Tennis Prose




Oct/19

20

Andy Murray A Champion Again In Antwerp

Andy Murray earned his 46th ATP singles title today beating Stan Wawrinka in Antwerp 36 64 64 to win the European Cup.

It’s the first title for Murray since 2017 and his hip surgery earlier this year.

“It means a lot. The past few years have been extremely difficult. Both me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems in the past couple of years. Amazing to be back playing against him in a final like that. I think it was a great match,” Murray said on court after his victory. “I didn’t expect to be in this position at all, so I’m very happy.”

Murray, 32 years old and ranked 243, leads the head to head with Stan now 12-8.

Murray, down a set and break earlier in the match today, clinched the title when Wawrinka missed an inside in forehand wide. Murray managed to beat some formidable competitors this week en route to the ATP 250 title – Kimmer Coppejans, Pablo Cuevas, Marius Copil and Ugo Humbert. Humbert and Copil also pushed Murray to the three set limit.

“Stan is a brilliant player. He’s won many, many big tournaments. He always plays extremely well in the big matches,” Murray said. “We know each other’s games well. We played many tough matches in the past. I expected another one today and that was what I got.”

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265 comments

  • Andrew Miller · October 20, 2019 at 4:30 pm

    Murray comeback a miracle.

  • Hartt · October 20, 2019 at 5:37 pm

    I loved his on-court interview when he said that when he’s been off the tour the last few years his family got bigger. So he needs to get on the road so that they don’t let things get out of control! Typical Andy.

  • Hartt · October 20, 2019 at 6:17 pm

    Feli Lopez was a guest at Rafa’s wedding, so he sent his congrats to Andy in a tweet.

    “What can i say @andy_murray
    ?
    🤷🏻‍♂️

    Makes me so happy to see you succeed..insane what you’ve done this week after everything u went through..truly inspiring
    ❤️
    will have
    🍷
    tonight to celebrate with you from a distance.
    🎩
    off Sir Andy”

  • jackson · October 20, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Feli doesn’t need any more wine. He had plenty at Rafa’s wedding and pictures show him in a pretty sorry state by the end of the evening. 😀

    Here are a couple of pics of the lovely bride and groom. They look very happy and the setting for the wedding was stunning.

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EHWNHTPW4AM8uP0.jpg

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EHWJdExWoAAlcOT.jpg

  • Andrew Miller · October 21, 2019 at 12:02 am

    Very fine tennis writers wrote Murray’s tennis obituary in January this year. I’m glad to see Murray defied logic. He certainly seemed out of the game as a competitor. It’s a miracle. Doctor and patient both. Miracle.

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 5:01 am

    Yes – and British press all over Sir Andy now after digging his grave only a short time ago. But not just a miracle for him – hope for others who have similar problems.

    Coaching – (previous stream longer than the Amazon)- this is the season of short stints: 8 months Kerber, 4 months Georges, 6 months Mladenovic – Stephens/Puig – too short to count…

    It’s clear that it was Bajin who left and I like Kiki’s honesty in not hiding her feelings behind PR fluff. She’s hurt and puzzled and probably doubting her talent – great legacy from a coach.

    WTA may very well be thinking twice about their recently instituted Coach of the Year award. Who’s up for it in 2019 ? I vote Cahill who wasn’t even coaching (officially).

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 5:14 am

    I made a disparaging comment earlier about Sascha’s German skills but I have to eat my words – he was born in Munich of Serbian origin. Any German players currently coachless ?

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 8:23 am

    What’s Angie doing in her long time off from the tennis courts ? Demonstrating how to wash hair – with Head & Shoulders shampoo naturally.

    She should blush with shame.

  • Andrew Miller · October 21, 2019 at 8:33 am

    Mladenovic is bewildered. But as has been said that’s life on tour. One day you get another career milestone. Next day you lose your coach. One day you are on a roll. Two weeks later you’ve lost early rounds two weeks in a row and your coach is on the chopping block.

