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Murray moves from outsider to contender

US Open
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Five victories is enough to win most ATP Tour titles but here it only gets you to the semis. That’s why Andy Murray isn’t celebrating just yet - his aim, as it has been all tournament, is to win the title.

It's probably the first time Murray has backed that spoken ambition with genuine evidence on the court. When he smacked Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round, the most consummate thrashing imaginable, international observers listed Murray as a possibility for the title.

He was already an "outsider", or "one to watch", but on Monday he grew to a genuine contender and backed up those claims in the quarter-final with Juan Martin Del Potro.

This match of peaks and troughs was a big mental test for Murray because he wasn’t playing consistently. What was encouraging was the way he responded to those slumps.

In the past, we’ve become familiar to the periods of doom and gloom in a Murray match; the trudging, the moaning, the hand gestures, the frown.

These meltdowns, displayed in Miami, Dubai and Rome earlier this year, always seemed to affect his play. They went on five or 10 minutes too long and invariably provided ammunition for his opponent.

But how nice to use the past tense when talking about this - hopefully that will stay the case.

Against Del Potro, he played a couple of terrible service games.

Serving for the second set, at 6-5, Murray put a backhand wide, missed a drop shot, put a forehand into the net and struck another forehand long. A more miserable service game it’s hard to imagine.

How did he respond? By shutting out the game, getting his head down and winning the tie-break by seven points to two. Impressive.

Shot of the match? Probably the forehand drop shot he played, with incredible leg-break-style spin, at 3-2 in the first set tie-break.

I was commentating with Jeff Tarango on Five Live who made the comment at 3-2: "These are the most important four points in Murray’s career so far." He won them all.

So now a semi-final on "Super Saturday" (or possibly "Super Sunday" if you believe the horror weather forecast) against Rafael Nadal - he of the OK year.

French Open, Wimbledon, Olympic Gold and a collection of titles from other cities too numerous to mention. What an incredible season he’s had and he’s still got the US Open, the Masters Cup and the Davis Cup to win.

If he does all that it will be the best season since Rod Laver in 1969 and possibly the best season ever.

Murray knows the way to play against Nadal and knows what can hurt the Spaniard.

He only has to watch the tape of their Australian Open match in January 2007 and then the indoor match in Madrid later that year to see how successful he was attacking deep to Nadal's forehand corner.

Nadal, on the stretch, is more devastating on the backhand side where he can use his open stance and his amazingly strong right arm to generate immense power. That shot isn’t a left-handed backhand - it’s effectively a right-handed forehand.

But stretched out to the forehand wing he’s more defensive because the retaliation isn’t as flat - the balls have more air. This is the start of the attack and Murray is often thinking two or three shots ahead about how he can exploit this play.

In Melbourne, he used his booming backhand drive to hit crosscourt, flat and fast, really testing those Nadal defences. The sight of Murray coming to the net to take those balls out of the air was one of the lasting memories of that famous Melbourne night.

This summer, in their Wimbledon quarter-final, Murray was more tentative with his strokes and Nadal invariably got the first "hit" in the rallies.

I just hope we see a match more like Australia 2007 than Wimbledon 2008.

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comment by hescoresgoalsscholes (U13017576)

posted Sep 6, 2008

Bingbangbush you need to open your eyes. You and I both know that a masters title is huge.

do the general public? does your average man in the street care about anything aside form a slam? will he win sports personality of the year for winning a masters event? would he if he won the US Open?

Rusedski got sports personality for being a finalist for gods sake.

you simply can;t describe Murray as a winner until he wins a slam. thats the opinion of many like it or not.

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comment by banbrotam (U6020756)

posted Sep 6, 2008

"you simply can;t describe Murray as a winner until he wins a slam"

Utter tosh. That's like saying a footballer can not be seen as World Class unless they have won a major trophy.

Put another way, if Murray won 50 Master titles but no Slams, is he some kind of loser?


"thats the opinion of many like it or not"

Who also think that Tennis begins and ends during Weeks 26 and 27 of each year

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comment by hescoresgoalsscholes (U13017576)

posted Sep 6, 2008

I hear you Banbrotam, but sadly it is true. Grand Slams are everything.

If you want to compare sports lets compare individual sports. Colin Montgomerie has won many titles, but never a major. A major defines you as does a slam.

These very boards are full of Henman hate too, he won 10 titles and a masters i believe. But i don;t class him as a winner either.

Ask Murray whether he'd prefer 10 masters titles or the US Open title.

We both know what his answer would be

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comment by nosetam (U11045302)

posted Sep 6, 2008

I wondered of anyone had any insights into this post by an American to the US Open Fans' Page copied below ...

John, United States
GO ANDY!!!!!! Show all the British people who strangely seem to support a spaniard, serbian or swiss rather than someone from their own lands!!!!!!

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comment by elche2002 (U4430610)

posted Sep 6, 2008

""you simply can;t describe Murray as a winner until he wins a slam"
"like saying a footballer cannot be seen as World Class unless they have won a major trophy."

ARe the Brits the only folks in the world who thinks of mediocrity as been a winner.

OK then, tell me who have been the past champs who only got to the semi on SW19, FO, US and Australian the past 5 yrs? YOu only remember the WINNERS! Second place in sports doesnt count at all.

FUtball? Just look at Spain. It tool them until the Europe Cup to be seeing as champions! So far it was all potential and the raw talent to be at he top but until you win the big one NOBODY remembers you.

So far Murray is not a winner. One day perhaps but not at the moment.

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comment by elche2002 (U4430610)

posted Sep 6, 2008

By MEDIOCRITY I am not saying that Murray is. He is a brilliant and talented player. But only great until he wins a GS. In any sports that is the only Measure of a champ.
YOu can only be great by winning the majors. Otherwise be great but not good enough?

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comment by banbrotam (U6020756)

posted Sep 6, 2008

elche2002

As somebody who has a total distaste for people who go on about our (Britain's) various losers your earlier comment is 100% wrong

There are plenty of World Class footballers who never won the 'majors' due to cicumstances

You seem to be getting the discussion wrong anyway!!

Somebody said that he cannot be declared a winner unless he wins a Major. I pointed out that if he wins 20 Masters and no majors he could still be described as that

Obviously, there would be a question mark against him, but if he did that it would be a long way from "mediocrity"

I assume you think us "Brits" wear bowler hats, keep ferrets and say grace before every meal

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comment by elche2002 (U4430610)

posted Sep 6, 2008

BAnbrotam you didnt read my second comment regarding MEDIOCRITY.

Like I said, like Murray, I am sure they are other great and brilliant players but until you win a major NOBODY CARES and for sure those names will not come on top when history is mentioned. But to be GREAT beyond reproach you must get to the top alone and if your name is not there then all regarding to that player goes to oblivion where only his/her country folks or fans will only think otherwise.

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comment by cilurnum (U5564602)

posted Sep 6, 2008

I have to say, Murray has really turned a corner in that match. His mixing up of things, and the heavy hitting on the hard court, has really knocked Nadal up. Murray should have converted more break points as well.

Murray knows fine well that he needs to win a major, and that's why he's talked about it in this tournament. He needs to keep focused with this match and give him the best possible chance.

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