Tennis Prose




Jan/17

22

Murray’s meltdown in Melbourne

murray
By Louise Belcourt

The tennis world has been rocked again, as world number 1 Andy Murray lost to world number 50 Mischa Zverev 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 in round 4 of the Australian Open.
In a warm afternoon, Zverev piled on the heat attacking the net 118 times in their 3 hour and 34 minute battle.
Both aged 29, the credentials of the 2 could not be more opposite. No one expected the German to trouble the 3 time grand slam champ. Before this week, Zverev had only advanced past the first round at a grand slam in 5 out of 18 attempts, and had never gone past the second round in the Australian Open.
However today was to be a different story. Murray had his chances in the first set, up 5-3 serving for the set, but 2 forced errors turned it around, and back on serve Zverev was able to break the Brit and take out the set.
The second set saw numerous breaks of serve. At 5-5 the tide seemed to turn in Murray’s favour, winning the next 8 points and taking the set.
You would expect this to change the momentum and Murray to run away with the next 2 sets. But it was not to be. Relentless pressure from the German, particularly to the Murray backhand, which seemed to crack with many hit into the middle of the net. Zverev was at the net whenever he could, taking time away from his opponent, not letting him get into any rhythm, and making stellar volleys, clearly frustrating the world number 1. Yet today Murray wasn’t his usual vocal self. Only occasional yelling directed at his box, but not the normal agitated Murray you would expect in this situation.
Surprisingly, when asked if he was “low on energy”, Murray responded “I don’t think I was flat.” “Sometimes at the end of the sets I was trying to get a little more energy, you know, show more sort of positive language.”
The quality of the match showed with Murray’s 71 winners to 28 unforced errors, and Zverev’s 52 winners to 26 unforced errors. Although the telling stat was Murray’s 66 forced errors. Evidently, the pressure was too much for Murray to bear.
Of Zverev game, Murray said “He deserved to win because, you know, he played great when he was down, and also in the important moments.” He added, “Every time it was close points, I put Mischa under pressure, he came up with great stuff”.
Naturally, Zverev was elated at the victory saying “Yeah, definitely the best match of my life, not only because it was a best-of-five set match, it was at a slam. I don’t know. It was just incredible.”
Asked how he won Zverev said “Well, I believed in myself. I believed in my game. I believed that playing serve and volley against him and slicing a lot, trying to destroy his rhythm was going to work, which it did in the end.”
How he maintained his drive after being injured and not winning many matches, Zverev said “I can tell you it wasn’t easy when I came back from wrist surgery two years ago. It was my brother who said, you can make it back, you can be top 100 again, be a great player.”
He added, “But having such a great family where, like, my brother’s doing well, the whole family’s there to support you, it was a long journey, but it was a fun one. When you see him doing well, there’s a lot of positive emotions in the family on the court, off the court.
What next for Zverev? Only the most Australian Open quarter finalist (13), only the most Australian Open match winner (84), and only the most prolific grand slam winner of all time (17). Roger Federer!
So who will be the next top seed casualty?

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57 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 22, 2017 at 8:45 am

    Not less shocking than Djokovic losing to The Istroyer – Wow just wow – I have to watch the replay later –

  • catherine bell · January 22, 2017 at 9:10 am

    Scoop –

    Don’t if it’s practical or policy at T-P but can we have something like one (continuing) thread for the tournament otherwise it gets a bit confusing where to post and follow comments.

    They end up on several different threads.

  • Dan Markowitz · January 22, 2017 at 11:16 am

    Elated by this rssult. Proves that serve n volley, chip n charge tennis can still win on today’s tour. Pat Rafter said the same to me a few years back. Even though, Taylor Dent denied it. Well Rafter was right and Dent wrong. Zverev is a player built in the Rafter mold. And | think the Fed/Zev match should be a real entertaining one. Lets see an American player come up and play this exciting style instead of all the baseline bashers.

  • Andrew Miller · January 22, 2017 at 11:45 am

    DY does this! Just that Mischa Zverev, lefty like the DY, has really rationalized his game and sharpened it up. I agree with Dan, awful nice to see a SV out there and doing well.