    I hope she gets a good coach and keeps going. I like the Mladenovic game, and I think she’d need to work on a bunch of things to get above her ceiling for results.

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 8:45 am

    Yes – Kiki’s worked hard to get where she is – she’s not the most naturally gifted player and Bajin seemed to be motivating her to make the most of what she has. That’s why, although we’re used to players and coaches shuffling around, I find something off about this one. Sascha obviously dumped it on her without warning or any kind of prior agreement. Silence from his side.

    What’s happened to Azarenka ? She hasn’t been playing recently. Possibly Fisette’s now looking for another job.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 9:04 am

    Kiki’s parents at just about every one of her matches at every tournament, does that really help her?

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 9:05 am

    Catherine, she wants to do TV commercials, all players do. It’s good activity for her. Need a breather from non stop hitting tennis balls.

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 9:50 am

    Scoop – Angie hasn’t spent too much time hitting tennis balls in the second part of the season and she isn’t playing at all until Australia, as far as I know. So three months for a breather. Unless she gets a new coach and commits herself to 2020. That would be ok.

    She’ll get the commercials for a while. But it’s not her day job and I can’t forget that comment on the pic of her and Woz practising before the USO – ‘ intense workout – but never too serious’. Result – out in the
    1st round (or 2nd?). Out anyway.

    Commercials are all very well but you won’t find them in the record books. IGs like these are the biggest waste of time in the world.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 10:21 am

    Catherine, look at how well Barty’s breather helped her career. Dropping in a little TV commercial work might even help the cause. Even Pete Sampras did a TV commercial, Nike Guerilla Tennis (Not I repeat not Gorilla tennis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 10:54 am

    Barty was 16 ! And she went off to play cricket – can’t see Angie wielding a bat somehow.

    Kerber’s at the end of her career – might as well give it a serious go before she retires. She’s done tons of commercials, photoshoots,magazine spreads etc. That Vogue one she did before the AO was a big mistake. Gave the impression she cares more about those things than playing as well as she can. Danielle Collins put that in proportion.

    Maybe I’m being censorious. I think it’s all a distraction. Federer can do that stuff but he can keep a balance. Don’t know if Angie can. (I’ve nothing against Head & Shoulders BTW – used to use it.)

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 10:59 am

    Barty was not 16 when she took her hiatus, she was about 19 or 20.

  • catherine · October 21, 2019 at 11:48 am

    I was under the impression Ashleigh took a break after a year or so on the circuit, following her winning junior W’don,and she found the stress of it all too much.

    In any case she was a lot younger than Kerber, who is 31 going on 32 and turned pro when she was 15. Depends what Angie’s going to do with the weeks until January. Get working on her game or not. Up to her. Otherwise she’ll be overtaken by younger players. Happens all the time.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 11:56 am

    Some people need to recharge their batteries. Whether it’s tennis or any activity which expends energy and effort. Some posters on here even take breathers and come back with renewed vigor and vim and firepower. Trust the Kerber process Catherine, trust the process 🙂

  • Hartt · October 21, 2019 at 12:32 pm

    I was curious about when Ash took her break. She was 18 and returned to tennis just before she turned 20.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    Hartt, I remember Barty’s last match, it was at US Open, where she lost early. Kokkinakis was watching her play as he was leaving the grounds.

  • Andrew Miller · October 21, 2019 at 2:02 pm

    Yeah I am addicted to tennis. Glad that’s where the focus is. A great year for the sport.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2019 at 2:22 pm

    Tennis is an escape from reality, it’s a healthy sub culture to get away from the sometimes chaotic real world.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 12:36 am

    Yes I am grateful for tennis. Thanks Scoop, Dan.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 12:37 am

    Tennis podcast, on WTA, “triumph of clever tennis” with Andreescu, Bencic.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 12:39 am

    Not sure that’s exactly what they said, but something like the rise of clever tennis or a comment that smart tennis is as important as other parts of the sport.

