Andy Murray, champion who? (part 3)
Andy Murray was the third person to qualify for the Australian Open 2011 semi-finals. He is the 5th seed at this year’s tournament, and is also ranked 5th in the world by the ATP.
He was the world no.2 in 2009 for a month, and has since been in a constant battle with Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling for the 3rd spot.
Widely acknowledged as being the best tennis player to come out of Britain since Fred Perry, Murray has not yet won a grand slam. That fact is not a fair reflection of his skill, as his other achievements have proved time and time again.
The winner of 6 Masters Series, he has featured in two Grand Slam finals to date. Both were lost to Roger Federer, once at the US Open 2008 and then at the 2010 Australian Open. With a total of 16 career titles, Murray is one of the most talented players
on the circuit today.
Murray is a brilliant defensive counterpuncher. His return game is probably the best on the circuit, and his physical condition is second to none.
Fast in defence, he is very methodical and prefers to construct points over hitting winners. That doesn’t mean he can’t hit them though, as his very strong double-handed backhand and lethal forehand often show.
He is unusually good at anticipating his opponents, and extremely patient. He also rarely commits unforced errors. Possessing a very strong first serve, he dominates exchanges on his serve as well.
The Australian Open last year was the highlight of Murray’s year. His road to the final included a match against Rafael Nadal, an affair Murray dominated until Nadal retired due to injury. He was stopped by Roger Federer in the final, where he lost in straight
sets.
A long tournament drought then followed. He also lost to David Ferrer twice, his current challenger, at the Rome and Madrid Masters tournaments.
He was dismal at Roland Garros, losing in the fourth round. At Wimbledon though, he put on a good show. Progressing to the semi-final in a whirlwind, where he faced world no.1 Nadal.
His loss was tame though, even with the crowd completely behind him. Nadal won in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 and 6-4. After finally reaching the final at a tournament at the 2010 Farmers Classic, Murray did one better and won the Canadian Masters for the second
year running.
This win included a straight-set walloping of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. This was Murray’s first win against Federer and fifth against Nadal. It also got him his first trophy in almost a year.
Health issues plagued him in Cincinnati, where he went out to Mardy Fish. They also followed him to the US Open, where he lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the fourth round. The next tournament, the Shanghai Open, was a testament to Murray’s prowess as a player.
Winning without dropping a set in the entire tournament, he also defeated Roger Federer in the final. His first doubles title followed in Valencia, and he entered the year-end championships on a high.
Getting to the semi-final, he pushed Rafael Nadal to the limits, finally losing after a three-hour three-setter. The match was in front of his home crowd at London’s O2 arena, and the display he put on was worth every penny spent on the tickets.
After the Hopman Cup, Murray came to the Australian Open. His campaign here has been impeccable, with only one set dropped in the entire tournament. Especially exciting was his victory against Ukrainian dark horse Alexandr Dolgopolov.
In the semi-final, he is set to face the Spaniard, David Ferrer. Although Murray’s counterpunching is uniquely suited to facing Spanish baseliners, he shall have a tough match on his hands.
His opponent has beaten him in all their meetings last year, and is a wily and resilient tennis player. The next article shall be devoted to Ferrer’s abilities.
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