhere, maybe even knock Fed off no2. YOU BET. This boy's the real dealand FINALLY, JUST MAYBE...............

GO ANDY.

helki · Futures qualifying

As someone who had doubts about the wisdom he showed in the choice of his backup team after his split from BG, I am prepared to come before you all and admit I was wrong.

It would appear to have been an excellent move. smile

He has certainly found the winning formula. Long may it continue and with a bit of luck, the stardust may even land on a few others. Fx!

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

At last, I have managed to get on the board. After the match I had to dash off and do other things like making meals and my weekly long telephone conversation with our daughter.

Well done, Andy! Seventh title, 4th this year including back-to-back Masters with a Slam final in between. New Brit records - no other Brit has won two Masters (or equivalent) in their entire career, let alone back to back! No other Brit has won 4 titles in a year - nearest is Mark Cox with 3.

I couldn't help feeling he was a bit too passive in the match, but perhaps he was pacing himself to make sure he lasts the rest of the season in good shape. That tiebreak was a bit

, but he put on the pressure at the right moment and got the win.

By the way, thanks FD for the tip about watching the match at the lower quality - that worked. Part way through I tried going up to the 850k but it was buffering, so I dropped to the lower one again. I couldn't always see the ball but hey you can't have everything!

indiana · Tennis legend

Madeline wrote:

I couldn't always see the ball but hey you can't have everything!

Mad, I believe Djoovic was saying something similar during his match against big Ivo, but didn't seem toi take it in the good spirit that you have shown biggrin

By the way, helki, I too had quite a few dire comments in the past about turning to Team Murray. I believe I may have used the word sychophants at one point ( the evidence is on file ).

Quite some time ago I basically admitted I was wrong, although not as clearly and publicly as yourself. It is a great release, and now welcome to the flock as another believer !

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Heh, heh. [smug tone] I well remember saying that the split with Brad was a good thing - never liked the tie-up in the first place - and while I was not too sure of the new system I thought Andy should know what suited him best. [/smug tone]

Akhenaten · Pro player

angry1 wrote:

Unless I've missed somebody or wikpedia is wrong(neither exactly unlikely) nobody has won 3 consecutive masters events. There have been numerous 2 in a rows before though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_Masters_Series#Singles

if anybody wants to check/expand on my comments

Hmm. That's amazing isn't it. With Andy's win I make it the 21st time back-to-back Masters have been won, but no one has ever won 3 in a row!

Courier, Chang, Sampras, Medvedev, Agassi x2, Muster, Rios, Rafter, Kuerten, Roddick, Federer x3, Safin, Nadal x4, Nalbandian & now Murray

steven · Tennis legend

It's probably because most of the AMS events come in pairs on the same surface - Canada & Cincy on outdoor hard, Madrid & Paris on indoor hard, IW & Miami on outdoor hard. I don't know how many of the doubles have come on pairs of tournaments on the same surface (I'd imagine most of them), but it is odd that nobody has managed to win all three clay AMS events in the same season, not even Rafa. I guess it's just very tough to keep up that level of form for three big tournaments in a row.

steven · Tennis legend

Just checked, and my hunch was right - 18 of the 21 back to back Super 9/TMS or AMS wins came on tournaments on the same surface, e.g. IW & Miami, two of the clay masters, Canada & Cincy or Madrid & Paris.

The only players to have won back to back Masters on different surfaces / either side of a slam have been:

Fed - Hamburg & Toronto 2004
Rafa - Hamburg & Toronto 2008
Muzza - Cincy & Madrid 2008

In each case, the player has appeared in the Final of at least one of the intervening slam(s) as well, though Fed of course won Wimbledon 2004 in between his back to back AMS titles and Rafa won both intervening slams.

Obviously clay and outdoor hard are more different than outdoor hard and indoor hard/carpet, but this does mean that while the Cincy + Paris double has been done before, Andy is the first player ever to win outdoor and indoor Masters titles back to back in either order, because nobody has done Paris + IW in succession. smile

-- Edited by steven at 15:27, 2008-10-20

-- Edited by steven at 15:29, 2008-10-20

indiana · Tennis legend

You can download the final in full from the ATP site for $3 here :

http://www.atpmastersseries.tv/page/BuyNow/0,,11444,00.html?WT.mc_id=mdppd

-- Edited by indiana at 20:05, 2008-10-22