Semi-Final Thread - Djokovic V Murray

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

All set for the off. I hope it is a great match and best of luck Andy.

Discuss....

[eirebilly]

Anyone got the latest score in the 5th set. Lost stream and BBC is so slow with the updates.

[reckoner]

gsm

[bogbrush]

It's done.

[Union Cane]

Game over for the plucky Scot.

[JuliusHMarx]

Ah, bollox

[break_in_the_fifth]

Murray

[Guest]

Djokovic wins

Almost, but not enough. Yogi Lendl now needs to work on Murrays service game.

[break_in_the_fifth]

Hopefully Djokovic can be ready for Sunday.

[LuvSports!]

i luv this sport

[reckoner]

well, that is my least favourite matchup in the top 4, though it's been a while since I saw Murray v Nadal

what's with the slow-mo moth?

[eirebilly]

So its over?

[Guest]

Oh minions, what had been foretold has come to pass

I am the emancipatoooooooooooor



emancipator

[barrystar]

That's all down to experience for me. Djoko's been in those situations many times before, it's the first time for Murray.

[Guest]

Nadal's title though, whoever wins here is going to be knazzed.

Djokovic will probably win comfortably.

[carrieg4]

Congratulations Djokovic

[eirebilly]

Ben Dirs on the BBC is so painfully slow with updates

[carrieg4]

So its over?

Yep, 7-5 in the fifth.

[bogbrush]

There's a thread on the fact that if Nadal loses now he may as well call it a day.

[Guest]

Djokovic now needs to get himself inside that egg chamber!

[break_in_the_fifth]

Well played to both of them. I hope Murray can go on to much better things from here.

[bogbrush]

Great effort by Murray, much better than I expected.

[Guest]

Djokovic is apologising for all the running along the baseline. ...

[eirebilly]

So its over?

Yep, 7-5 in the fifth.

Thanks mate, i started to believe that Andy may just pull it out when he broke back in the 5th

[reckoner]

That's all down to experience for me. Djoko's been in those situations many times before, it's the first time for Murray.

nah c'mon they've been playing each other since they were children, that's no excuse

[erictheblueuk]

I think Novak's tiredness is just an act wheras Murray's tiredness looks genuine, cause of this I'm expecting Novak to run away with these last 2 sets.

Novak
Murray

[reckoner]

seriously what is with Rusedski's face

[Guest]

Well played to both of them. I hope Murray can go on to much better things from here.

This performance is already a feather in his career cap. Hopefully this type of performance will become the norm from now on - with some improvement on his serve, and perhaps some improvement in his court and match awareness (he wasted his Hawkeye challenges).

[break_in_the_fifth]

I think as he stays on the baseline, his forehand can only get better as well.

[luciusmann]

Murray came close, very close, well done to him.

What this means is that Djokovic has know got one finger on the trophy, the question is if Rafa can do what Murray did and push him to 5 sets!

Glad Djokovic won, I was worried my prediction of a Rafa vs Djoko final was going to be wrong...but after Wimbledon, I never really doubted it!

[Guest]

I think Novak's tiredness is just an act wheras Murray's tiredness looks genuine, cause of this I'm expecting Novak to run away with these last 2 sets.

Novak
Murray

Well Djokovic didn't run away with the last set, and that will be important for when they next meet up. It will be interesting to see how Lendl prepares Murray for the clay (and I hope this Murray - Lendl partnership continues).

It has been argued that when Murray fired his coach Miles MccLagen, and didn't appoint a replacement coach (until now with Lendl), he "wasted" 18 months of his career.

[break_in_the_fifth]

Now I only correctly predicted one of the finalists

[carrieg4]

So its over?

Yep, 7-5 in the fifth.

Thanks mate, i started to believe that Andy may just pull it out when he broke back in the 5th

Me too

[reckoner]

I think Novak's tiredness is just an act wheras Murray's tiredness looks genuine, cause of this I'm expecting Novak to run away with these last 2 sets.

Novak
Murray

Well Djokovic didn't run away with the last set, and that will be important for when they next meet up. It will be interesting to see how Lendl prepares Murray for the clay (and I hope this Murray - Lendl partnership continues).

It has been argued that when Murray fired his coach Miles MccLagen, and didn't appoint a replacement coach (until now with Lendl), he "wasted" 18 months of his career.

That's probably quite valid actually.

[ChequeredJersey]

Fantastic match, great defense by both players and for a while there I thought Murray might win, which I do not usually do. I used to think that Murray might not be "there" mentally to win a major, but on that (admittedly losing) display, I'm now convinced he will

[socal1976]

Remarkable match truely an epic and wonderful advertising for the modern game. Had a little bit of everything it took the two guys about a set and half to really get the flow. But the large amount of errors is expected when the two best returners in the game, and two of the best retrievers play each other on a very slow hardcourt.

