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.

[Danny_1982]

Don't quite know what Murray could have done much better there, apart from 2 or 3 points on break points.

His stats are great. 20 winners, 12 unforced. Very healthy on clay. Good first serve percentage. Did so many things right. He even moved pretty well. For him. On clay.

Can't help but feel Berdy will sprint away now though.

[CaledonianCraig]

Berdych breaks and is hitting the ball very sweetly now. Is there any way back for Murray? I have my doubts.

[monty junior]

Another tight game he's managed to lose, not looking good with such a horrendous BP conversion this week.

[monty junior]

More like it

[The Special Juan]

You can normally count on Berdych for some sort of mental implosion. I've still got a bit of hope.

[The Special Juan]

Drat, drat and double drat.

[CaledonianCraig]

I wonder where people rate Berdych as a clay court player? Amongst top ten in the world? Top twenty? Or higher?

[The Special Juan]

Definitely top 10. He's had some great clay court results in the past. He's defending the points from last year's final.

[Silver]

Yeah, top 10. He moves surprisingly well for his size in general, and that translates across to clay as well. He played a fantastic match in the final last year, was unlucky not to win.

Serving for it now...

[CaledonianCraig]

And that is that - Berdych proves too strong, too consistent and wins 7-6 6-4 to move into the semis. For Murray at least a little confidence should have been built and he is back as world NO.2 so on to Rome next week he goes. Frustrating match as it could have been different but Berdych is a top player so credit to him.

[The Special Juan]

Roll on Queen's.

Come on Stan!! I wish I could watch it on TV; Wawrinka v Tsonga was probably the pick of the QFs on paper.

[banbrotam]

No great shame in that defeat. Frustrating how when he was easily better towards the end of the first set, he let it slip - but that shows his lack of confidence on the dirt

No damage done and has actually gained on Roger and Novak

Bird Man shows us why 8 titles is a meagre total for a player with his skills

[CaledonianCraig]

No great shame in that defeat. Frustrating how when he was easily better towards the end of the first set, he let it slip - but that shows his lack of confidence on the dirt

No damage done and has actually gained on Roger and Novak

Bird Man shows us why 8 titles is a meagre total for a player with his skills

Spot on banbro.

[Danny_1982]

Strange match Murray v Berdych. I thought Murray played most of the better tennis. But for spells went right off the boil.

In that form (with more consistency) a FO QF is within his grasp but a SF would be a great achievement. Then us Murray fans can start thinking of silverware again on the green grass of home.

[banbrotam]

It's the first time in a long long time, I was OK with a Murray defeat. I'm not certain what would be gained in potentially having another hard match tomorrow before getting duffed up by Rafa

Indeed I'm happy for Andy to avoid Rafa before Wimby, simply so he's goes into that phase of the calendar, on the back of him winning their last meeting

Yes - I know if he wants to get to No.1 he must reach the SF's of all events, but quite honestly give me two of Wimby, US or O2 and No.4 in the world any day of the week!!

[CaledonianCraig]

I said the other day with Murray on clay it is all about confidence and consistency.

He realises he has not done great on clay in his career so each clay season he starts with great trepidation and it is like he is starting at square one. He needs wins to build confidence and consistency and he never got that in Monte Carlo but Madrid was a little better. The more confidence he gets from wins then the more matches he gets on the surface and a chance to build the consistency and get into a rhythm. For the rest of the top players it is much less of a chore and an easier transition for them - in my opinion.

[Guest]

Just out of curiosity does anyone what the Murray berdych H2H stands at now? And the breakdown surface wise?

[ryan86]

Stan currently 5-0 up on Tsonga.

[The Special Juan]

Just out of curiosity does anyone what the Murray berdych H2H stands at now? And the breakdown surface wise?

Overall: Murray 4-4 Berdych
Clay: Murray 0-2 Berdych
Hard: Murray 3-2 Berdych
Carpet: Murray 1-0 Berdych

[Guest]

Thx TSJ makes interesting reading.

Berdych has all the tools to be a slam champ. Moves so well for such a big guy. If he could improve his 1st serve percentage and be a bit more clutch he would take some serious stopping.

[Born Slippy]

now 5-4 to Berdych with a 3-0 lead on clay...

[The Special Juan]

Thx TSJ makes interesting reading.

Berdych has all the tools to be a slam champ. Moves so well for such a big guy. If he could improve his 1st serve percentage and be a bit more clutch he would take some serious stopping.

I think he lacks two things:

Lateral movement
The mentality

He's a phenomenal mover for someone his size but Sky have done a little bit of analysis on his lateral movement and he's always got his weight on one foot when moving from side to side; therefore he can get caught out by an unexpected direction change. I've also got questions over his big match temperament because he seems to fragile mentally at times. The funny thing (unless you're a Berdych fan) is that the one time in a major he didn't look fragile in a big match was when he beat Federer and Djokovic at Wimbledon (2010?) and still had to beat Nadal in the final!!

[slashermcguirk]

Berdych is very under rated. Remember he has twice beaten federer at a slam, both Wimbledon and us open, beat Murray at French open and beat djokovic at Wimbledon (though I think his only ever win against Novak). He has potential to win slams and is more likely to upset the big 4 than most.