    AND BEATING MURRAY SILLY! Kept his foot on Murray the whole time.

    Another reason why I think that the top players are soft. The ATP top five is breaking apart.

  • Andrew Miller · January 22, 2017 at 11:46 am

    Dan there’s a big difference between Pat Rafter and Taylor Dent 🙂 just saying.

  • Andrew Miller · January 22, 2017 at 11:47 am

    Btw Esco has a nice volley. Tiafoe a nice dropper. Kozlov too. Even Fritzy.

  • Andrew Miller · January 22, 2017 at 11:48 am

    but none are Coco!!!

  • Hartt · January 22, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    I just watched a replay so was more awake than in the middle of the night. Had forgotten there were so many breaks of serve. Mischa never let up and never let nerves get the better of him.

    He is such a mature, gracious guy, it is a pleasure to root for someone like him. When asked if this gave him bragging rights over Sascha he replied that Sascha was the higher ranked player, he still got to walk through the door first.

    Those of us who have been crying out for faster courts at some of the big tourneys so there is at least a chance of a greater variety of winners are happy campers today!

  • Hartt · January 22, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    There is a piece about the match on the AO site where the writer is positively giddy about the return of serve and volley and approach and volley. He makes it sound as though Mischa’s win will bring back that style, that kids everywhere will now take it up. Although I hope more players will be inspired to come to the net more, this was totally over the top. 🙂

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 22, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    Zverev played old school old style tennis and he kept doing it under heavy pressure and a fierce fight back by Andy and he finished the job on the first match point – Really an incredible display by Zverev and in a way it’s even more impressive than Istomin beating Djokovic – This is the best Aus Open of my lifetime –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 22, 2017 at 3:47 pm

    Coco has a swagger and court arrogance that equals her awesome hitting power and lethal serve – Coco can make history next week –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 22, 2017 at 3:48 pm

    Sampras also said serve and volley works still but just that nobody was doing it well enough – now we have finally found a guy that can do it – Zverev can win Wimbledon –

  • Dan Markowitz · January 22, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    Andrw, DY doesn’t serve n volley or chip and charge nearly as much as Zverev. That’s been one of the knocks on DY is that he was supposed to be a McEnroe close and instead hes become a lesser version of Tim Wilkison.

  • Andrew Miller · January 22, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    Dan, fair enough. Mischas style is SV from 1980s & 1990s. DY mixes it up but doesn’t have it as core of his game, so you’re right for sure.
    For what it’s worth Coco and Gavrilova both incorporated a lot of vintage SV in their strategy, but not like Mischa. Mischa is old school!
    Are the courts playing faster? Is that’s what is turning the tables on the favorites all of whom are now outta mebourne?
    Btw that was a FRIGID handshake at the end if Coco Kerber! Man maybe a lot of women’s tour players are like hunger games.

  • catherine bell · January 23, 2017 at 3:10 am

    Kerber’s handshakes are often on the cool side – she probably doesn’t feel she has to do more. She tends to be more expressive with players she knows well.

    Be interesting to do a video on different handshakes on the men and women’s side and analyze them for non-verbal messages 🙂

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 7:07 am

    Yes I find the handshakes intriguing also and grateful that the TV networks always make a point to show them – there have been many memorable ones: I recall Thomas muster shaking hands after beating Courier and then patting him on top of the head like a father patting his son – Of course the Patty Schnyder faking it and then pulling her hand away at the last instant against who I just can’t remember – Yes Catherine a video compilation of a variety of tennis net handshakes would be a viral video for sure 🙂

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 8:09 am

    Scoop, you will be pleased to know that Raonic showed a lot of emotion in his match. Unfortunately much of it was negative, barking at his player’s box, and he even threw his racquet! I think being sick with the flu and dealing with the hot humid conditions, not to mention RBA making some terrific shots, really got to him. But there was some positive stuff as well – the occasional fist pump or roar.

  • catherine bell · January 23, 2017 at 9:54 am

    Can someone please explain and/or justify the practice of playing matches late at night and into the early hours.

