Weeks 3/4 - Australian Open - R6: Andy vs Marin Cilic (CRO)

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

RE: Weeks 3/4 - Australian Open - R6: Andy vs Marin Cilic (CRO)

Vandenburg · Futures level

woop woop
tho he will need to play better to beat the mighty fedex.

philwrig · Hall of fame

indiana wrote:

Yes, great to see Andy make the final. Not such a good performance today as against Nadal, which most of us consider was a really very good performance and was even greater for his sheer matchplay ability. Andy was under a lot of pressure here to get the anticipated win and in the end he delivered with something to spare.

The first set and a bit were indeed worryinbg as Cilic exercised an element of control, partly though Andy's lack of length at times. Beware that in the final whoever of Federer or Tsonga he plays. I still have memories of it basically being too often a lack of length that largely killed Andy in the US Open final.

From the moment of that spectacular break point for 3 - 2 in the second set Andy did steadily find his game more, playing really well at times if still not overall the quality of the Nadal match. He did indeed play very well in the final set, though it was against a clearly tiring Cilic. To answer philwrig's question I think i have seen quite a number of better set performances and although I didn't see too much of either match I suspect in this tournament maybe Davydenko had a better set for sheer consistency against Federer and Gonzalex a better set for well, "just stop that and behave" when he went on one of his mad shot making periods against Roddick. It was very good and efficiently closed out ( well a couple more spectacular shots too ) but to my mind I have most certainly seen better tennis.

I think some of us will be pleased that Andy has now perhaps had that slightly "dodgier" game before the final. It is maybe no bad thing that it didn't go totally to plan and he's got some things to think about. I'd once again say length, never forgetting those two really important elements of his service ( wasn't overall as good as against Nadal ) and focus, which he kept pretty well here, he was simply being outplayed early on by a Cilic on top form and him a bit below but I didn't see it as a focus issue.

Hope the back is fine, a few cluthes there again ( though it's evidently manageable ), anyway the extra day can't do any harm for it. A bit of practice tomorrow and a bit less on Saturday and he'll certainly be fresh.

Well done on today Andy, and you can certainly win this thing !

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 28th of January 2010 03:58:26 PM

So are you saying that based upon this performance Andy would have no chance against Fed ?
I just felt he moved up a few gears in that last set and based on that level he has a very very good chance of beating Fed.
Obviously the first set and a half was poor but it is how you end the match which counts more.

indiana · Tennis legend

So are you saying that based upon this performance Andy would have no chance against Fed ?
I just felt he moved up a few gears in that last set and based on that level he has a very very good chance of beating Fed.
Obviously the first set and a half was poor but it is how you end the match which counts more.

philwrig, please just tell me how on earth you think I'm saying that Andy would have no chance against Federer ???!

Even on "this performance" I think he'd have a chance because overall he played fairly well, certainly not too bad, though I'd make Federer definite favourite, and I specifically mentioned the occasional bad length which Federer fairly ruthlessly took advantage of in the US Open final. If Andy plays more like his best tennis I think he has a very good chance.

I previously reported that I thought he played really well against Nadal. In comparison with that match, I report now in some detail that I considered he played less well against Cilic and though I actually said that he improved through the match and played very well in the final set, though I didn't think as spectacularly well as you made out.

I don't disagree with you that it is how you end that counts and I said that "in the end he delivered with something to spare" I fniished by saying "you can certainly win this this thing" ( with applause ) , which is what I do feel whoever he plays. As I said, I think he has a very good chance.

I think you maybe have more convincing to do with another reporter

Bizarre !

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 28th of January 2010 05:32:20 PM

philwrig · Hall of fame

indiana wrote:

So are you saying that based upon this performance Andy would have no chance against Fed ?
I just felt he moved up a few gears in that last set and based on that level he has a very very good chance of beating Fed.
Obviously the first set and a half was poor but it is how you end the match which counts more.

philwrig, please just tell me how on earth you think I'm saying that Andy would have no chance against Federer ???!