Such a great ball striker

[Guest]

Thx TSJ makes interesting reading.

Berdych has all the tools to be a slam champ. Moves so well for such a big guy. If he could improve his 1st serve percentage and be a bit more clutch he would take some serious stopping.

I think he lacks two things:

Lateral movement
The mentality

He's a phenomenal mover for someone his size but Sky have done a little bit of analysis on his lateral movement and he's always got his weight on one foot when moving from side to side; therefore he can get caught out by an unexpected direction change. I've also got questions over his big match temperament because he seems to fragile mentally at times. The funny thing (unless you're a Berdych fan) is that the one time in a major he didn't look fragile in a big match was when he beat Federer and Djokovic at Wimbledon (2010?) and still had to beat Nadal in the final!!

Definitely agree regarding his temperament; he certainly gets tight in the crucial moments - that's what I meant by clutch. I also see what you mean about his lateral movement. I can actually picture him struggling to change direction. Overall I think he's underachieved.

[invisiblecoolers]

I wonder where people rate Berdych as a clay court player? Amongst top ten in the world? Top twenty? Or higher?

OMG

[invisiblecoolers]

No great shame in that defeat. Frustrating how when he was easily better towards the end of the first set, he let it slip - but that shows his lack of confidence on the dirt

No damage done and has actually gained on Roger and Novak

Bird Man shows us why 8 titles is a meagre total for a player with his skills

Damage is done but more damage was done to Nole and Roger, Roger fans can easily forget this coz Fed is playing Tennis for fun at the moment and he rightfully deserved the loss, Nole's loss came to an upcoming younngster in contrast Murray's loss coming at the hands of guy who did have an edge ove him even in the past.

If Murray is serious of becoming no.1 some time in his career he should take the defeat seriously and work hard for it.

[LuvSports!]

1 set all in the tsonga, stan match after tsonga saves 2 mp's.

[ryan86]

If Wawrinka wins (currently a break up), in each match the lower ranked player will have won.

[summerblues]

If Wawrinka wins (currently a break up), in each match the lower ranked player will have won.

Interesting observation. So Rafa's upset of Ferrer set the tone for the rest of the day

[laverfan]

Glad to see Stan follow-up his Estoril win with an SF at Madrid.

I was expecting MC Tsonga to reappear, but alas no.

[invisiblecoolers]

Looks like Nadal isn't too motivated now that he knows that even when he wins it's going to be 'asterixed' by the super experts like what are on this site.

Honestly speaking nobody cares about Madrid for the 2nd year in a row, last year due to blue clay and stuff and this year strangely the top 4 has been more disappointing, I won't be surprised if Nadal lose his motivation to play this tournament and exit next round, he did try hard in the quarter finals to exit but Ferrer out performed him.

[CaledonianCraig]

I wonder where people rate Berdych as a clay court player? Amongst top ten in the world? Top twenty? Or higher?

OMG

Err do you have such a problem with this question?

[The Special Juan]

From Darren Cahill:

"Interesting stat: Andy Murray is 46/45 career H2H vs the current top 8. He's 1/13 vs the top 8 on clay. Solo win vs Del Potro in Rome, 2008."

[HM Murdock]

From Darren Cahill:

"Interesting stat: Andy Murray is 46/45 career H2H vs the current top 8. He's 1/13 vs the top 8 on clay. Solo win vs Del Potro in Rome, 2008."

Interesting indeed.

A worthy footnote is that at the time of Rome 2008, Del Potro's ranking was 71!

[The Special Juan]

Wow!! It wasn't even a "real" win because Del Potro withdrew at the start of the third.

[The Special Juan]

Anyone ever been double bagelled in a Masters SF?

[Guest]

How rubbish is this Andujar guy? Did he actually manage to hit two balls into the court in a row? Rafa just has to get the ball over the net.

[laverfan]

Andujar

[kingraf]

This tweet made me laugh

@enricomariariva
Nadal Andujar on clay is like hunting ducks with a
bazooka

[The Special Juan]

Poor Pablo. Less ducks, more fish in a barrel with a grenade. I hope Wawrinka v Berdych is the match it promises to be. Come on Stan, tonk him!!

[banbrotam]

Come on Stan

I really think that if he could win this event, given Roger's relative troubles - it could be the thing that kicks start an autumn bloom type career

[kingraf]

Wawrinka in two. One tight, one relatively straight forward.

[kingraf]

Wawrinka 0-8 vs Nadal..
Berdych 3-13...

Whoever wins here will be playing the role of Lamb in "The Slaughter"

[The Special Juan]

I wouldn't write either off. Stan won in Portugal on the clay last week and Berdych looks in good nick. Ok, it's the most difficult task in tennis awaiting the winner but it's not quite inevitable.

[kingraf]

Only mostly inevitable.

I would like a Wawrink victory, mind you.

[banbrotam]

Go Stanley, go !!

[The Special Juan]

I'm trying to think of a chant we (I) can use for Stan but all I end up with is humming "Thank You" by Dido

"Stan, Stan, he's the man
If he can't do it no one will"

[LuvSports!]

stan take the first set wahoooo!!!

[laverfan]

Well done, Stan!

[invisiblecoolers]

Stan the Man rocks , the Official Swiss no.1 according to the race.

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