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 1:25 am

    Donna Vekic and Torben Beltz are planning a program of aggressive tennis during the off season – so we’ll see a lot of net rushing from Donna next year. That’s fine – as long as she doesn’t find herself passed on a regular basis by the practitioners of ‘clever tennis’.

    In this time of WTA coaching chaos Beltz and Vekic seem to be one of the more settled combinations…oh wait…

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 5:10 am

    Scoop – good points, but the question is – Does Kerber trust the process ?

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 5:19 am

    Seems like Angie is trusting her process – she tells us to ‘Clear your head and go your own way’ – with Head & Shoulders Supreme of course 🙂

    Does this mean she now has no need of a coach ? Just a bottle of shampoo ?

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 7:56 am

    Fizzing court in Zhuhai – nice to see a fast surface. Sabalenka makes the most of it and sees off Sakkari in SS. Not many rallies – fair amount of volleying.

    Steffi is once again in China and answering the usual soft soap questions. She’s pleased about the new tournament in Berlin, which she won 9 times in its previous incarnation. She might turn up for the event which could give a lift to women’s tennis in Germany.

    Surprise ? – Steffi was asked about Gauff but not a word that I could see about Andreescu, who did actually win a GS.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 8:02 am

    No results jumping out at me yet from the ATP, WTA, challenger scoreboards. I saw a “Chung” in one of the challengers maybe Chung’s brother if he has one? That very few American men were playing challengers in Australia or South America (that South America even has a challenger!). And then of course how many ATP and challengers are taking place.

    Two observations.
    Dimitrov d. king of challengers Dzumhur, now one of my favorite men’s players. He gets the most out of every cm of his existence. The other reason for posting this, Dimitrov seems to want to finish up strong.

    Second, there’s a Puerto Rican on the ATP! Ulises Branch. His results aren’t bad for #711. He’s one of the very U.S. men beyond Evan King that have ventured to far away places and see if there is a match and tour point to scalp. I noticed because he’s one of the few U.S. players to decide hey might as well.

    Third, Zverev vs Fritz. If ever Fritz wanted to show he can beat a better player, this is as good a time as any to catch Zverev off guard.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 8:09 am

    Tennis podcast praised Bencic, and they mentioned Muchova briefly, maybe five seconds. Mostly gushing over Bencic. They acknowledge the power game is here to stay but we’re enthusiastic about the fact that players are winning with strategy and touch, and said Andreescu, Bencic are at the forefront here. Then asked if Muchova would be top eight next year they thoughts no, not top eight but Zhuhai.

    Vekic! She’s done well this year. I don’t see her adding the kind of touch that dismantled her game as you say last week. But I don’t see the capabilities of Muchova etc growing lile wildfire on tour. To do what Rios, I’d say Hampton, Bencic, Muchova, Medvedev do, this is learning a different way of playing and seeing the court.

    For Dan, for Jon King, my hope is your players learn how to toy with opponents like this because it’s a good way to see the game and it will drive opponents mad and they’ll probably enjoy the novelty of it. Let’s not forget that even as these players do this and they aren’t the elite of tennis, Nadal and Federer and even Djokovic can hit most of these shots but rely most on their bread and butter.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 8:28 am

    Two years ago no one saw the talents of Medvedev growing like wildflire on tour. Andrew’s Crystal ball needs a re-wiring.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 8:31 am

    Blanche hits the heck out of the ball, like a Rublev maybe. I said to his coach in Sarasota he may need to be more positive on court and smile more, find a way to smile and enjoy it, the coach liked it and told me to tell Ulysses which I did. Little things like this can make a difference.

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 8:51 am

    I’m not sure about Bencic. Although she resembles Bianca I think Andreescu is the far better player. Actually and potentially.

    Vekic looks so slight but she’s listed as 1.79 which is 5’10” – maybe needs building up a little. Bertens fought a close 1st set in Zhuhai then had an easier time in FS.

