min Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 A tremendous confidence boosting result from Murray yesterday at the Abu Dhabi exhibition and should be a good match against Djokovic in the final this afternoon. The tour proper starts in Brisbane, Chennai and Doha over the next couple of days and a bit surprised that Andy is the only top 8 player who hasn't entered any of those tournaments - given his scramble for ranking points a couple of months ago, I thought he would opt to get some early season points on the board... However, he has used the non-ranking Hopman Cup for preparation for the Australian Open before and will do so again - I'm sure he knows best! Anyway, here's to a successful 2015 for Andy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cove_Sheep Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Djokovic has pulled out with a fever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamntg Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Shitebag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 In the past, Nadal has come back from injury without much of a dip in form - not this time! Wouldn't be surprised if he withdraws from the Australian Open and if not, hope he's in the same quarter as Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Blackheart Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 Nadal always comes back suspiciously strong after injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Updated top 10 rankings after Australia: 1. Djokovic – 130452. Federer - 92453. Nadal - 57454. Murray - 55155. Nishikori - 52056. Raonic - 48457. Berdych - 46608. Cilic - 41059. Wawrinka - 409010. Ferrer - 3965 None of the top 10 playing in the 250 events this week, but a strong field entered for the 500 in Rotterdam next week - including Murray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Comfortable first round win for Murray in Rotterdam this afternoon. A wee incentive for Murray this week - if he wins this tournament, he'll move up to world nr. 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Didn't quite go to plan... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Didn't quite go to plan... Very worrying I'd say. He had the perfect springboard after Melbourne and a great chance to win the tournie and fire himself up to 3rd in the rankings and quite simply blew it with form akin to the dark days of last year. He lost against a player he has owned for so long. Here is hoping this is a blip and not a return to the dross he served up early last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 Very worrying I'd say. He had the perfect springboard after Melbourne and a great chance to win the tournie and fire himself up to 3rd in the rankings and quite simply blew it with form akin to the dark days of last year. He lost against a player he has owned for so long. Here is hoping this is a blip and not a return to the dross he served up early last year. Agree with this. Murray understandably aims to peak at the Majors, but his motivation during the rest of the year seems poor. Only one of his nine Masters titles has been won since 2011, which tells a story. The other top plays maintain a level of performance throughout the season, injuries aside, that Murray can’t match. There is a chance that he can move to 3rd by default after this week. If my calculations are correct, Nadal needs to reach the final of the 500 in Rio to stay in 3rd place. Big 500 tournament next week in Dubai - Djokovic, Federer and Murray all entered (Nadal opting to stay on the South American clay courts). Surely motivation can’t be a problem with for one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Agree with this. Murray understandably aims to peak at the Majors, but his motivation during the rest of the year seems poor. Only one of his nine Masters titles has been won since 2011, which tells a story. The other top plays maintain a level of performance throughout the season, injuries aside, that Murray can’t match. There is a chance that he can move to 3rd by default after this week. If my calculations are correct, Nadal needs to reach the final of the 500 in Rio to stay in 3rd place. Big 500 tournament next week in Dubai - Djokovic, Federer and Murray all entered (Nadal opting to stay on the South American clay courts). Surely motivation can’t be a problem with for one! dips in form like this happen though, if you're able to maintain the same form consistently through out a year that raises doping suspicions (well from me anyway, which might not amount to much). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 dips in form like this happen though, if you're able to maintain the same form consistently through out a year that raises doping suspicions (well from me anyway, which might not amount to much). No I don't buy that. Are you suggesting Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal indulge in doping because they have managed to find consistency to reach No.1? Murray just lacks mental application of those three hence why he has never made it to No.1 which is a treasured caveat to have and one that he should now be setting as a goal. He needs to knuckle down at the lesser tournies and even if not at his very best it should still be more than enough to mop up tournaments like Rotterdam. It just strikes me as a bit lazy on his behalf that he can't be arsed with the lesser tournaments - I'd wish he would cut that element out of his game as it would help him greatly in other parts of his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 So, Murray squeezed into Nr. 3 spot after Nadal dropped ranking points in Rio. Unfortunately, it's likely to be for one week only as Murray is defending 180 points this week as opposed to Nadal defending zero points. However, the draw in Dubai couldn't have been kinder for Murray - the opposite half of the draw from Djokovic and can't face a top 16 player until a potential semi against Federer. Hopefully he's motivated enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Murray really struggling in the QF against 18 year old 'Lucky Loser' Borna Coric. Lost the first set 6-1 and has already had to save a break point in the second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnie x Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Absolutely hammered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Some unbelievable stats from this one - Murray only managed to win 5 points off of the Coric serve in the entire match?! That's worse than the doing he took from Fed at the tour finals in November!! Will be interesting to hear the post-match interviews... