Wimby R4: Murray vs Baghdatis

Niall · Pro player

RE: Wimby R4: Murray vs Baghdatis

stagger · Club Coach

on radio 5, michael stich, in characteristic second-language naievity, just said that murray needs to 'get a grip on his balls'. couldnt have put it better myself.

Niall · Pro player

5-5

Again Bagdatis holds to 15 and the pressure is back on Andy. He had a second serve at 0-15 and missed the return, Andy yelled that he should never miss that and he is right.

Niall · Pro player

6-5

Another service hold to 15, looks like we are heading to a tiebreak.

Niall · Pro player

6-6

Andy played some good points in that game but again he missed a second serve and Baddatis finished with a strong first serve

stagger · Club Coach

im sorry to say it, but that was an unconvincing, underwhelming lacklustre match from the boy. the better player won.

Niall · Pro player

Tiebreak

Murray - Bagdatis

0-1 double fault

0-2 bh miss from Andy, he didn't look balanced

0-3 ace. "horrible tennis, horrible"

1-3 ace

1-4 double fault, from what I have seen Bagdatis doesn't respond well to pressure but Andy isn't exerting any

2-4 great bh return down the line

2-5 drop shot Bagdatis, Andy almost reached

2-6 fh error Andy, again off balance

2-7 it wouldn't be Andy Murray if we didn't see a stupid drop shot and that was it.

kundalini · Specialist Reporter + Intermediate Club Player

Marcos played ok, nothing special. Andy was wretched for the first two sets, including an extraordinary period from 4-2 up in the second, when he lost 11 out of 12 points looking barely interested. He picked up in the third set, a poor line-call cost him what should have been a break early in the set but he finished off with a dreadful tiebreak to lose in straight sets.

At first I thought he must be injured then it seemed that nerves had got to him to the extent that he just couldn't play. That certainly wasn't the player who won his first three matches this wimbledon, though the poor serving was typical of this year. He missed easy volleys, drop shots were the worst I've seen and his returning was unusually poor, especially attempting to to return the second serve when he struggled to get the ball in play.

For much of the match Andy didn't seem to strike the ball cleanly. There was no pace on his shots and Baghdatis could strike easy winners from short groundstrokes that sat up asking to be hit. And the error count in the first two sets was just ridiculous.

I imagine the pressure got to him and he never got to the point where he felt comfortable on court. He sure didn't look like a talented prospect today.

Until today's match Andy has been inspired by Wimbledon, playing above his level. This performance was similar to those we see year after year from Amelie Mauresmo at Roland Garros where the expectation is simply too much for her, preventing her from playing her usual game.

-- Edited by kundalini at 16:47, 2006-07-03

stagger · Club Coach

simon mayonaisse, with heavy sarcasm; ...and Murray is due up later for a doubles match, he'll be in the right frame of mind for that one

geo1 · Intermediate Club Player

That was really bad ... Andy just was not at that match today... still, I dont think that Saturdays performance was the best to come from Andy, I expect to see a different player turn up at Wimbledon in 2008

See you at newport..

Cheers

Geo.

imoen · Admin: Moderator+Tennis Legend

Thanks Kundalini, not pleasant reading but still very insightful.

I think the press may have had a lot to do with this match, after England lost in the world cup to say they lavished expectation and pressure on Murray is an understatement, he was told in every interview that he was now 'the only hope' for British sport, not the best thing.

I guess he'll go to Newport now and i'm sure he can bounc back.

Niall · Pro player

That was very dissapointing, there is no way Andy should have lost in strait sets. I can understand that he wasn't on form today but Andy had enough to hurt Bagdatis and he just had no consistency at all.

Andy started of with pain in his lower back, maybe that affected his serve but it didn't seem to be a problem in the second and third sets. Maybe there was a problem with Andy's warm up or preperation for the match. Whatever went wrong lessons must be learned because this was a good opportunity missed.

timmoore46 · Admin:moderator + Club Coach

Gutted! What ever it was, Andy gave the match away. Maybe 90 deg F and high humidity kills him but he could have won that if he played even a little like a couple of days ago.

VSandhi20 · Futures qualifying

i watched the match, i doubt the heat affected him, if it did then he would have played a close match, which in fact he didn't despite playing well in the 3rd set it was too late. while he was a set down, i was optimistic that he would turn it round when 4-2 i was relieved he got the break, but then all of a sudden, he collaspe mentally! maybe the roddicks match took him out mentally. i was surpised the way he was playing, even though everyone expected him to beat bhagdatis i thought he would pull through in 5 cuz only 1 1/2 have been played by the start of the tiebreaker!

disappointing end to his wimbledon, if he'd played to his abilities and lost, then he would have had an excellent wimbledon, considering bhagdatis is in the top 20 and made a GS final.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I thought it was a good after-match interview with Sue Barker. Andy admitted frankly that he had played badly and that it was very disappointing - makes a change from those players who come up with all sorts of excuses.

Ah well - I keep saying, give him a couple of years. (and please, a good coach soon)