A lot going on for Murray as Wimbledon defense begins

LONDON — Based on Andy Murray’s body language alone, reporters’ questions can produce an inordinate amount of consternation.

He’ll puff his cheeks, then let out a sigh. He’ll rub his forehead, then clutch his chin. When answers do arrive, some are preceded by a hesitant “Ummm.” Others begin with “No” or “I wouldn’t have thought so” — or both. “I don’t know” is a popular refrain.

Truth is, given all that is going on at the moment, the No. 1-seeded Murray could be forgiven for having a lot on his mind as he prepares to start his title defense at the All England Club on Monday.

There’s a second child on the way for Murray and his wife — happy news, of course, and on Sunday, he assured a reporter who asked about its potential effect on his tennis this fortnight, “It’s certainly not a distraction in the slightest.”

There’s his inconsistent season and the chance he could relinquish his spot atop the rankings to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Stan Wawrinka two weeks from now.

There’s the matter of figuring out how to deal with his unorthodox opponent in the grass-court Grand Slam tournament’s opening Centre Court match. They’ve never played each other, but Murray is somewhat familiar with Alexander Bublik, who is from Russia but represents Kazakhstan, just turned 20 and says he finds watching tennis boring: They had an off-court encounter for an ATP promotional video this year.

And there’s also the sore left hip that led one British tabloid to ask readers — at psychic Uri Geller’s prompting — to rub that part of Murray’s body in a front-page photo to heal him.

“I’ve felt fairly calm the last few days, considering how I’ve been feeling,” Murray said.

The hip forced Murray to skip exhibition matches on grass and a few days of training. But he said it’s feeling much better.

“Obviously, this is an extremely important tournament, so you worry a little bit,” he said. “It’s a little bit stressful if you can’t practice for a few days. You really want to be preparing, training, as much as you can to get ready and make you feel better, especially when you hadn’t had any matches.”

He is 21-9 so far in 2017, and his lone title came with the benefit of facing only one player ranked in the top 25.

Still, here was Roger Federer’s assessment of Murray’s chances at a place where in 2013 he became the first British man in 77 years to grab the trophy: “If he’s anything close to 100 percent physically, I consider him one of the big favorites to win the tournament. It’s that simple.”

Murray did manage to reach the semifinals at the French Open, but since then he has played only one match — and lost.

“I can take some anti-inflammatories if my hip flares up,” he said. “Hopefully that’s not the case.”

Could be a lot of running required Monday, given the 134th-ranked Bublik’s penchant for sliced returns, drop shots, lobs and run-around forehands from midcourt.

“My game is unpredictable. I don’t even know what I’m going to do,” Bublik said. “When the ball is coming to me, I decide right before I hit. So I don’t have a plan.”

Murray is aware of all of that.

“Some more sort of shots that guys may play in exhibitions, he tries when he’s out there,” Murray said. “That’s what I’ve heard.”

Bublik acknowledges he’ll win more matches when he can “find a balance between making jokes and (being) a showoff.”

He lost in the final round of qualifying last week, but made it into the main draw thanks to another player’s withdrawal.

Bublik is known on tour for possessing, as Murray put it, “a big personality,” and that came through vividly during a session with a group of reporters at the All England Club.

Among other topics, Bublik discussed the “famous” Russian rappers he expects in his guest box on Monday; the tattoos on his right forearm (a map showing his hometown of St. Petersburg and a couple of quotations attributed to Eminem); and his disdain for following his own sport.

“Even Rafa and Fed, you watch, the guys are putting everything in the court. It’s not interesting,” Bublik said with a mischievous grin. “I mean, it’s interesting to see the highlights … but when they’re rallying for 45 shots, you’re sitting and you’re feeling, ‘OK, can I quit tennis, please?’”

Very little of Murray’s sort of hemming and hawing there.

source: sports.inquirer.net

No. 2 Murray narrows gap to No. 1 Djokovic in ATP rankings

LONDON — Andy Murray’s Wimbledon title has allowed him to make a dent in the still-substantial gap in the ATP rankings between him and No. 1 Novak Djokovic, last year’s champion at the All England Club.

Entering Wimbledon, Djokovic had nearly twice as many points as No. 2 Murray, 16,950 to 8,915. But after Djokovic’s loss in the third round, and Murray’s third Grand Slam trophy, the margin is 15,040 to 10,195 on Monday.

Serena Williams’ seventh title at Wimbledon and 22nd at a Grand Slam tournament keeps her at No. 1 in the WTA rankings, while runner-up Angelique Kerber jumps two spots to No. 2.

Williams’ sister Venus moves up one spot to No. 7 after reaching her first major semifinal since 2010.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Murray wins Wimbledon, beats Raonic in 3 sets

LONDON – After Britain famously endured a 77-year wait between Wimbledon men’s champions, Andy Murray has given the host country a pair of titles in quick succession.