Even on "this performance" I think he'd have a chance because overall he played fairly well, certainly not too bad, though I'd make Federer definite favourite, and I specifically mentioned the occasional bad length which Federer fairly ruthlessly took advantage of in the US Open final. If Andy plays more like his best tennis I think he has a very good chance.

I previously reported that I thought he played really well against Nadal. In comparison with that match, I report now in some detail that I considered he played less well against Cilic and though I actually said that he improved through the match and played very well in the final set, though I didn't think as spectacularly well as you made out.

I don't disagree with you that it is how you end that counts and I said that "in the end he delivered with something to spare" I fniished by saying "you can certainly win this this thing" ( with applause ) , which is what I do feel whoever he plays. As I said, I think he has a very good chance.

I think you maybe have more convincing to do with another reporter

Bizarre !

-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 28th of January 2010 05:32:20 PM

I think you are right it's Mr Kundalini who is not giving Andy the credit he deserves.
I accept what you say but would you not agree that Andy's best today was better than against Nadal. Against Nadal he played at a very high level with no dips of form for the whole of the match but I thought today he showed glimpses of an even higher level in patches his movement and speed around the court in the last set was the best I have ever seen him. Obviously he was inconsistent today and thats why he lost the first set.
Sorry for attacking your opinion Indiana probably went a bit over the top.

indiana · Tennis legend

Cheers, philwrig, no problem, I was just quite taken aback by how you read that into my post.

Oh, and for clarification the "bizarre" remark was directed at your previous post, not kundalini's reporting. I have come to accept there that we quite often have a different slant on things.

On the substance of your latest post no, I actually think in general his best against Nadal and Cilic was pretty much on the same level, he had maybe a few more absolute highlights against Cilic but no I don't feel his final set level was above his best Nadal level. But, hey, it's all in the eye of the beholder smile

helki · Futures qualifying

Unable to get on board as much as I'd like at the moment, good I hear some of you say. ashamed

I had to find time, however, to post my congratulations to Mr Murray for reaching the final.

Just go on and win the thing now and shut up all the "not if but when" folk. wink

ForeverDelayed · Grand Slam Champion

Not Murray's best ever performance by a long way but it didn't need to be and great for him to reach another Grand Slam final.

He started off poorly and then improved as the match went on which Cilic couldn't keep up his level from the first set and having played so much more tennis than Murray ran out of gas in the end, which I think Murray expected him to do so and hence was trying to wear him out as much as possible in the end.

At least this time in the final he is the one with the advantage of having time off unlike the US Open and that should help him significantly, especially if the Federer/Tsonga match goes long tomorrow and he can use that to his advantage.

I think he may have to play a little bit better in the final, but it depends on the level at which Federer or Tsonga brings to it. If it is Federer and he plays as well as he can, then realistically Murray isn't going to beat him, but if Federer is not as his best then Murray has a great chance to win the title here, and Federer has played very well in some matches but poorly in others.

Great to see Murray in another final and hopefully he can learn from his previous experience in a Grand Slam final and use it to win it, and even if he doesn't, it has still been a great start to the season for him.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

An interesting analysis by Matthew Norman in this evening's Standard which picks up a lot of points made by previous contributors to this thread.

Chris Jones' match report in the same paper refers at one point to action which was "efficient rather than spectacular". I'll take efficient over spectacular every time if it secures victory! wink

philwrig · Hall of fame

Everybody seems to have a different take on this match. Matt Cronin described it as a clinical yet spectacular performance. Remember Cilic played exceptionally well and apart from the first set and a half it was a 9/10 performance and a 10/10 performance in the fourth when Cilic never gave up.

Ratty · County player

9/10, 6/10, dawgs, who gives a stuff? Last time I looked, you don't get style points in tennis ...

Getting to sound like those saddoes on football phone-ins ...

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

wolf · Tennis legend

Not the best performance from Andy but he certainly got the job done.

Cilic was a tad lucky with net cords in the first set and Andy just need THAT shot to break in the second and get him going and from then on Cilic just lost his way totally.

And that shot in the last game was just showing off.