Monte-Carlo SF: Andy (4) vs Rafa (1)

Drew · Apr 18, 2009

RE: Monte-Carlo SF: Andy (4) vs Rafa (1)

Drew · Apr 18, 2009

another 2nd serve...MP3...and he takes it...GSM Rafa 6-2 7-6(4).

Respectable result for Andy.

DavidC · Tennis legend

Excellent standard of play - particularly towards the end - which is very encouraging.

DUSTY DICK · Club Coach

Great effort from Murray to push Nadal so hard in that second set. I,m sure not many of us on here really expected him to do this well this week. He just continues to improve. let's hope this bodes well for the rest of the clay season and the French open.

andyjmr · Intermediate Club Player

Way to go Andy. He really seemed to find a good rhythm in the 2nd half of the 2nd set, and I think that gave him a lot of confidence. That was really encouraging for the rest of the clay court season... I can't wait now!

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Pretty good effort from Murray and the bits of the match I saw he looked as if he could push Nadal, but never was realistically going to beat him.

I think most people expected something like a 6-2, 6-3 win for Nadal, and if he had served it out then we'd be a bit more gloomy in our perspectives, but Murray fought back well and played a good tiebreak, but just doesn't have the groundstrokes to wear down Nadal on clay.

Still, a semi final is a great result, and he should be looking at QF's now in his other clay events as what he should be looking to achieve.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Disappointed that Andy wasn't willing to take the fight to Rafa until very late on. Some encouraging signs from the short spell when he did go for his shots but 50% first serves in play gives him almost no chance on the clay. I don't understand why he was so passive during the first 3/4 of the match because it clearly wasn't working; point after point ending with a backhand error from Andy.

I'd get Andy to watch from 2-5 to 5-5 over and over again because that's how he should have played from the first point to the last. Even when he lost points, he did so attempting to make things happen.

Any ideas why the backhand was quite so hopeless today?

I think Andy has the potential to be a top 5 player on the clay this season but he needs to put in a lot of work over the next week to get his game ready for Rome. He is capable of playing considerably better than he has this week.

-- Edited by kundalini on Saturday 18th of April 2009 08:56:58 PM

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

I haven't seen any of Andy's matches this week but from reading various comments it sounds to me like Andy has never quite managed to bring his best to the table and I think that could be down to a lack of confidence and an uncertainty. Its fair to say that most of us didn't expect Andy to get that far this week and I think Andy was probably in the same boat.

None of us (Andy included) really know what his ability/potential is on clay, it's always been clear that he's at the very top of the game on the hard courts and over the last 9 months that's been reflected in his results and his ranking, but on the clay, he's had one season when he was very new on the circuit and newly coachless as well, one season pretty much lost due to injury and one season which was an improvement but he was still really just finding his feet on the red stuff. This year he's playing with the weight of a top ranking behind him and the knowledge that there are players that he can beat with his eyes closed on hard who are much tougher on clay and the pyschological effect that can have on both players. Anyway, all this is a rambling way of saying that I think now this first tournament is over Andy will find his form faster next time and have more confidence in his ability not only to play well on clay but also just to win on the surface even when not playing his best.

Vandenburg · Futures level

i think rafa will deomolsh the djoker.
If Nadal were to not exist or get injured then the French Open would be so wide open, tho i beleive murray is top 10er on clay after seeing him this week, but must be hard to motivate yourself when nadal is well invincible on clay.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Why oh why did I have to be away yesterday? I really would have liked to see that match.

My expectations of this tournament on seeing the draw were that Andy would hopefully get to the quarters. I wasn't too optimistic of him beating either Nalby or Donkey on clay, considering that he finds both of them tough even on hard. I thought he had no chance whatsoever against Rafa on clay.

I'm really thrilled that he apparently played really well that second set, against the best in the world. It gives me great hope for the rest of the clay season - not that he is going to be winning titles galore, but that he can hold his own and gather far more points than last year.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

Interesting - &, in many respects, reassuring - analysis of the semi-final by Barry Flatman in The Sunday Times today. wink

austin · Newbie

Andy surely has come on since last year on this surface, Nice to see him getting better, He can look forward to the next masters knowing he has done what he set out too. Thats getting into the semis for the 1st time.

Well Done Andy !!!

S&V · Club Coach

If you follow my predictions at all you will take this with a large pinch of salt but I am going to predict that Nadal does not win the French. Leaves it pretty open.