Murray dulled booming serves with quick-reflex returns, played impressively mistake-free tennis while coming up with daring passing shots and beat Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) on Sunday for his second trophy at the All England Club since 2013 and third Grand Slam championship overall.

When he sat in his sideline chair after it was over, Murray wiped away tears with a tournament towel.

The second-seeded Murray was playing in his 11th major final, but the first against someone other than Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.

But he didn’t need to face either of those rivals this fortnight: The sixth-seeded Raonic eliminated Federer in five sets in the semifinals Friday, and also defeated the player who stunned Djokovic in the third round, Sam Querrey.

Those wins helped the 25-year-old Raonic make his debut in a Grand Slam title match — the first man representing Canada to make it that far at one of the sport’s four most important tournaments.

He did it, primarily, on the strength of his speedy and intimidating serves, averaging 25½ aces while being broken a total of only five times through six matches. But on a breezy afternoon, at a Centre Court filled with nearly 15,000 partisan fans, Murray basically shut down that integral part of Raonic’s game.

It’s been a rough few weeks for Britain, what with its vote to leave the European Union, the resulting drop of the pound’s value, and the subsequent resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, who was seated in the front row of the Royal Box on Sunday, several seats over from Prince William and his wife, Kate.

Murray was even asked by a reporter during Wimbledon how it felt being Britain’s “last hope,” a question he jokingly dismissed by replying, “It’s not that bad, is it? Is it that bad?”

Murray, a 29-year-old from Scotland, long dealt with the expectations and pressures that accompanied being the locals’ best chance to find a new champion to succeed Fred Perry, who won the tournament in 1936. But Murray has thrived, with a counter-punching, defensive game and sublime returns of serve.

In a testament to Murray’s ability as a returner — a combination of timing and dexterity — it took Raonic 36 minutes and five service games to record his first ace. Over and over, Murray managed to get the ball back, even one that came in at 147 mph.

Raonic was limited to eight aces in all, only one more than Murray.

And while Murray only managed to break Raonic once, to lead 4-3 in the opening set, that was all it took, because the tiebreakers were both one-way traffic. Just as significant: Murray took 50 of 65 points he served across the first two sets, not only never facing so much as a break point in that span but only once being taken to deuce.

Finally, at 2-all in the third, Raonic got to 15-40 for his first — and, it turned out, only — break points, thanks to a forehand return winner off an 82 mph second serve. But Murray stood tall, taking the next four points to hold, then wheeling toward his box, pumping his right fist and yelling.

He was well on his way, thanks to such clean play that he finished with a mere 12 unforced errors, while Raonic had 29.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Djokovic finally wins French Open, beating Murray in final

PARIS — Novak Djokovic became the first man in nearly a half-century to win four consecutive major championships and finally earned an elusive French Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, beating Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday.

This was the top-seeded Djokovic’s 12th appearance at Roland Garros, and his fourth final, and after being stymied over and over in years past, he managed to cast aside a shaky opening set to dominate No. 2 Murray the rest of the way, buoyed by a supportive crowd that repeatedly chanted his nickname, “No-le!”

When his victory was over, Djokovic took a racket to etch a heart in the red clay that had given him such heartache in the past and dropped down on his back.

Since losing the 2015 final in Paris, Djokovic has won 28 Grand Slam matches in a row, from Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, to the Australian Open in January, and now, at long last, the French Open.

The last man to hold all four major titles simultaneously was Rod Laver in 1969, when he earned a calendar-year Grand Slam. Djokovic now can set his sights on that ultimate tennis achievement, because he is halfway there.

The 29-year-old Serb’s first French Open trophy goes alongside six from the Australian Open, three from Wimbledon and two from the U.S. Open to give him a total of 12. Among men, only Roger Federer (with 17), Rafael Nadal (14) and Pete Sampras (14) own more.

On Sunday — the weather overcast but dry, unlike so much of the rainy past two weeks — the first choruses of “No-le! No-le!” accompanied Djokovic’s entrance to the court. They returned when an announcer introduced Djokovic during the warmup period. And again when he skipped from sideline to baseline to receive in the opening game — and, louder still, when Djokovic broke two-time major champion Murray to start.

All in all, it sounded as if this were Belgrade, rather than a neutral site.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Federer overtakes Murray as world number two

Andy Murray has lost the world number two spot to Roger Federer in the latest ATP rankings released on Monday, after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the Madrid Masters final.

The Scot played well in Spain, but by failing to successfully defend his title, he drops below Federer ahead of the Italian Open this week.

Djokovic, an 11-time major champion, retains his massive lead on his closest challengers at the top of the rankings after claiming a record 29th Masters title.

Australian youngster Nick Kyrgios moves back into the top 20 thanks to his run to the quarter-finals in Madrid. 