    Whoever decided it was a good thing to play tennis at 2am or even 3am ? And what other sport forces participants to stay around that late ? A horrendous idea. It’s bad for everyone – players, press, spectators (if there are any) and I’m surprised the WTA and ATP put up with it. TV and money I suppose.

    Thank heavens that can’t happen at W’don. (and thank heavens I don’t cover tennis now – lot of matches wouldn’t get a mention I’m afraid)

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 10:32 am

    One of the most famous handshakes was Radwanska and Lisicki at the Wimby SF in 2013. It had to be a huge disappointment for Aga and the fly by handshake had whole articles written about it. Was she justified or was it poor sportsmanship? Some of Aga’s defenders pointed out that Lisicki had kept her waiting at the net while she did a very dramatic celebration.

    Then of course we had Sabine crying during the final. Drama indeed! Have never been keen on Sabine since.

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 10:55 am

    Hartt; It’s okay to not be perfect always and to vent negative – it’s a down and dirty dog fight and it’s better to vent it than to bottle it up – Good signs that Raonic is venting and showing he really really wants this title right NOW – he has to be feeling extra tension and stress that this IS HIS BEST CHANCE to do it right NOW –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 11:04 am

    Hartt: Do you recall that loss by Lisicki at the French Open where she totally choked that lead away and had like a nervous breakdown on court after and had to be carried away by stretcher? That was years ago well before 2013 and she rebounded very well after that tragic loss but yes I agree she appears too fragile upstairs to deal with the stress and tension of winning a GS title though she does have the talent and skill to do it –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 11:07 am

    Catherine: It’s a freak thing when it happens because of a very long schedule that goes well into OT – it’s always been a part of GS tennis in two of the four GSs which have night play – I like it but hope it only happens infrequently –

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 11:40 am

    Scoop, it looks like the French Open incident with Lisicki was about 6 years ago and she wasn’t on my radar then. But I googled her name with meltdowns and a lot of articles came up. Not a good sign, although most were about the Wimby SF.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 11:43 am

    Milos seems to throw his racquet once a year and it is at the AO. He did it last year after the adductor injury effectively took him out of the SF match. As he said, this one did not count as a racquet smash because the racquet survived.

    I imagine you would prescribe more frequent racquet throwing! 🙂

  • Andrew Miller · January 23, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    Dimitrov and Raonic have a shot for sure. Never thought I’d see Dimitrov playing like his Sharpie days as I wrote him off as a Gasquet-like player. As the volley seems to be coming back into fashion is it because of the courts? It can’t be because players are better or racquets different or strings either, and care bear was caught flat footed in the face of some excellent volleys. Venus advancing too, she is about as close to a SV player on the women’s tour as we can get!

    Either it’s Mischamania or the courts are faster. Take your pick!

  • Andrew Miller · January 23, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    That said Fed and Nadal have a shot at their first slam in a while. No Murray nor Djoker in sight. Wawrinka still in business too.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    Apparently the balls being used at the AO are making a difference – they are flying more. Some players say this has a bigger effect than the speed of the courts themselves.

  • catherine bell · January 23, 2017 at 3:53 pm

    Can’t wait for S/V to come back into fashion – shortens matches so much – Q: what year did we have a W’don semifinal lasting 29 minutes ? Answers on a postcard please.

    Move over Steffi – we’ll now see a queue at Martina’s door of those who want advice on their rusty or non-existant s/v skills 🙂

    (no wonder Kerber was left flatfooted – she probably hasn’t seen a volley for years)

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 4:43 pm

    Yes I do think destroying a racquet on occasion is positive venting and helps the player release the negative anger and often that player plays better after the racquet destruction. Though of course it is a bad thing for kids to see though on the flip side it is good for the racquet sales 🙂

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    Hartt: I think the French Open Lisicki breakdown was vs Schiavone but it was really bad to see and quite sad to see a player suffer so deeply on the court.

