Week 15 - ATP Masters 1000 - Monte-Carlo (clay)

GBJ · Club Coach

Week 15 - ATP Masters 1000 - Monte-Carlo (clay)

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

GBJ wrote:
If I remember correctly Raonic beat Murray in clay in Barcelona about 4 years ago. Should be an interesting match - Raonic seems to be the kind of player like Isner who hits the ball hard enough that most of his winners on clay despite it being a bit slower.

He did, but Andy's actually beaten him on clay (& in straight sets!) much more recently: on his way to his first ever Masters title on clay, in Madrid last year. wink

indiana · Tennis legend

Helen40 wrote:
Michael D wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
Michael D wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
Ouch, glad he's through though. I'm nervous about him at the mo
Yes, maybe its the sleepless nights and other multiple distractions of your first child, but he hasn't found his focus and energy back on the court yet since his daughter was born. Hope he can get his head in the right place soon.
You sound like Annabel Croft. I don't but it Fed and Nole have had kids and they didn't go through these blips. He's a set a piece in his dubs with Dom.

I'd be interested to know, Helen, how much either of those two got involved in the early parenting of their children. I know the Fed had twins (twice), but it all depends on how much you're involved in staying up at nights etc. For a professional (male) sportsman the choice is how much do you simply maintain your professional routine/ discipline, and how much do you help your partner? If your balance is more towards the latter, then all your routines will be disrupted, at least for a while. Knowing his personality, I would certainly see Andy as someone who would get more involved than perhaps the other two - and certainly for it to affect his psychological state more. Once he recovers a better balance though, I would expect the birth to act as a positive, but it might just take a little while (and will also depend on how quickly their daughter settles into some form of routine!). As you can guess, I've been a father, more than once and including twins (!), so I know the impact it can have. I also a comment Andy made that they weren't considering a nanny now, whilst I know the Fed had (at least) one immediately...
Andy's a professional, so he'll work out his balance, and with luck Sophie will be a big positive in his life. But it is just that it will take him some time to regain the kind of absolute focus he needs to maintain his position so near the top of the pyramid... Apologies for the lengthy comment!
I'm sorry, it doesn't excuse the level he's playing at, and spraying DFs at a rate of knots. If it were abit I would take that reason. He's playing abysmally by his standards today.

Being a new father is avery individual thing To compare to others or make judgements on how much he should be effected seems rather strange to me.

Jaffa · Challenger level

Agree it was tough for him today... but he won and the records say 2-6 7-5 7-5 and that's all that matters.

Michael D · All-time great

indiana wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
Michael D wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
Michael D wrote:
Helen40 wrote:
Ouch, glad he's through though. I'm nervous about him at the mo
Yes, maybe its the sleepless nights and other multiple distractions of your first child, but he hasn't found his focus and energy back on the court yet since his daughter was born. Hope he can get his head in the right place soon.
You sound like Annabel Croft. I don't but it Fed and Nole have had kids and they didn't go through these blips. He's a set a piece in his dubs with Dom.

I'd be interested to know, Helen, how much either of those two got involved in the early parenting of their children. I know the Fed had twins (twice), but it all depends on how much you're involved in staying up at nights etc. For a professional (male) sportsman the choice is how much do you simply maintain your professional routine/ discipline, and how much do you help your partner? If your balance is more towards the latter, then all your routines will be disrupted, at least for a while. Knowing his personality, I would certainly see Andy as someone who would get more involved than perhaps the other two - and certainly for it to affect his psychological state more. Once he recovers a better balance though, I would expect the birth to act as a positive, but it might just take a little while (and will also depend on how quickly their daughter settles into some form of routine!). As you can guess, I've been a father, more than once and including twins (!), so I know the impact it can have. I also a comment Andy made that they weren't considering a nanny now, whilst I know the Fed had (at least) one immediately...
Andy's a professional, so he'll work out his balance, and with luck Sophie will be a big positive in his life. But it is just that it will take him some time to regain the kind of absolute focus he needs to maintain his position so near the top of the pyramid... Apologies for the lengthy comment!
I'm sorry, it doesn't excuse the level he's playing at, and spraying DFs at a rate of knots. If it were abit I would take that reason. He's playing abysmally by his standards today.

Being a new father is avery individual thing To compare to others or make judgements on how much he should be effected seems rather strange to me.

Yes, I agree I haven't made my point very well, and the level of effect on sportsmen and women on becoming a parent for the first time can vary greatly - but there usually is an effect of some sort considering it is such a profound life event. However, I also agree with Helen that that doesn't excuse him playing quite so poorly at the moment.

indiana · Tennis legend

I thought that you made your point very well, Michael

And I tend to think that it may be a very good excuse.

Oakland2002 · All-time great

A good reason, I don't think he needs an excuse, it is what it is and I tend towards the view that having your first child is for most a thoroughly enjoyable experience that should be savoured.

The goal is to be in good shape for RG, grinding out a result when not on top form suggests he is on track, the year is only getting to get busier and more intense now is the time to enjoy his baby and accept that he is knocking the rust off while he establishes a new routine for the day job.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

It would appear that Andy had a better match today:

QF: (2) Andy Murray WR 2 defeated (10) Milos Raonic (CAN) WR 12 by 2 & 0 in an hour & six minutes biggrin

That's quite a thrashing! Things finally starting to fall back into place? Let's hope so.

Jaffa · Challenger level

That was very, VERY impressive from Andy.

Etienne · Club Coach

I guess his daughter slept through the night (as someone on parental leave basically that is the factor that determines my ability the next day!)

TMH · Futures qualifying

Blimey, didn't see that one coming. Was Andy very good, Raonic very poor or just a bit of both?

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

TMH wrote:
Blimey, didn't see that one coming. Was Andy very good, Raonic very poor or just a bit of both?

Quote from Andy on the Beeb's rolling sports news page:

"The two most important parts of the game were good today. I served very well and after the first game of the match I don't think Milos had an chance," Murray tells Sky Sports. wink

And its brief assessment of the match prior to that:

All over! Stunning stuff from Andy Murray in the Monte Carlo sun. The British number one swats aside Milos Raonic, the world number 12, in little over an hour.

Raonic was a shadow of his big-hitting self, not even managing a single ace. But it's not about how poor he was - it's about how excellent Murray was. He's the first man to reach the Masters semi-finals....

Michael D · All-time great

Etienne wrote:
I guess his daughter slept through the night (as someone on parental leave basically that is the factor that determines my ability the next day!)

smile Yes, I think this makes us all feel better today!!

indiana · Tennis legend

Milos having a good year, SF in Aussie Open, final in IW, QF in Miami, # 2 in the race ( indeed still #2 in running )

So, OK different surface, and Andy was rather good on clay last year and may have removed some rust this year, but that looks verrrry good.

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

SF: (5) Rafael Nadal (ESP) WR 5 vs (2) Andy Murray WR 2

Rafa leads the head-to-head by 16-6. Andy memorably beat him on clay for the first time, by 3 & 2, in the final of last year's Madrid Masters, but Rafa subsequently had his revenge (by 4 & 1) at the WTF last November.