Madrid Masters 1000 match thread

[lydian]

First topic message reminder :

Just somewhere to drop random comments on the matches outside the draw and picking threads.

Youhnzy got a good win over Fognini today winning in 3rd set TB.
Wawrinka continuing his good form with a win over Popsicle.
Paire and Monaco have also won.

However, THE match today has to be Djokovic vs Dimitrov at around 7pm UK time.
Can Grigor take heart from recent matches to keep pushing on?
Can he pose a serious challenge to Djokovic on lung-busting clay?
The faster altitude should help Grigor who has a fast serve and flashing groundstrokes.

[ryan86]

Rafa is becoming a bit like Roger, will win every tournament unless Novak stops him like Roger would unless Rafa stopped him (pretty much) even in 2011 that was the case. This trophy is Nadal's already in my mind

He could always have some bad prawns for lunch. Player retires due to diarroea. I wonder if it's ever happened.

[CaledonianCraig]

OH THAT'S THE BEST SHOT EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A bit of an exaggeration but it was a cracker.

[The Special Juan]

Just slightly exaggerated. I have no idea why but I become very fickle when watching clay court tennis.

[Guest]

Rafa is becoming a bit like Roger, will win every tournament unless Novak stops him like Roger would unless Rafa stopped him (pretty much) even in 2011 that was the case. This trophy is Nadal's already in my mind

Rafa's always won every tourney going during clay season do nothing new there.

[CAS]

Rafa is becoming a bit like Roger, will win every tournament unless Novak stops him like Roger would unless Rafa stopped him (pretty much) even in 2011 that was the case. This trophy is Nadal's already in my mind

Rafa's always won every tourney going during clay season do nothing new there.

Thats why I mentioned the 2011 season as well, and Indian Wells I can't see that Rafa would have won it had Djok got past Del Potro, but again who knows

[The Special Juan]

Rubbish!!!!

[The Special Juan]

OH THAT'S THE SECOND BEST SHOT EVER!!!!

[ryan86]

I was there the night Murray hit the two greatest shots ever in the third set of the Madrid Masters, oh, and he lost.

[Born Slippy]

Which match was that Ryan?

[ryan86]

I was talking about this match. I'm still not confident that Murray's going to pull through here. I've never ever been to Mainland Spain.

[The Special Juan]

If I was to present Simon's level in graph form, it would be the in form y=x^2.

[ryan86]

And Murray y=3cosx

[The Special Juan]

It's been a funny old match. It's been full of utter garbage but there have also been some incredible rallies and shots.

[NickisBHAFC]

It's been a funny old match. It's been full of utter garbage but there have also been some incredible rallies and shots.

This. Good to have on whilst im doing my coursework, but when i put my head up, i appear to get the decent rallies!

[CaledonianCraig]

It's been a funny old match. It's been full of utter garbage but there have also been some incredible rallies and shots.

Sums up why Murray has struggled to have any real success on clay.

[Guest]

What a pushfest

[The Special Juan]

Ah you're lucky Nick. Some of it has been just woeful.

It's very odd CC; you feel he can play well on clay but he just doesn't play well consistently. I don't think I've seen him in a clay court match where he's looked in control from the first point like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer can do on any surface.

[The Special Juan]

And there's the worst shot ever............

[Guest]

LOL what an awful smash.

[ryan86]

He seemed to approach that if he was riding a horse attempting to lasoo something.

[Cogen]

Welp... Whoever wins this match is screwed tomorrow against Berdych...

[ryan86]

Murray seems to have lost a lot of match points recently.

[Cogen]

Funny how the commentators thought it was pretty much over because Murray had 2MPs ... Did they forget his break point conversion ratio for the rest of the match?

[ryan86]

Didn't Murray take 7 or 8 Match Points against somebody in the US last month?

[The Special Juan]

I think he did ryan but I can't remember who.

[NickisBHAFC]

Murray is indeed throwing a lot of points away, needs to really cut this out.

[The Special Juan]

My computer picked a bad moment to break down :/

[Cogen]

[ryan86]

I always laugh when they shout fault when a shot is about 10 feet out.

[ryan86]

That's it don't fanny around on Simon's serve knock it long, then serve an ace.

If that was the plan, it didn't work.

[Cogen]

[The Special Juan]

Hurry up, I have to be up soon.

[The Special Juan]

I think it's:

[NickisBHAFC]

Big sigh of relief for Murray there!

[The Special Juan]

Well if there's one thing you can count on it's Simon being ordinary at the net.

[ryan86]

I wonder what the record is for match points held and then subsequently losing the match.

[The Special Juan]

I look forward to not watching Murray be dismantled by Berdych tomorrow. Peace out.

[Mad for Chelsea]

I think I've worked out (one of) the reason(s) Murray's so comparatively average on clay: the slowness of the surface negates his return of serve quite a lot, particularly the aggressive return off the second serve. He hit a few today which would have been clean winners on most surfaces but Simon dug back. Also the uneven bounce hinders him taking the ball so early on that shot. Thoughts?

[Cogen]

Thank fudge for that! The picard facepalm wasn't expressing my disappointment intensely enough. I was almost ready to break out this...

[CaledonianCraig]

It was a match that exemplifies why Andy struggles on clay especially when low on confidence. It was patchy by Andy but his inate ability for pulling off brilliant shots that defy belief sums up his clay form.

[laverfan]

At 4-4 in TB, it seemed that Simon would pull off the upset.

Murray fights to live another day. .

Seeds #1 and #2 out. Very likely that #5 seed will win the title.

[CAS]

at the end of the day everything Simon can do Murray can do better, Murrays extra options cause him to make mistakes where Gilles plan is simple. When Murray finds his game, its all over. He found it just in time!

[CaledonianCraig]

I prefer to view these matches as means to boosting Andy's fragile confidence on clay. We all know it is his weakest surface but we have seen in the past that he can put in noteworthy displays on the red stuff but they are just not very often. For me it is a confidence thing and he needs all the confidence and belief he can get and with each win that will slowly come. Perhaps akin to Rafa on the comeback trail - one step at a time and see each win as a stepping stone or building block.

[banbrotam]

I think I've worked out (one of) the reason(s) Murray's so comparatively average on clay: the slowness of the surface negates his return of serve quite a lot, particularly the aggressive return off the second serve. He hit a few today which would have been clean winners on most surfaces but Simon dug back. Also the uneven bounce hinders him taking the ball so early on that shot. Thoughts?

100% correct. Andy is an instinctive returner, who feeds off the pace of his opponent and so the faster the serve the better. This is why it often puzzles me, those who think he would have struggled on 'super fast' courts

I repeat. I am no longer certain why he bothers with clay - he nearly always gets some niggling injury, entirely due to his gormless balance on the dirt and could surely be better saving his energy at this stage for later in the year

Knowing him, he'll defy the odds and beats the bird man - I doubt it, but it will be the first time this season that he's the underdog and could be more relaxed, particularly if Berdych has a bad day

[ryan86]

Anabel Medina Garrigues just bagelled Serena for the loss of 12 points.

[kingraf]

Well, well well

[banbrotam]

Judging Rafa after 3 games is a bit like judging Murray after 12

[lydian]

Deary me, this is absolute garbage from Nadal.

[kingraf]

With Djokovic gone, it seems Nadal has decided to take the other bane of his existence to task- Umpires

[Cogen]

Blimey, Ferrer...

Everyone still backing Nadal though I'm sure. Plenty of time for him to turn it around.

But I thought Ferrer had lost the set and the match when Nadal broke him back.

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