    I’m interested in Zhuhai, although it means nothing, because the court surface is different and I’d like to see how these ladies perform on it.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:06 am

    My crystal ball! I did see Medvedev on a hard court in 2017. He was a total jerk. What surprised me more than how impeccable his shotmaking was, which wasn’t out of this world but notable, is that he was insulting to the ump and making no fans among the crowd. He barely beat Opelka when I saw him, and you could forgive me for believing that two years from that point it would be Opelka upending ATP tour draws. Instead the guy that barely won that day, Medvedev, is now upending the whole tour, at least at best of three sets tournaments with a decent chance at putting himself in more winning positions at upcoming slams.

    My crystal ball shattered a long time ago 🙂

    I like what I see from Muchova, but as the history of this board shows I’ve liked Bouchard when she was taking the ball early. I’ve only been able to call a few things in the tennis world – how bad many American pro men play, which I relate to their poor undsrstanding of the sport, that Verdasco had more potential than he let on before 2008 (and which Gil Reyes beat out of him through the hill training of Las Vegas). That a non big four player would win the 2013 Australian. I think that’s sort of it.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:13 am

    Tennis podcast made the point that guile, clever play, is becoming a thing on the WTA tour. I welcome it! We’ve seen enough mindless ball bashing for many lifetimes and will see more of it. I think Tennis podcast is wrong – these players are one of a kind.

    The way they play isn’t how say all Czech or Russian or (pick your country) play. Given Scoop’s prodigious and volumnious reporting on Marcelo Rios, I don’t think a coach can even teach this. Players can’t seem to pick it up from pros that play this way.

    My suggestion is enjoy it and see if you can pick it up. From what I understand Scoop remodeled much of his game with Rios patterns. So it can be done. I doubt this is easy and I’m sure Scoop had to keep his old game at bay. Scoop you know best.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:17 am

    Scoop’s Vilas post for example. How many players will put in a few weeks and countless hours to own a shot, as Vilas did? Or more likely, will they just play their game (while every coach studies that game and develops a strategy to pick it apart). I’m waiting….

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:20 am

    “Steffi, what do you think about Andreescu?”

    Silence.

    “Can she beat your records?”

    Steffi:
    “Check the Newport stats at the hall of fame, I can’t remember this stuff.”

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:24 am

    “Can Gauff be the greatest ever?”

    Possible Steffi response:

    “It’s good to have big dreams and goals.”

    C’mon…what does everyone want Steffi to say?! Steffi is like scoreboard, people and probably thinks, “got to work with my agent on how to answer these questions without answering ‘scoreboard, people’s”!!!

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:27 am

    I like the Bencic game. As far as I can tell she’s an ankle braker. I highly recommend this way of playing for men and women on tour, wrong-footing works in a sport that now requires a lot of defense and defense to offense.

  • Andrew Miller · October 22, 2019 at 9:28 am

    Scoop, you know Ulises Branch?

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 9:29 am

    Andrew, Vilas may have been the hardest worker in history of tennis maybe even any sport. Details of his work on and off court are mind blowing. A couple…19 practice sets in a day. Eight hours on court a day. Vilas was your all time blue collar tennis champion.

  • Jon King · October 22, 2019 at 9:39 am

    Andrew, your posts about WTA variety and toying with opponents hits very close to home. My girl since age 7 has been the hardest hitter in every group, boys and girls. One girl she played cried to her dad after a match saying “she hits harder than Serena!”. My daughter starting listening to the praise and bashing every ball as hard as humanly possible. Which worked until it didn’t, too many unforced errors, girls simply call balls anywhere near the line out, and frankly not very fun to watch.

    So a year ago she started working on extreme angles, a variety of spins, slices, drop shots, hitting behind and wrong footing opponents. We would watch the old guys on the Har Tru courts driving their opponents nuts with angles and spins.