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 23, 2017 at 4:45 pm

    Strycova had a few nice S&Vs yesterday vs Serena.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    Re volleying skills, I happened to have the mixed doubles with Hingis and Paes on tape. They beat an Australian team pretty easily. But what stood out was Hingis’ volleys – so accurate and she always seemed to know where to go with them.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 5:50 pm

    The commies were saying that one of the companies, I think it was Yonex, was deducting $ from their sponsorship to a player every time he/she destroyed a racquet. I guess they don’t like the image of someone abusing their racquets!

  • jg · January 23, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    Courier mentioned the serve and volley works well against Murray because he puts little spin on the ball, Nadal will be a tougher case for Misha Z. This may be the blue print to play Andy M.

  • Hartt · January 23, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    Re handshakes, what is it with the men where one pats the other on the chest or the stomach? I used to think it was a display of dominance but it is not necessarily the winner who does it. It just seems downright strange.

  • Andrew Miller · January 23, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    Proud of Venus Williams in semis. See, SV IS BACK! If Coco knocks off Muguruza(so far it’s a draw) we’re going to have two of four players, both u.s. women, who svd their way to the Aussie semis.

  • Andrew Miller · January 23, 2017 at 10:58 pm

    Wow coco vs Venus! Coco smashed Muguruza. Given how well Muguruza played last round I can only say Coco has seized the moment. This should be a fantastic match. Us women may very well have three of four semifinal slots if Serena makes it through.

  • Andrew Miller · January 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    Renaissance on the wta tour. Second slam in a row I am so impressed. Karo Pliskova really took it to poor Gavrilova she must’ve been overwhelmed by Plisko. She didn’t have the same shtick on the ball as the last match against Bacsinsky. Plisko just imposes her will time to admit she has mad ability.

  • catherine bell · January 24, 2017 at 3:12 am

    Don’t think Angie need feel quite so bad now looking at Coco’s result.

  • catherine bell · January 24, 2017 at 3:27 am

    Hartt –

    That stuff at the net with men is a sort of male bonding thing I think.

    You’ll probably find male primates do it in certain situations.

    Re Hingis – she was always was a good volleyer in singles but didn’t have the firepower from what I recall.

  • catherine bell · January 24, 2017 at 5:47 am

    Looking at the draw I suspect Simona H might think herself lucky to have gone out in the 1st round. If she’d got past Venus W she would’ve met CoCo 🙂

  • Andrew Miller · January 24, 2017 at 9:03 am

    Sheesh, men’s draw – wawrinka ko’s poor Tsonga, who looks back at his past AO glory and promise and says, darn it! So it will be Federer Wawrinka, for the right to play either nadal raonic goffin or dimitrov. Goffin seems like the underdog here. If goffin wins it will be huge.

  • Andrew Miller · January 24, 2017 at 9:04 am

    NO NEXT GENERATION PLAYERS IN SIGHT!

  • Andrew Miller · January 24, 2017 at 11:02 am

    Coco is coached by Navratilova’s old coach Kardon and is a great dubs player – no wonder her volley is legit!!!!!!!
    Young American players take note. Play doubles like it matters and stop sucking it up.

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2017 at 4:25 pm

    Hingis and Paes have always been volley stalwarts – Hingis has always had big success in doubles with an array of different partners too –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2017 at 4:27 pm

    Yes Hartt the pat on the chest or belly of the opponent just feels natural – I’ve been doing it for a few years too – It’s saying great job –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2017 at 4:29 pm

    Bouchard did better against Coco than Kerber and Garbi did – Watch out for Bouchard this year –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2017 at 4:30 pm

    Hingis was the best in the world at sixteen but was overtaken by the power of Cap Davenport and the Wills – But Hingis was so good – Once saw her double bagel Seles in Key Biscayne –

  • Scoop Malinowski · January 24, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    Goffin I think is the biggest surprise of all – Little guy but he is even steven with the best – I pick Fed over Stan and Rafa over Raonic and Grigor over Goffin –

  • jg · January 24, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    Wonder if playing with Hingis this week rubbed off on Coco, also Hingis was in the stands watching the first matches, Hingis may make a great coach.

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