Baghdatis ousts Andy Murray at 2011 ABN AMRO World Tennis Championship
Andy Murray was knocked out in straight sets by world number 20, Marcos Baghdatis, in his first match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Looking to gain confidence and momentum, the young scot had a bright start to his first match at the Rotterdam International Tournament breaking Baghdatis’s serve twice at the start.
However, Baghdatis came back strongly with a service break to edge back to 3-2 behind.
The Cypriot took complete advantage of Andy Murray’s inability to fight back and when the score was tied at 4 games apiece, Baghdatis, was serving to take the lead in the first set. \
Murray was unable to stop the flow of points against him, eventually losing the first set 6-4.
There was no way back for powerless Murray from there on as Baghdatis broke the serve in the fourth game of second set to lead the score 3-1. Baghdatis eventually won the match 6-4, 6-1.
Baghdatis and Murray had played each other on three previous occasions. In their first clash, Baghdatis defeated Murray at the 2006 Wimbledon in straights sets with a final score of 6-3, 6-4 and 7-6.
At the Cincinnati Open 2007, the mighty Scot was overwhelmed by the superior force of his opponent. However, in their encounter at the French Open 2010, Andy Murray was finally able to assert some sort of dominance clinching the four set thriller 6-2, 6-3,
0-6 and 6-2.
Baghdatis, runner-up at the Australian Open 2006, is a destructive player when in the mood to swing things around.
However, he has been struggling for form lately after being thrashed out in the third round of Australian Open 2011.
Inconsistency has never allowed the Cypriot to compete with the other top tennis players. However, a win over the world number 5, Andy Murray, will certainly raise his morale. The 25 year old is eying return in the world top ten now.
On the other hand, Andy Murray had a promising start to his career. Since he turned professional in 2005, Murray has appeared in the finals of three Grand Slam tournaments, but has been unable to win any of them.
His latest final loss came at the Australian Open 2011, when he was overpowered by the deserving champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Disappointed with his performances in Grand Slam finals, in a post match interview he suggested that he may
not return to the tour until March.
Andy Murray faces tough decisions ahead, missing out on the opportunity to restore his lost pride. With his early appearance at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Championship 2011, much more was expected from him.
Murray will remain in Rotterdam to participate in the doubles tournament, with brother Jamie joining him to take on French duo Julien Benneteau and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Wednesday.
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