    The goal is to keep the extreme power as that is quite a weapon, but be able to see the angles of the court and play with lots of variety. Most of the girls back up 4-6 feet behind the baseline to deal with power, so if you can then use angles and under spin, you can drive them nuts.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Andrew, Su Wei Hsieh is the pioneer and genesis of this new WTA revolution of clever, guile play. Ever since her high profile matches at AO and Wimbledon two and three years ago we have seen more and more players experiment and play the Suwei style. Yes Rios a big influence on my game, later 90s is when I began my quest to become a serious player. I remember dreaming about being adequately skilled enough to play any local tournaments and to win a match or two. Then the goal became to try to win any tournament. Then the bigger tournaments. Rios is the guy who caught my eye and the way he played was a big inspiration. But I wasn’t good enough to dare to play like Rios, just grind and fight it out with speed and defense and counter punching moonballs spin. I was a yeller and come on guy and then a year or two later a young rebel named Hewitt came on the scene and I related to his fighting spirit. Then gradually my hands got better and I could play angles, angles helped me beat an older guy who beat me up almost every weekend for a year and a half. Won a tournament. It just snowballed. Won over 35 now. Finals three times of the biggest tournaments but never won it yet. If I’m playing an okay player I can Rios him into submission, just dissect him with variety, drop shots, angles or whatever. But the tougher stronger bigger hitters I have to slug it out and battle like Hewitt with a one hander.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 9:47 am

    You can’t put a ceiling on Muchova or any player, Medvedev proved this. Medvedev was a character years ago, remember he threw coins to the umpire chair and he also said something about Young and the linesperson in Savannah being the same skin color, Medvedev thought he was being cheated on both occasions. Medvedev is not afraid to stand up for himself if he senses official injustice. Admirable quality. It shows he’s a real fighter with extra courage.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Rennae Stubbs said in Facing Steffi Graf that Graf does not even have her trophies in her house, Stubbsy said if you go to her house you would have no idea she was a tennis player. Graf has moved on from her career. Stubbsy was very insightful about Graf as a player and her post career life. Catherine what are your comments on Stubbsy’s input in the book of Facing Steffi Graf? It was one of my favorite parts of the book process.

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 9:57 am

    My crystal ball is telling me that Kerber is saying she is not going to hire a new coach because ‘Clear your head and go your own way’ is going to be enough.I don’t believe she’s ever taken much notice of coaches at any point, going right back. Totally self-absorbed.

    My crystal ball could shatter too but Angie’s behaviour since Wimbledon has pointed that way. Karma.
    Maybe she’s met up with that guy who was getting into Djokovic’s head at one point.

    Scoop – what’s funny is that Connors really did come from a blue collar background and Vilas was the son of a lawyer.

  • catherine · October 22, 2019 at 10:14 am

    Scoop – as I said before I think, Rennae’s comments are probably the best in the book. She gives lengthy and analytical answers, mostly based on her own experience and observations. Essential reading on Graf.

    However, it’s not really true that Steffi has moved on from tennis – she may not like to have her trophies on display but she does go to Zhuhai every year (see above), she has a tennis foundation in Germany which she visits regularly and she most likely watches more tennis than she admits to. She will remain Germany’s idol, Kerber a fair way behind. A great great player.

    But of course her memories of her time in the game are mixed – some triumphs but also some unhappy personal family troubles, injuries etc. She prefers to live in the US but she hasn’t cut ties with her homeland.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 10:27 am

    Catherine, Vilas worked like he was the son of a tennis club janitor. Vilas called his coach at 4 am because he was worrying about his backhand. It’s in the book too. Graf still plays too but only with her friends, former pros, and some current pros, and I would guess some lucky juniors. She still is very good. But as Stubbsy said, Graf has a love hate relationship with the sport, like her husband, forgot his name, sorry.

  • Scoop Malinowski · October 22, 2019 at 10:32 am

    Yes I know Ulisses Blanch, smaller type body but he generates huge hitting power. I talked with him briefly and sat behind him at a Sebi Korda match at Sarasota Open, I watched him beat a hoagie from Jersey Mike’s Subs which are a hundred times better than Subway. Watch out for Blanch.

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