Week 33 - ATP Masters 1000 - Cincinnati, OH, USA (Hard)

steven · Tennis legend

Week 33 - ATP Masters 1000 - Cincinnati, OH, USA (Hard)

indiana · Tennis legend

Aww, I reckon that I must have missed Andy's embarrassment against Ernests last week.

Did his shorts fall down or something ??

steven · Tennis legend

It was a dig at Ernests for giving me so much grief in BOTB (by both winning and losing when he "shouldn't") more than at Andy!

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Gulbis v Youhzny will be playing at 6PM BST if anyone fancies taking a look at Andy's R2 opponents.

indiana · Tennis legend

OK, Steven, thanks. I must admit that I was initially somewhat confused.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

L32: Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) WR 25 vs (2) Andy Murray WR 2

Youzhny saw off Gulbis by 5 & 3.

steven · Tennis legend

H2H 3-0, with Andy winning 7 of the 8 sets they have played, including all of the last 6.

2007 St Petersburg SF on carpet - 3 sets
2008 Valencia Final on hard - straight sets
2013 Wimbledon R4 - straight sets

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Andy looking VERY comfortable and Mikhail looking VERY uncomfortable - horrid number of faults

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

First set 6-2 to Andy. Youzhny is making so many mistakes (thanks, Mikhail!)

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

Andy cruises 6-2 6-3

philwrig · Hall of fame

Very solid without being vintage.

steven · Tennis legend

L32: (2) Andy Murray WR 2 beat Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) WR 25 (CH 8 in 2008) by 2 & 3

L16: (2) Andy Murray WR 2 v Julien Benneteau (FRA) WR 36 (CH 26 in 2012)

H2H 3-0, including a win from a set down in the QFs here in 2009.

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

Interesting how people are already discussing the possibility of Nadal taking Murray's no.2 ranking before the US Open. If not then Nadal will surely secure it during, right?

RJA · Hall of fame

BeefyDeedz wrote:
Interesting how people are already discussing the possibility of Nadal taking Murray's no.2 ranking before the US Open. If not then Nadal will surely secure it during, right?

Quite possibly. The only way I can see Murray retaining the number 2 spot is to win the US Open and reach the final here.

indiana · Tennis legend

Certainly Nadal is in a good position, but also certainly no "surely" about it.

For ranking points post Cincinnati, if you take off last year's Cincinnati points from their current points you have :

Murray : 8610 - 90 = 8520
Nadal : 7860 - 0 = 7860

So Nadal would have to win the title ( 1000 ) to get past Andy and even then if Andy reached the SFs ( 360 ) he would remain ahead. It must be debatable whether Nadal will win a hard coutt masters title for a second week running.

Moving omto the US Open and taking off both last year's Cincinnati and US Open points you.have :

Murray : 8610 - 90 - 2000 = 6520
Nadal : 7860 - 0 = 7860

Quite a gap yez ( 1340 ) but say Andy retained the title ( 2000 ) and Nadal went out at the SF stage ( 720 ) that would be 1280 to Andy's benefit.

So while Nadal clearly goes in "ahead", among the various scenarios that would have Andy still properly ahead after the US Open would be :

At Cincinnati go at least one round further than Nadal ( at least 90 ) and at the US Open win the title while Nadal doesn't reach the final ( at least 1280 ). In total a 1370 gain, overcoming the "starting" deficit of 1340 points.

I would personally
Andy a strong favourite to get more points over Cincinnati and the US Open. The question is can he beat Nadal by more than 1340 points.