If you had choice....

First topic message reminder :

If you had a choice, which single part of Murray's game would you change and how would it make his Grand Slam dream come true ?

The poll reflects posters opinions so far, please feel free to inform me of any add ons or re-wording you think should go on the list.

Its multi choice, so you choose as many as you wish, but try to think which are or is the most important and try to restrict your choices to 1 or 2 picks.
You will be able to change your vote too, if something alters your opinion later.

Might be interesting to see how this pans out.

1st serve % must be horrible at the mo... ??

to be fair - apart from the 1st set that must be one of Murray's best performances on clay ???

Stunned !!!!!!!!

What a match, what a player djokovic is.

Well done Murray, good match anyway, can't say you didn't try your best.

3 hours of pure tennis.

I wonder what would have happened had it been a 5 setter ?

c'mon Paris, bring it on.

Yes - but how can we improve his service action between now & Paris ????

You know I saw something tonight, when it gets tight, he tries to serve so fast, to beat Djokivic in speed. It didn't work towards the end of the last set, it ether went out or Djoko got to it.

When he was serving well, it was slower and more accurate, it gave him more time to set up his second shot from Novak's return. He gave too many of his 1st serves away to allow Novak to attack his 2nd serve.

But all in all, he showed a vast improvement, just wish he'd shelve the antics and focus that frustration into the next point.

Could be onto something there ! I commented on another thread about McEnroe saying a few Wimbles ago that he should cut the speed to around 125 mph and go for accuracy. He did and averaged around 126 only losing to Roddick in the semi.

I stand by my opening comment on 606v2, that his service technique has a flaw. Yes, his 2nd serve is poor - but only cos his first serve is failing him ! It's the same action & technique.

His ranking over the last few years prove how great his game is - despite his service game. If he can improve his serve he WILL win grand slams... !!

Jubbahey wrote:Stunned !!!!!!!!

What a match, what a player djokovic is.

Well done Murray, good match anyway, can't say you didn't try your best.

3 hours of pure tennis.

Aaaw...looks like I missed a great match yesterday.

Congrats to Nole and a big well done to Andy......proving once again that he plays much better when I'm not watching him

I've loved reading all your match comments on this and the other threads....it was as if I was/were there : )

This tennis forum's really picking up pace now... so thanks all, for your contributions

Solerina

After today's match, do you still think he doesn't have the mental strength ???

Jubba, its not so much a lack of mental strength, Andy is a great competitor he has come from two sets down in a grandslam before. He gets a bit tight in the finals and he lets things get to him to easily. He needs to maintain an even keel and maintain his self confidence. There is a big difference in holding up mentally against Troicki in the 4th round and holding up against Fed, Nadal, or Djokovic at the biggest moments. Murray at half strength should beat Troicki.

socal1976 wrote:Jubba, its not so much a lack of mental strength, Andy is a great competitor he has come from two sets down in a grandslam before. He gets a bit tight in the finals and he lets things get to him to easily. He needs to maintain an even keel and maintain his self confidence. There is a big difference in holding up mentally against Troicki in the 4th round and holding up against Fed, Nadal, or Djokovic at the biggest moments. Murray at half strength should beat Troicki.

As far as I am concerned the only person that is a "Bogey Man" for Andy is Federer in a Slam Final.

He did beat him last year in back to back Masters but the Slam is a different animal.

He has beaten Nadal on several occasions in slams and last years Wimbledon was very close with Nadal running out the winner.

Djokovic - again he has the beating of him , OK the AO final this year was never going to be his or anybody elses apart from Novak.

Agree if he gets his act together mentally (get his head sorted out) he will eventually win on the biggest stage.

"Agree if he gets his act together mentally (get his head sorted out) he will eventually win on the biggest stage"

I don't think that will ever happen though, Andy is who Andy is and all he can do is get better at handling the pressure points and controlling his 1st serves, but he still has to beat the other guy in a slam which is his problem, playing his game when it counts.

Well, after todays match against Nadal and his subsequent loss, I think it is pretty obvious what Murray needs to do to win a slam.

Based on his tournament up to now, on his least fav surface, I can pick out certain things about his game that I think he has in droves.

He's aggressive, savvy, strong minded, technically proficient, tenacious and strong willed. Courageous, athletic, lots of stamina, every shot in the book.

But, BUT, based on all slam final matches and semi's, against the top players, he has a big problem in finishing off a game where he has break points in abundance. Its not so much the other guy producing a fantastic winner, its Andy not getting the ball into play or going long on bog standard, bread and butter shots.

He broke 3 times today, which is something, but he had many other chances to break back and couldn't take them, admittedly, Nadal produced some good tennis on some of these, but really, Andy missed a lot of opportunities to take his match today to another level.

Sadly, its becoming a bit of a bad habit against Federer, Djokovic and Nadal.

If he can get it together and play the right kind of shots at these moments, there is no reason why he shouldn't break his maiden slam dream.

He's good enough to get himself into a position to break serve, but something is missing from his huge repertoire of game plans. He needs a new mentor to teach him how to play these matches at crucial times or he will have a long, hard slog to find out on his own.

Cue a new coach.....Jonny Mac step up to the plate please.

I have, I think, adjusted the poll to reflect my opinion, see what you think, it may well be the last time I change anything from now, but lets hope that he gets it together for Wimbledon this year, he's in a strong position to get to the final, but can he and go that extra mile.

No one has mentioned Murray's huge ego which he needs to dampen down when gets to a Grand Slam Semi Final or Final.

But, BUT, based on all slam final matches and semi's, against the top players, he has a big problem in finishing off a game where he has break points in abundance.
---------------------

Strange cause many players have that same problem when facing Nadal.....including Federer despite having 16 slams.

That's not the issue. Djoko had the same problem wasting so many BPs, SPs and even MPs when fcing Nadal o clay in Hamburg , MC or Madrid...but recently he got fitter and that helped him being ore relax on those big points.

Murray needed to be fitter and be clear in his mind that he could rally wih Nadal to get enough composure to play thse big points better. That's what it's all about against Nadal.

Perhaps it is all to do with belief. Andy trying to win a Grand Slam Final is a similar struggle to what Tim Henman had when he had to play old hang dog Sampras in a Wimbledon Semi-Final.

Perhaps it is all to do with belief.
------------------------

Well yes but belief needs to be based on tangible strengths. You and I can believe we can beat Nadal but it won;t realy help. Belief really makes a difference when you know you can physically, or talent wise, challenge your opponent.

Tenez wrote:Perhaps it is all to do with belief.
------------------------

Well yes but belief needs to be based on tangible strengths. You and I can believe we can beat Nadal but it won;t realy help. Belief really makes a difference when you know you can physically, or talent wise, challenge your opponent.

It' won't help because you and I know for certain that we will never beat Nadal through talent or muscle.

Same thing applies for players. They are just better equipped and have more belief but it's the same thing at the end of the day.

When Federer met Nadal on clay the FO 2008 he knew he was not phsically prepared and you coudl see how quickly he lost his belief in tha match.

Murry is strng mentally but it wasn't enough. He needed to bemore mobile and then his belief could have made a difference.

Well Murray has beaten Nadal twice in Slam semi-finals... He was never going to beat him at the FO - only Soderling has and that was when Nadals' knees were shot.
I think his performance on the red stuff this year will help his game. But jeez - you try beating Nadal on any surface.....