[droogle]

That's the first time I've thought Murray looked like the real deal, that at times he'd relaxed into the fierce rhythm of the match and could trust his groundstrokes. The forehand looked more relaxed and assured than I've seen it.
That must be the best training session he's ever had and ought to take from it that he can win a slam.

[sportslover]

Great match and thanks to both players they both gave a 100%+

As socal says a great advert for the game.

[Lightbreeze]

I was impressed by Murray, for the first time he looked like a grand slam event winner in that he made some extraordinary plays.
The only way I think he could improve on todays performance is to lose some of that muscle, it's just too much weight to carry around.

[socal1976]

Congrats to murray really deserves the accolades even in defeat. His forehand looked fierce for most of the match. If he hits it that well and aggressively from the forehand wing the whole season I think he will get his grandslam this year.

[bsando]

Andy played so well! But it all came down to 3 wasted break points that could have seen him serve out the match, I think that will really upset him. Credit to djokovic, he showed a bit more composure, but overall I think both players were very even! Andy's closed the gap again between him and djokovic so i think its only a matter of time now before he gets a grandslam.

[reckoner]

Remarkable match truely an epic and wonderful advertising for the modern game. Had a little bit of everything it took the two guys about a set and half to really get the flow. But the large amount of errors is expected when the two best returners in the game, and two of the best retrievers play each other on a very slow hardcourt.

wow we have very different tastes socal. glad you enjoyed this sort of "tennis" - you're likely to see a lot of it for the next decade or so.

[Guest]

Andy played so well! But it all came down to 3 wasted break points that could have seen him serve out the match, I think that will really upset him. Credit to djokovic, he showed a bit more composure, but overall I think both players were very even! Andy's closed the gap again between him and djokovic so i think its only a matter of time now before he gets a grandslam.

If Djokovic was carrying an injury rather than carrying the "injury", then Murray would have won that match.

[Guest]

Remarkable match truely an epic and wonderful advertising for the modern game. Had a little bit of everything it took the two guys about a set and half to really get the flow. But the large amount of errors is expected when the two best returners in the game, and two of the best retrievers play each other on a very slow hardcourt.

wow we have very different tastes socal. glad you enjoyed this sort of "tennis" - you're likely to see a lot of it for the next decade or so.

As I say I envision the day of the endless baseline retrieval match, when deep furrows are created along the baseline, with the girlfriend rule being invoked after 5 days of play.

[socal1976]

Reckoner Nore Saat judge by the cheers from the fans and the standing ovation I am not the only one. There were plenty of great shots, great defense, and some net forays and aces as well. Nothing, nothing I find duller than watching an ace contest where the first to 40 aces wins. If that is the kind of tennis you like to watch I suggest starting an Ivo karlovic fan club and following him around as he plays in obscure indoor events in eastern europe.

[noleisthebest]

to all Murray fans which must feel gutted now:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A39093816

[break_in_the_fifth]

Yeah Socal because those are the 2 choices

[reckoner]

Yeah Socal because those are the 2 choices

heh yeah socal, there's more to it than that.. oh well

[Guest]

Reckoner Nore Saat judge by the cheers from the fans and the standing ovation I am not the only one. There were plenty of great shots, great defense, and some net forays and aces as well. Nothing, nothing I find duller than watching an ace contest where the first to 40 aces wins. If that is the kind of tennis you like to watch I suggest starting an Ivo karlovic fan club and following him around as he plays in obscure indoor events in eastern europe.

Hi Socal, we are talking of having a balance - between serve-volley slug fests, and endless rallies. The Djokovic - Murray match was a long drawn out drama, with many acts, following a similar plan. But you can see the direction where the modern game is going, longer and longer rallies, longer and longer breathers to maintain the intensity of each rally.

[socal1976]

Like i said it is about finding a balance but if I had to choose between the tennis of the late 90s and the tennis today I would take today's tennis every single day and twice on sunday. With the modern racquets and bigger athletes maybe we need the somewhat slower conditions because with the same conditions of 10 or 20 years ago we might get a tour filled with Ivo Karlovic's. If there are to be any changes I would want them to be minor at most. I like today's tennis, sorry, like most fans I like lengthy rallies and both players tonight still hit some great winners. But both guys are great returners, and great defenders playing on a slow court so of course most of the points are going to end in errors.

[break_in_the_fifth]

Lol you seem more scared of Ivo than someone preparing for a return game against him. When has he ever looked close to dominating anything?

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