ATP top 20:

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 16,550 pts

2. Roger Federer (SUI) 7,525 (+1)

3. Andy Murray (GBR) 7,525 (-1)

4. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6,380

5. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 5,675

6. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,290

7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 3,400

8. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 2,940

9. David Ferrer (ESP) 2,920

10. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2,740

11. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2,725

12. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2,680

13. David Goffin (BEL) 2,570

14. Gael Monfils (FRA) 2,460 (+1)

15. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 2,340 (-1)

16. John Isner (USA) 2,100

17. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 2,015

18. Gilles Simon (FRA) 1,945

19. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 1,840

20. Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 1,795 (+1)

source: sports.inquirer.net

Murray and Nadal to meet in Madrid Open semifinals

MADRID — Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal will meet again in the semifinals of the Madrid Open on Saturday, a rematch of last year’s final won by the British player.

The winner will face either Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori, who also won on Friday.

The second-ranked Murray defeated Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-2 to make it to the semis for the second consecutive Masters tournament on clay, while Nadal had to fight hard to get past Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.

Top-ranked Djokovic beat Milos Raonic 6-3, 6-4 to reach his fifth semifinal of the year, and sixth-ranked Kei Nishikori edged Nick Kyrgios 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), 6-3 in a thriller that lasted 2 1/2 hours. Coming off a final loss to Nadal in Barcelona, Nishikori overcame 18 aces by Kyrgios, getting his lone break to go up 3-1 in the decisive set.

Djokovic got past the 10th-ranked Raonic to win his 31st match of the year in a rematch of the final in Indian Wells, where Djokovic also won. The Serb has won 13 straight matches against top-10 players, winning 29 of 30 sets during that run.

“It was a long match,” Djokovic said. “It could have gone a different direction if I had lost the serve on that last game. But you know, that’s what happens when you play somebody like Milos, one of the best servers in the game. It’s very difficult to play against him, you are constantly under pressure.”

Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, celebrating her 27th birthday, reached the women’s final by beating American qualifier Louisa Chirico 6-1, 6-1 in less than an hour. She will play Simona Halep, who defeated Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-0 in the other semifinal. Halep, the 2014 finalist in Madrid, was the only seeded player to make it to the semis.

Murray had to play under a closed roof at the “Magic Box” center court because of rain.

“They were different conditions, playing under the roof, and I’ve adjusted to them well,” said Murray, who never faced a break point. “That was the most pleasant thing for me, because I’ve only played maybe three or four indoor clay matches in my life. Not easy conditions, against a tough opponent, and I played well.”

The roof was open when Nadal started, but it had to be closed in the second set. The interval didn’t help the Spaniard, who cruised in the first set but saw the 35th-ranked Portuguese rally back in the second.

Seeking his third title of the season, as many as he won in 2015, Nadal picked up the pace again in the final set to close out the match in just over two hours.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was among those watching Nadal play.

Nadal has won four of the last five matches against Murray.

“This year is completely different to the previous years,” Nadal said. “I have different feelings. Murray played really well today and has been during the whole week. It’s going to be a very tough match. I have to give my best if I want to have options. I cannot think of last year. Of course I hope that I don’t repeat what happened last year.”

Murray defeated Nadal in straight sets in Madrid in 2015 to win his first Masters title on clay, but Murray lost to Nadal in the Monte Carlo semifinals last month.

“He’s definitely playing better, for sure, but I also think that I’m playing better than I was at this time last year,” Murray said. “You have to keep improving. There are things in my game that are much better than at this stage last year. I need to learn from the match that I played against him and hopefully have a good performance tomorrow.”

Murray, who has won six of his last seven matches on clay, needs to win the title this weekend to avoid being overtaken by Roger Federer in the rankings.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Britain’s Jamie Murray takes doubles World No. 1 spot

Britain’s Jamie Murray, the older brother of two-time Grand Slam singles champion Andy Murray, became the ATP doubles world number one for the first time on Sunday without even taking the court.

Murray will move up from second in the next rankings to dethrone Brazil’s Marcelo Melo after the South American and Croatian partner Ivan Dodig were beaten 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 by Filipino Treat Huey and Belarusian Max Mirnyi at the ATP and WTA Miami Open.

Melo failing to reach the quarter-finals meant he would drop enough points to fall behind Murray, even though the 30-year-old Scottish left-hander had already been eliminated from the tournament.

“Last night I went to bed wondering if that was the closest I would ever get,” Murray posted on Instagram. “Today driving in the car my phone started to go crazy.”

Jamie Murray, who joined his brother to spark Britain to last year’s Davis Cup crown, won the Australian Open men’s doubles crown two months ago alongside Brazilian partner Bruno Soares for his first Grand Slam doubles crown.

He reached his first Grand Slam doubles finals last year alongside then-partner John Peers of Australia, losing in the championship matches at Wimbledon and the US Open.

source: sports.inquirer.net