The Sweatband Incident

Had completely forgotten about Murrays change of sweatbands in his semi with Nadal until I saw it mentioned elsewhere. Apparently they caused him to lose focus?

Thats not at all how I saw it.

I don't understand why Murray was allowed to get away with the sweatband incident. He was serving at break point down in the fourth set when he chose to change his sweatbands. Ambling over to the chair, fumbling in his sports bag, more fumbling as he opened the packet and disposed of the wrapper, changed the wristbands, disposed of the old wristbands, had a conversation with the umpire who smilingly told him maybe he should have done so later...

It was so obviousely gamesmanship and an attempt to disrupt his opponant at such a crucial point in the match. Any other player I feel sure would have been critised but Murray gets away with it. The umpire smiles and the commentators say he's dissorganised!

Fortunately he was playing a high class opponant who didn't get angry or lose concentration at such a deliberate disruption. It probably would have worked against many other players.

Have you never found your sweatbands fully saturated and therefore no longer functional? It happens to me quite regularly and is no laughing matter.

Didn't see that. He actually walked over to his chair and changed sweatbands at break point down? As if having a towel-servant (sorry, ball-boy) at your beck and call wasn't enough!

Question is though - did he do it within the 25 second limit?

He took well over a minute

If that happened it's pretty absurd - the Umpire should probably make it clear that he is unimpressed, and maybe even issue a warning.

I doubt, however, that such behaviour would necessarily assist the server unless he was really out-of-sorts before he served. I would have thought that the receiver would either block it out of his mind or think to himself, "I must have X really worried".

Your complaining about time taking given your idol Nadal is the worst culprit??

Is that who is his idol??

Lol Nadal happens to be the worst at taking over well over 30 seconds per next serve; could hawkeye perhaps consider the hypocrasy next time he writes something like this??

hawkeye the crazy thing was he then went on to lose (was it?) the next four points playing like a complete idiot.

Why it hadn't occured to him to have some out of their packaging for a quick change-over is beyond me.

legendkillar Josiah Maiestas

Why the snide comments? Nadal is one of my favourite players along with Federer and Djokovic... and others. Is it meant to be an insult to be accused of being a fan?

But I was writing about Murray.

The point about Nadal having a reputation for time wasting is relevant though. If Nadal had done that sweatband change when Murray had a break point I doubt if Nadal would get the same reaction. It would probably be the main topic of conversation after the match.

Out of interest I went back and checked the recording. Murray took 1 minute 10 seconds. He didn't even appear to hurry. It was such a crucial point in the match. A sweatband is not an emergancy, he didn't ask the umpires permission. IMO it was obviously gamesmanship. Why no critism at all?

An idiot who took a set off Nadal.

Maybe everyone should be an idiot if that's what it takes to win sets off Nadal

Why no critism at all?

Because it didn't affect the result...

had the result been different i'd have to consider your point; but this just seems a little too nit picky...

I kind of feel Murray should have done a lot more than take a set off Nadal especially on this surface.

So hawkeye,

After all the good shots in the match, this is what you feel is a main talking point after the match?

I am sorry, but I have been more than supportive against the criticism levelled at Nadal and you bring this up?

0/10

Apologies for having a go at Andy over this incident but it seemed a stupid thing for Andy to do given the circumstances. Personally I was surprised it was not mentioned after the match by either Becker or Rusedski when looking at how he played.

Yes he played welll in the third set and was giving Nadal a run for his money in the fourth. Changing his wrist bands did - and hawkeye is right in this assertion - seem to make him lose focus. When you're already up against it then why shoot yourself in the foot?

I think Murray should have done it after the game, but as i saw it, he indicated to the umpire that one of the old bands had split/broke and so it was replacement of damaged equipment.

Not sure it should be classed as essential tennis equipment though.

Josiah Maiestas wrote:

Why no critism at all?

Because it didn't affect the result...

had the result been different i'd have to consider your point; but this just seems a little too nit picky...

It didn't affect the result thats probably why I forgot about it. Still think it was relevant though considering all the talk about how important it is to keep to the time limets between points. All the call for big clocks, buzzers, point penalties etc etc ... It was also done at such a crucial part of the match - break point in a fourth set. It could have had a huge effect on the match. At the time the umpire wouldn't have known how it would affect the outcome. What if Nadal decides to change his wristbands when down a break point in the 5th set against Djokovic tonight (and saves the break point). Should he be allowed to do it? If not why not? Murray did.