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 This increases my belief that the Australian Open was an oasis in a desert - so to speak. Over the last year a lot of Murray's performances have been rudderless and ending in tame yet surprising defeats. Not good at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 With the usual suspects doing well at the weekend - Federer defeating Djokovic in the final in Dubai, Nadal winning in Buenos Aires and Nishikori reaching the final in Acapulco - Murray drops two places in the rankings to Nr. 5. Really not where he wanted to be and this will make a huge difference to his potential QF opponents in the upcoming back-to-back masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 With the usual suspects doing well at the weekend - Federer defeating Djokovic in the final in Dubai, Nadal winning in Buenos Aires and Nishikori reaching the final in Acapulco - Murray drops two places in the rankings to Nr. 5. Really not where he wanted to be and this will make a huge difference to his potential QF opponents in the upcoming back-to-back masters tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami. Well he can only have himself to blame for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
min Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 It appears that the few dozen ranking points that Murray gained by playing in the Davis Cup is enough to put him back to Nr. 4. This should be reflected in the seedings at Indian Wells - 'The Fifth Major' - later this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 It appears that the few dozen ranking points that Murray gained by playing in the Davis Cup is enough to put him back to Nr. 4. This should be reflected in the seedings at Indian Wells - 'The Fifth Major' - later this week. Yes a welcome little rankings boost. I am still seeing signs that everything isn't flowing as well as it should for Murray. On the back of two mediocre ATP tournament showings he beat Donald Young in the Davis Cup but still had lapses in dropping a needless set which none of the other top players would have done. He beat Isner but again there were worrying moments when his serve went to pot and though he got through those moments unscathed the fact that he had them is a concern. Hopefully, he will up his consistency and levels and put in a very strong showing at Indian Wells where for me he should be targetting at least a semi-final spot - anything less will be below par. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 No I don't buy that. Are you suggesting Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal indulge in doping because they have managed to find consistency to reach No.1? Murray just lacks mental application of those three hence why he has never made it to No.1 which is a treasured caveat to have and one that he should now be setting as a goal. He needs to knuckle down at the lesser tournies and even if not at his very best it should still be more than enough to mop up tournaments like Rotterdam. It just strikes me as a bit lazy on his behalf that he can't be arsed with the lesser tournaments - I'd wish he would cut that element out of his game as it would help him greatly in other parts of his game. I'm not selling it to anyone just stating what my belief is. You do realise that athletes in Tennis have been serving doping bans you don't know about, as they are reported as injuries instead. They have already covered up an Andre Aggasi positive. It would not shock me in the slightest if all the top players were using some sort of doping programme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I'm not selling it to anyone just stating what my belief is. You do realise that athletes in Tennis have been serving doping bans you don't know about, as they are reported as injuries instead. They have already covered up an Andre Aggasi positive. It would not shock me in the slightest if all the top players were using some sort of doping programme. Of course nobody knows but shine suspicion on one and you shine suspicion on everyone - Andy Murray as well so that being the case negates the reasoning for why Murray hasn't managed to reach No.1. The sad fact is, and it comes across in listening to Andy talking about the No.1 subject, that the fire inside him doesn't burn brightly enough in him to inspire him to reach it. He has often said he sees slam wins as more important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phart Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Of course nobody knows but shine suspicion on one and you shine suspicion on everyone - Andy Murray as well so that being the case negates the reasoning for why Murray hasn't managed to reach No.1. The sad fact is, and it comes across in listening to Andy talking about the No.1 subject, that the fire inside him doesn't burn brightly enough in him to inspire him to reach it. He has often said he sees slam wins as more important. No it does not negate the case. In fact assuming everyone is equally guilty has no basis in fact. You're confusing "facts" with opinions. It isn't a FACT that the fire doesn't burn brightly in him enough in him to inspire him to reach it, that's an opinion of yours based on your listening to him talking. It might be true, it might not. Consistency of performance is one of the desired advatanges of using various chemical to enhance performance. It isn't a proof at all, there is a correlation though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Craig Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 (edited) Double post. Edited March 11, 2015 by Caledonian Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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